ã€ŠHard Luck Hermitã€‹


 Sledgehammers and Plasma Pistols

    Corey had never imagined himself defacing any graves -much less the grave of his own mother. But someone else had defaced it first. He knew she would rather have a pile of rubble above her grave than a headstone with the Church¡¯s symbol on it.

    The symbol of the Church of the Guiding Truth, two hands entwined around a fiery heart, cracked a little more as Corey swung the sledgehammer into it again. They¡¯d taken his mother¡¯s death as an excuse to ¡°reclaim her lost soul¡± and put their symbol on her headstone. Never mind that her ¡°lost soul¡± had been running from them for Corey¡¯s entire life, trying to unlearn all the ways they¡¯d brainwashed her, and forget the ways they¡¯d abused her. Corey couldn¡¯t stomach the thought of their symbol lying above her body for a moment longer, much less eternity.

    Corey brought the hammer down again. A large crater formed in the center of the headstone, nearly obliterating the Church¡¯s symbol. Corey wouldn¡¯t settle for ¡°nearly¡±. He had to make this right, since it was a little bit his fault the Church¡¯s symbol was there in the first place. Not that he regretted punching his aunt in the face. Only that he¡¯d done it in front of lawyers. They¡¯d turned the assault around on him to reclaim power of attorney. The parasites in charge of that cult had better lawyers than Corey could afford to hire -but a good sledgehammer only cost forty bucks. They might try to rebuild the headstone, but Corey would keep coming back until they gave up.

    Unless of course he got arrested for vandalism. The sudden illumination of a high-beam flashlight made that feel very possible. Somewhere on the other end of the blinding light, Corey thought he could see two human silhouettes illuminated from behind.

    ¡°Uh. I can explain,¡± Corey said. He made sure to take his hands off the sledgehammer.

    ¡°Forvush tocal Morrakesh nec fot.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    The two silhouettes briefly turned away from Corey to focus on each other.

    ¡°Morrakesh prandeck nec nomot.¡±

    ¡°Nomot? Egbas Kentath-cuvos. Kimme regba ot.¡±

    One of the two silhouettes pointed at the other -with one of six fingers.

    ¡°Hold on-¡±

    Corey never got to raise any further protests. The second black silhouette pointed something at Corey, and an electric jolt pulsed through his nervous system, disabling it entirely. The two figures walked up to the broken gravestone and examined their paralyzed quarry with blood red eyes, then continued conversing in their own language.

    ¡°[Hundreds of lightyears into the outskirts of the universe and we¡¯re still finding Kentath retrogrades. Looks like a fucking Gentanian in a wig.¡±]

    ¡°[The DNA will still be different,]¡± the other sneered. He parted deep purple lips in a fanged sneer.

    ¡°[Morrakesh can¡¯t put DNA in his menagerie,]¡± the second hunter said, irritation seeping into his alien tongue. The dry atmosphere on this planet was starting to make his leathery skin itch. ¡°[He¡¯s not going to buy this as an ¡®exotic specimen¡¯.]¡±

    ¡°[We¡¯ll call it a curiosity,]¡± the other suggested. ¡°[He¡¯ll be closer to having a ¡®full set¡¯ than anyone else in the galaxy.]¡±

    In spite of his irritation, the alien¡¯s partner shrugged in acceptance.

    ¡°[Fair play. He¡¯ll go for that.]¡±

    ¡°[It¡¯ll cover the cost of fuel to get out here, at least,]¡± the first alien said. ¡°[Otherwise the trip¡¯s just wasted. Come on, grab the thing and let¡¯s get off this backwater rock.]¡±

    The hunters shouldered their rifles and then shouldered Corey¡¯s unmoving body, taking him back to their ship. The sledgehammer and the half-shattered grave were left alone in darkness once again as the ship ascended into the stars above, and then beyond them.

    <hr>

    Corey woke with another jolt, this time self-inflicted. He¡¯d barely regained consciousness when he registered the heavy vibration of metal beneath him, the heat of a lamp above, and the heavy weight of some kind of collar on his neck. Corey took in everything one by one. He was in some kind of cell/pit, surrounded by metal walls on all sides, except from above. The empty ceiling was about twenty feet high, and dominated by an odd looking square lamp that beamed harsh yellow light down on Corey.

    Finally, the collar was, in fact, a collar. The thick metallic construct kept Corey¡¯s head and neck upright and rigid, like a neck brace, and the metal construction had jagged edges that dug into his skin. Corey wiggled the brace, and only succeeded in stabbing himself in the neck a little more. It was locked tight.

    ¡°Messing with it won¡¯t help you.¡±

    Corey jumped, and the sudden movement made the collar hurt even more. He ignored the pain and pressed his back to one of the metal walls. Even while panicking, he noted the vibrations pulsing through it. Whatever he was on had a powerful motor. Thoughts of motors faded as he focused on his company in the cell.

    Whatever it was looked roughly ninety percent human, but the remaining ten percent was enough to make Corey feel uneasy. It had blue-gray skin, slick with moisture, and bulbous blue eyes. It¡¯s head was hairless, and the ears appeared to have become fused to the sides of its head over time. It held up a slimy blue hand in a gesture of greeting, then pointed to its own collar.

    ¡°For starters, even if you manage to unlatch them, they have a little bomb in them,¡± the slimy stranger said. Corey took his hands away from the collar. ¡°Secondly, they probably dug your translator out of you. Collar¡¯s the only thing letting you and me talk to each other, and believe me, you¡¯ll want to understand what I have to say.¡±

    ¡°Translator? I don¡¯t- What are you? Where am I?¡±

    ¡°Do you really not know?¡±

    ¡°No. Last thing I remember I was smashing...uh, a thing,¡± Corey said. He didn¡¯t know where he was, but it was probably better not to admit to vandalism. ¡°Now I¡¯m here with you. Whatever you are.¡±

    The slimy one put a hand on his forehead, and narrowed bulbous eyes.

    ¡°Oh, you must be an Uncontacted,¡± he said. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize there were any of you left. Especially not of the Kentath retrogrades.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what any of those things mean.¡±

    ¡°Right, right, explanations. Well, the good news is, you¡¯re probably the first member of your species to meet alien life forms.¡±

    Corey took a moment to let that sentence hit him like a truck, because the ¡°good news¡± implied the existence of ¡°bad news¡± and he wanted to brace himself for that.

    ¡°The bad news is your first contact comes thanks to intergalactic slavers.¡±

    ¡°That tracks,¡± Corey sighed. Humanity had given him too many bad examples for Corey to assume alien races could be any better. ¡°So we¡¯re slaves now, you and me?¡±

    ¡°And a couple hundred others. We¡¯re just in the same pod since they ran out of room.¡±

    ¡°Fantastic, I get a roommate. My name¡¯s Corey Vash.¡±

    ¡°Good to meet you, Corvash. I am HobridHee.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not- Never mind. So what happens now?¡±

    ¡°Well, usually we sit around and hope we get sold to the good Flesh Pit and not the bad one.¡±

    ¡°Why¡¯s one good and one bad?¡±

    ¡°The Flesh Pit on Hoxxa is ¡®flesh¡¯ in the sex way. The Flesh Pit on Boccadum is flesh in the ¡®fight to the death¡¯ way.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Definitely hope for the Hoxxa one then, yeah,¡± Corey said. ¡°You said ¡®usually¡¯ though, right?¡±

    ¡°Yep! You¡¯ve got either really good timing or really bad timing, depending on how you look at it.¡±

    ¡°With the way my day is going, we should assume bad,¡± Corey said. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±

    HobridHee looked up at the edge of their pit and then wormed his way closer to Corey, and lowered his voice into a soft, bubbling whisper.

    ¡°Word is the captain of the ship¡¯s deep in debt to a crime lord, and only turned to slaving to pay it off,¡± HobridHee explained. ¡°Part of the crew doesn¡¯t like the debt or the slaving, so they¡¯re going to mutiny and turn the captain over to the crime lord, then free all the slaves.¡±

    ¡°Okay, cool. Where does the bad part come in?¡±

    ¡°Well, the mutineers don¡¯t have the numbers to take on the loyalists or the ship security-¡±

    ¡°So they want to give the slaves guns and even the odds?¡±

    ¡°You got it.¡±

    ¡°Fucking fantastic,¡± Corey said. His mom had insisted they both get comfortable with a gun for self-defense, so he knew how to aim and shoot. Alien guns probably followed the same basic mechanics. He hoped. ¡°What do you think?¡±

    ¡°I think there¡¯s a good chance we all die,¡± HobridHee said. ¡°But there¡¯s also a non-zero chance we get free, and there¡¯s a lot of things worse than death waiting out there for a slave.¡±

    ¡°Good point. I¡¯m in.¡±

    His own freedom aside, Corey would take any excuse to put a bullet (or a plasma bolt or a laser beam, as the case might be) in a slaver. The thought provided some comfort as he coped with the existential nightmare of being lost in space, a million miles from Earth, with no way home.

    <hr>

    ¡°I wish they could at least put in a humidifier or something,¡± HobridHee complained. ¡°It¡¯d make sense, right? Slaves with cracked skin are less valuable, yeah?¡±

    Corey gave a grunt of acknowledgment. HobridHee was starting to get used to that response. Corey was not being a very good conversation partner, but considering everything he¡¯d been through in the past few hours, HobridHee understood that. He just tried to keep talking to himself, to keep Corey¡¯s mind at ease, and maybe slip in a few important details about galactic society while he was at it.

    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°You know my species is only one of about a dozen semi-aquatic Kentath offshoots,¡± HobridHee said. ¡°Pretty weird, considering how many planets are mostly water, right?¡±

    ¡°Uh, yeah, I guess. What¡¯s that Kentath thing you keep mentioning?¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s a long story,¡± HobridHee said. ¡°You seem a little out of sorts. Maybe it can wait?¡±

    ¡°Ugh, maybe,¡± Corey grunted. ¡°I¡¯d nap if the ship weren¡¯t vibrating so much.¡±

    ¡°It is a bit of a junker, yeah. Probably an ancient trawler they- Did you hear that?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t hear anything but you talking, bud.¡±

    ¡°Your species must have weaker hearing. Stay quiet, keep your head down. Pretend you were asleep.¡±

    HobridHee flopped on the floor like a dead fish and closed his bulging eyes. Corey opted for a more understated performance of curling up in a corner and lowering his head. They continued the routine for a few minutes while the sound of shuffling footsteps and muffled voices carried on overhead. Eventually the quiet footsteps came to their pit, and something knocked on the walls of their cell. They both feigned waking up.

    ¡°Ey, Hob -who¡¯s this?¡±

    ¡°New catch. Uncontacted, out of his depth. But he¡¯s in, same as me.¡±

    ¡°You been blabbing about the plan?¡±

    ¡°No names or times,¡± HobridHee said. ¡°I¡¯m good for secrets.¡±

    ¡°Well, fuck it, bit late to sell us out now,¡± the voice above the pit said. ¡°Let¡¯s get them out of there.¡±

    A coiled ladder was lowered into the pit, and HobridHee climbed up first. Corey wondered why a spacefaring species still used ladders, but figured sometimes you just couldn¡¯t beat the classics. His opinion of the spacefarers technological innovation changed quickly when he reached the top of the ladder and found a sickle-shaped device with multiple glowing components being shoved in his face. The alien waving it in his face pointed emphatically to various components.

    ¡°Press green button. Make hurt come out of blue end,¡± the sickly-looking alien said. He enunciated every syllable very clearly, as if speaking to a child. ¡°Point blue end at person to hurt when press green button.¡±

    ¡°I know how a gun works,¡± Corey said. ¡°And I can understand you fine.¡±

    ¡°Would not be first Uncontacted to kill self with plasma conductor,¡± the alien snarled. ¡°All newcomers think they bigshot king of space, most die fast. See how you turn out.¡±

    The alien armorer walked away and armed the next slave down the line. Corey turned the plasma weapon over in his hand and looked for any other buttons on it, though he kept his fingers far far away from all of them.

    ¡°Hey, buddy, how do I reload this thing?¡± Corey said, calling out to the pistol-bearing alien. ¡°What do I do?¡±

    The other alien ignored him, but Hob helpfully interjected.

    ¡°These things have about a hundred shots in them, assuming they¡¯re fully charged. We shouldn¡¯t burn through that many. Doesn¡¯t look like they¡¯re handing out spare cells anyway.¡±

    ¡°Odds are none of you will even need to fire a shot,¡± another alien shouted. He took charge of the room while his comrade finished handing out the last of the pistols. ¡°Captain¡¯s not a brave sort. Enough guns aimed at her, she should back down, we get this ship back on track, and send you all on your way.¡±

    The muttering slaves didn¡¯t exactly seem optimistic, but most of them didn¡¯t have any better options. Corey tightened his grip on his weapon.

    ¡°Our girl¡¯s in the hangar right now,¡± the commander of the mutiny said. ¡°Let¡¯s all make our way there nice and slow-like, stay calm, and keep your fingers off the triggers until I say so.¡±

    The mutineer opened the doors to the slave pens and led his makeshift army out into the halls of the ship. Corey made sure to take in the structure of the vessel just in case, but he was more focused on the future.

    ¡°He said we¡¯re going to the hangar,¡± Corey whispered to Hob. ¡°Do you know how to fly a ship?¡±

    ¡°No, but I know how to boot an autopilot,¡± HobridHee said. ¡°I can launch us towards the nearest inhabited star system and hope the distress beacon lets someone find us.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard worse plans,¡± Corey said. ¡°When the shooting starts, we bolt for the nearest ship.¡±

    ¡°I got your back, Corvash.¡±

    ¡°I- whatever, let¡¯s get this done,¡± Corey said. The march to the hangar was short, and Corey didn¡¯t have time to hash out the right way to pronounce his name. There were a lot of different aliens in the hangar -and the mutineers flinched when they saw the full expanse of the crowd. While some of the aliens wore uniforms matching the colors of the mutineers, there was another group wearing entirely different kinds of clothing as well, and a ship in the hangar that didn¡¯t match the others. Unexpected visitors, maybe.

    The presumptive leader of the third faction in the hangar, judging by his ornate robe and heavily jeweled chest, looked at the motley slave crew and let out a deep, throaty rasp that might¡¯ve been his version of a chuckle.

    ¡°You better hope this is a merchandise showcase, rat.¡±

    The leader of the mutineers nervously examined their new guest and the captain in turn.

    ¡°You said Morrakesh¡¯s people would leave us alone,¡± he mumbled.

    ¡°We aren¡¯t with Morrakesh,¡± the unexpected visitor grunted, before turning back to the captain. ¡°Sounds like you¡¯ve reached into one too many nests, my friend.¡±

    The mutineer leader raised his rifle, almost but not quite aiming it at the captain.

    ¡°This ship¡¯ll be under new management soon,¡± he said. ¡°Stay out of the way and we can clean up this mess.¡±

    The visitor responded by drawing a pistol -a much larger one than Corey¡¯s, to his chagrin- and pointing it at the mutineer leader.

    ¡°We protect our investments here, traitor,¡± the visitor snarled. He¡¯d barely gotten the words out before the captain pulled out her own weapon, and aimed it at the visitor.

    ¡°Nothing personal,¡± she said. ¡°But I need you off my back.¡±

    The visitor bared his teeth and glanced sideways at the captain.

    ¡°You couldn¡¯t have waited three drops for us to take out those idiots?¡±

    The captain glanced at the mutineers. Corey wasn¡¯t good at parsing alien facial expressions yet, but he could tell she regretted a lot of things right now.

    ¡°Do you know who we¡¯re supposed to be shooting at?¡± Hob whispered.

    ¡°I¡¯m losing track. I think who¡¯s not shooting at us is more important?¡±

    Nobody was shooting right now, because everyone was too busy figuring out who they were supposed to shoot. The already complex equation got even more complex when a bright red vessel started hovering in the space outside the shielded hangar doors. It passed through the energy barrier that kept the atmosphere in and landed, as all guns in the hangar briefly turned towards it. Some of the guns turned away when it deployed guns of its own. Very large, ship-born cannons started to glow red.

    ¡°Captain Vysus Koll and associates,¡± the ship¡¯s speakers boomed. ¡°Baron Turrut and associates. You have been targeted for apprehension or termination. Lower your weapons and submit to custody for processing. Resistance will not be tolerated.¡±

    ¡°Are we associates?¡± Hob whispered. Corey responded by nodding to his weapon, which was already lowered, and Hob followed suit.

    ¡°Is everyone in the fucking galactic supercluster on my ship?¡± the captain screamed.

    ¡°No unassociated vessels detected beyond the three already present,¡± boomed the speakers of the red starship. The captain looked at the red ship, then at the ship the Baron and his associates had arrived in, and back at the red ship. He counted two.

    ¡°Three?¡±

    A hatch at the back of the hangar opened, and three aliens of different shapes and sizes stepped forward. Two were mostly humanoid, like the other aliens Corey could see right now, but the third looked like an amalgam of a gorilla, a fish, and an insect. The odd trio took exactly two steps forward, guns drawn, before seeing the vast and mismatched forces arrayed against them, and promptly stepping backwards and behind the nearest crate to take cover. The most human-looking member of the trio peeked over the top of the crate to examine the scene again, before his eyes focused on the massive red ship.

    ¡°Oh hey, look at that, is that Heart Rippers? I know you guys.¡±

    ¡°Identify,¡± the ship boomed.

    ¡°Kamak D-V-Y-B and the crew of the Hard Luck Hermit,¡± he said. ¡°Bounty Hunter¡¯s Guild registration YX03201994.¡±

    ¡°Acknowledged. No active warrants detected. One unpaid fine of sub-five hundred units detected,¡± the red ship boomed.

    ¡°Unpaid fine? Doprel, did you forget to pay the docking fee on Elgam?¡±

    ¡°Maybe,¡± the odd hybrid creature grunted.

    Kamak let out a loud groan and got back to the matter at hand.

    ¡°Anyway, we were here to claim a bounty on Captain Vysus Koll. Any chance we could, uh-¡±

    ¡°Unacceptable. Captain Vysus Koll and associates are legal bounties of the Xakatan Hegemony, claimed by the Heart Rippers,¡± the crimson ship boomed.

    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s fine, that¡¯s great,¡± Kamak said. ¡°You were here first, and uh, you seem to have brought a better umbrella to this particular shitstorm, so how about we provide you some covering fire while we slowly back away and let you do your thing.¡±

    ¡°Non-obstructive participation will be tolerated,¡± the red ship boomed.

    ¡°Okay, great. Now, who exactly are we shooting at?¡±

    A question that echoed across the hangar, and resulted in a lot of guns being pointed in a lot of different directions. Kamak shrugged.

    ¡°Oh, so it¡¯s that kind of party.¡±

    Corey didn¡¯t know if someone¡¯s trigger finger just slipped, or if someone decided to end the standoff, but the party got started in violent fashion. A single bolt kicked off a firestorm in every direction. HobridHee grabbed Corey and pulled him to the ground just as fourteen individual plasma bolts cut through the space where they had been standing. Corey tried to get his bearings and failed miserably as bodies started to drop on all sides.

    ¡°Where are we going?¡±

    In the back corner of the hangar, the mismatched trio added their own bullets to the fray, though sparingly.

    ¡°Tooley, we need a pickup! This got a bit hotter than expected.¡±

    ¡°Kamak, guns up,¡± the strange hybrid creature roared. ¡°Give those slaves some breathing room, they need to get out of here!¡±

    ¡°I like those guys,¡± Corey said. ¡°Let¡¯s go with them.¡±

    Hob agreed, and the two got on their knees and crawled through the chaos in their direction. The third member of the bounty hunter trio, a red skinned, broad shouldered humanoid, was screaming and loosing plasma in every non-slave direction, creating a hailstorm of ¡°covering fire¡± that kept Corey¡¯s path mostly clear. By keeping low and ducking behind cover whenever possible, Corey and Hob managed to reach the same crate the three bounty hunters were hiding behind.

    ¡°Hi!¡± Hob said. Kamak jumped, but managed not to shoot their unexpected guest in his surprise. ¡°Mind giving us a ride?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re hunters, not a rescue operation,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°Come on, Kamak,¡± the hulking hybrid creature said. ¡°We¡¯re less than a swap away from the nearest station. We won¡¯t even have to feed them.¡±

    ¡°You say that, Doprel, but five drops after we take off you¡¯re going to be telling me how hungry they look,¡± Kamak snapped back. He ducked out of cover to drop a few targets -and found that two of them had already been dropped by Corey and his pistol. The two gunmen shared a nod of understanding and returned to cover.

    ¡°If it happens, I¡¯ll feed them out of my rations,¡± Doprel assured his partner.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Kamak snapped. ¡°But only because this one can actually shoot, and I want more covering fire for my ship. And they¡¯re helping me buff out the blaster marks when we land, too!¡±

    ¡°Works for me,¡± HobridHee said. The diminutive humanoid kept his head down, not firing a single shot as the others cut down anyone who threatened their position. The roar of an engine eventually heralded the arrival of the bounty hunters¡¯ ship.

    ¡°Farsus, drop some smoke!¡±

    ¡°It shall be as you say!¡±

    The crimson skinned humanoid holstered his guns and grabbed two large grenades from his belt, raising them with a boisterous cry of exhilaration.

    ¡°Thank you for this edifying frenzy of death! It has been long since I gazed at such a maelstrom of chaos!¡±

    ¡°Stop thanking them for murdering people and cover our asses!¡±

    With a loud cry for each canister, Farsus tossed the grenades into the room and let them burst into a thick cloud of blue smoke. While stray blaster shots still tore through the smoke on occasion, the obscuring haze diverted most of the attention. Doprel, the massive hybrid beast, grabbed their two new friends and pushed them in the right direction, leading them towards the open bay door of a small, boxy craft hovering in the hangar. Corey asked no questions, and made a beeline for the ship as the chaos continued behind him. Hob was the last one through the door, and a volley of blaster fire followed him, pinging off the inside walls of the ship just before the bay doors closed.

    ¡°Hey! You guys are polishing that too!¡±

    Doprel gestured to the scorch mark on the wall, and then at their two new passengers.

    ¡°Kamak, give them a minute to breath! They- Oh no.¡±

    Corey looked down at himself, and saw nothing out of the ordinary. Then he looked over his shoulder, and saw HobridHee face down on the ground, with a smoking hole in the back of his head.

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    ¡°Hm,¡± Kamak grunted, sounding almost disinterested.

    Farsus walked over to the body and brushed his red fingertips against the outskirts of the wound, brushing ash and cauterized blood off of HobridHee¡¯s blue skin.

    ¡°A high-intensity bolt, likely a Detarco X3 repeater rifle,¡± he said flatly. ¡°Quick, clean, devastatingly powerful. Your friend likely felt no pain, stranger. I hope that brings you comfort.¡±

    ¡°He wasn¡¯t my- We only knew each other a few hours. We were just...trying to help each other get out of there.¡±

    ¡°Still. Never feels good when someone dies on your watch,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Did he, uh...say where he was from? What he believed?¡±

    ¡°He didn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Right. Doprel? You want to handle spacing him?¡±

    The hulking creature nodded. When in doubt, being ejected towards the nearest sun was the default way to handle a body in space. Before undergoing that macabre ritual, Doprel turned to Corey. His mandibles moved slowly as he spoke a single question

    ¡°Did he tell you his name?¡±

    ¡°HobridHee.¡±

    Doprel gave a solemn nod and picked up the body in his massive arms. Farsus put both hands on his own massive shoulders and bowed in the direction of the body. Kamak showed a practiced indifference to the respectful scene.

    ¡°Speaking of. You got a name, stranger?¡±

    ¡°Corey Vash,¡± he said. Then he briefly pointed at HobridHee¡¯s body, limp in Doprel¡¯s arms. ¡°That guy called me Corvash, for some reason.¡±

    ¡°Alright then, Corey and/or Corvash,¡± Kamak said. He gave Corey a rough clap on the shoulder. ¡°Welcome aboard the Hard Luck Hermit.¡±

 Chapter 2: All Aboard

    ¡°Cool. Can someone get this collar off me?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, we got you,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Farsus, you¡¯re up.¡±

    The red-skinned alien took off his sizable belt of weapons and picked up some tools from a nearby workbench. He beckoned Corey to sit down and then stood behind him on the couch, poking at the collar with his various implements.

    ¡°Please remain still, Corvash, and I shall unmake this mark of slavery,¡± Farsus said.

    ¡°Can you leave the translator intact? I think it¡¯s the only reason I can understand you guys.¡±

    ¡°It can be done,¡± Farsus said. ¡°In that event, I shall leave the device intact, while removing the restrictive metal plating.¡±

    ¡°And the bomb.¡±

    ¡°And the bomb,¡± Farsus agreed. Corey put his hands in his lap and remained perfectly still while the surprisingly delicate hands of Farsus went to work. For being as bulky and as hairy as he was, Farsus had very nimble fingers.

    ¡°So. Maybe you picked up our names in all the shouting and gunfire, but just in case: I¡¯m Kamak D-V-Y-B, the owner of this ship, captain of the crew, and all that.¡±

    Kamak was by far the most human looking person in the room, though other than his complete hairlessness, he also had some other major differences. His skin had thin ridges across the top of his bare head and all down his spine, and his skin had a slight grayish tint. The captain stripped off the armor he wore in the field and tossed it aside, exposing the simple white shirt he wore underneath, now visibly stained by sweat. Corey recoiled from the acidic scent of his alien perspiration and tried not to let his disgust show on his face.

    ¡°I am Farsus, engineer of the Kintava clan, scholar of chaos theory,¡± he said. He unlatched one of the mechanisms of the collar and pried a small explosive loose from the interior. ¡°There. Your head is now at a significantly lower risk of exploding. It is my honor to meet you, Corvash. May our companionship bring us closer to comprehension of the certain uncertainty.¡±

    Farsus took the last few bits of metal plating off the slave collar and took the scrap to his workbench. Corey nodded politely and then used his new freedom of movement to lean slightly closer to Kamak.

    ¡°What¡¯s he talking about?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t ask, his explanation won¡¯t make any sense either,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Doprel, you done yet?¡±

    The hulking creature returned from the weapons bay of the ship, looking as sad as is inhuman anatomy allowed. Corey didn¡¯t know whether to call his hardened skin scales or a carapace, but Doprel definitely had mandibles on his face, and finned ridges on his back and upper limbs, making Corey very confused as to whether he was piscine or insectoid in nature.

    ¡°HobridHee¡¯s been prepared,¡± Doprel sighed. ¡°It¡¯ll be a short time before the launch, if you want to say your goodbyes, Corey Vash.¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s- it¡¯s fine. Like I said, I barely knew the guy.¡±

    ¡°His role in your life has ended,¡± Farsus said solemnly. ¡°May the scattered atoms of his body spiral outwards, and cause shockwaves throughout the galaxy.¡±

    Everyone in the room ignored that statement and moved on with introductions.

    ¡°The big guy is Doprel,¡± Kamak explained. ¡°He¡¯s here to be large, and also keep me from becoming too much of a bastard.¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s his job, he needs to get paid less.¡±

    The muffled mockery from the cockpit caused Farsus to burst into a near-deafening bout of laughter. Doprel¡¯s mandibles wiggled mirthfully as he suppressed his own delight at the joke. Kamak didn¡¯t even try to hide his annoyance.

    ¡°If you got time to mouth off, Tooley, you got time to introduce yourself,¡± Kamak called. ¡°Quit being a bitch and get out here.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m still doing faster-than-light stabilization, bastard, it takes time,¡± Tooley called back. ¡°If you think you can run this thing without me, fire me and get in here yourself.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t tempt me,¡± Kamak shouted back. In spite of his threats, he didn¡¯t go anywhere.

    ¡°You can¡¯t fly your own ship?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a highly complicated piece of machinery, and I have other responsibilities keeping me from devoting the time and energy necessary to understand it.¡±

    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    ¡°Though this sounds like a blatant deflection, it is true,¡± Farsus added. ¡°Our ship is unnecessarily complex, and Kamak¡¯s poor time-management skills preclude his learning process.¡±

    ¡°You people are despicable,¡± Kamak mumbled.

    While he stewed in his anger, the fourth crew member made herself known. She looked even more human than Kamak, albeit human with body paint and dyed hair. She had powder blue hair, so thick and tightly braided they looked like tendrils on her head, and sapphire blue skin that almost looked iridescent in the ship¡¯s lighting. Corey made no assumptions about her general anatomy relative to a human, however. He was even assuming they were female, now that he thought of it. Those bulges on their chest could be poison sacks for all Corey knew.

    ¡°Hi there, I¡¯m Tooley Keeber Obertas, your pilot on this expedition,¡± they said. ¡°Have I introduced myself in a satisfactory manner? Can I go back to piloting the ship we¡¯re all on now?¡±

    ¡°Oh, sit down, you little whiner, you and I both know we¡¯re basically on autopilot until we drop out of FTL anyway.¡±

    ¡°Okay, can I circle back to that real quick?¡± Corey asked. ¡°Are we actually traveling faster than light speed right now?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, you-¡±

    A moment of realization struck, and all eyes in the room fell on Corey.

    ¡°Holy shit,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Are you an Uncontacted?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been told, yes, but nobody ever explained what it meant,¡± Corey said. Most thing he¡¯d been told so far had yet to be explained.

    ¡°Uncontacted refers to any sapient species which has not been brought up to the Galactic Council¡¯s baseline technological standards,¡± Farsus explained. ¡°A minimum level of scientific knowledge, shared among all council races. It is surprising to me that your planet escaped their notice. Their committed effort to uplift all sapient species in a grand ¡®Galactic Uplifting¡¯ was recently declared a success.¡±

    ¡°Maybe they didn¡¯t miss it,¡± Kamak said. ¡°They made an exception for that one planet, what was it called, Katoomas? They were too violent, said they would¡¯ve been unsuitable members of the galactic community. What about you, Corey, you from a planet of barbarians?¡±

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know, Earth¡¯s not great, but I¡¯ve only been up here a few hours and I¡¯ve already seen a five-way shootout between gang lords, slavers, and bounty hunters, so I can¡¯t say we¡¯re much worse off.¡±

    ¡°Fair play,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°Did you say Earth?¡±

    Tooley stepped forward, as if in a trance, and reached out to Corey. Her hands gingerly grabbed at his face and wide eyes full of awe stared deep into his soul.

    ¡°My people¡¯s shaman¡¯s have always told stories about a warrior from a shrouded world called Earth,¡± Tooley said, her voice nearly breathless with wonder. ¡°One who had the strength to change the galaxy forever. To challenge the Maw that threatens to consume us all.¡±

    Corey stared back at Tooley. Her cold fingertips were trembling on his face, her eyes were full of wonder, and her lips quivered slightly as she stared at him in silence. Corey¡¯s eyes narrowed.

    ¡°You¡¯re fucking with me, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    Tooley pulled her hands back and pumped a fist in frustration as the rest of the room burst into laughter. She then turned around and made some mocking laughter sounds at Kamak before slamming down into the sofa with a huff.

    ¡°Stick to piloting, sweetheart,¡± Kamak taunted. ¡°You¡¯re not any good at it, but at least it¡¯s better than your acting skills.¡±

    ¡°Yeah yeah, laugh it up,¡± Tooley said. She slammed her foot down on the table in front of her and the surface opened up, lifting a bottle of opaque blue liquid through a small hole. Tooley grabbed it and removed the cap as she turned to Corey. ¡°Sorry, mate. Not trying to make fun of you, just wanted to give that routine a try. Not every day you meet an Uncontacted, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I get it, see a chance and take it, respect,¡± Corey said. ¡°Just want to be clear though, there isn¡¯t a Maw threatening to consume everything? Right?¡±

    ¡°There is such a Maw: an imperceptibly massive black hole at the edge of the observable universe that slowly consumes all of existence,¡± Farsus said. ¡°But the consumption occurs at such a slow rate that all of our stars will have long since faded into cosmic dust by the time it consumes our galaxies. Unless your species is functionally immortal and capable of surviving the endless abyss of entropic space, you have no reason to be concerned.¡±

    ¡°Not a problem,¡± Corey said. ¡°Humanity will be lucky to make it through this millennium, much less the heat death of the universe.¡±

    ¡°On the topic of your species, though,¡± Doprel said. ¡°If they¡¯re Uncontacted, it¡¯s going to make it hard for you to find your way back home.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, good luck with that,¡± Kamak said, his tone making it very clear he did not consider the journey back to Earth his problem. Corey shook his head.

    ¡°I¡¯m not worried,¡± Corey said. ¡°I don¡¯t really have anything to go back to.¡±

    Tooley very deliberately put her bottle in her mouth, just to have an excuse to not say anything for the next few seconds. While she evaded the subject, Kamak and Doprel stared each other down over it.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you look at me with those big old eyes,¡± Kamak said. Doprel had six eyes, which made his puppy dog eye routine that much stronger.

    ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± Doprel said. ¡°I¡¯m just thinking. To myself. About things.¡±

    ¡°Well keep those thoughts in that big ugly head of yours.¡±

    ¡°You did say we could take on new jobs with a bigger crew.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s not qualified.¡±

    Corey nearly spoke up, but Tooley very firmly placed a hand on his chest to hold him back.

    ¡°Don¡¯t say anything,¡± she whispered. ¡°You¡¯ll only make it worse.¡±

    ¡°You said he could shoot,¡± Doprel said, carrying on the debate heedless to their aside.

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t make him qualified to be an intergalactic mercenary,¡± Kamak protested. ¡°Especially not as a damned Uncontacted.¡±

    ¡°And you said you wanted to shift down to easier jobs during shipping season,¡± Doprel said. ¡°That makes it a perfect time to onboard a beginner.¡±

    ¡°It ain¡¯t happening.¡±

    ¡°Kamak.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s got nowhere else to go, and doesn¡¯t know anyone else.¡±

    ¡°And I¡¯m supposed to care?¡±

    ¡°No. But it means he probably won¡¯t quit after one job.¡±

    Kamak turned on his heel and put a foot up on the table, flashing a winning and entirely insincere smile towards Corey.

    ¡°Hey kid,¡± he said. ¡°You want to be a bounty hunter?¡±

 Chapter 3: Autopilot Makes a Great Designated Driver

    Corey contemplated the offer for a moment. He wasn¡¯t even sure what a bounty hunter was, really.

    ¡°Do I have to answer right away?¡±

    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°It just seems like a lot to jump into,¡± Corey protested. ¡°You guys ran headfirst into a room of like two-hundred killer slavers and mercs. I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s the kind of lifestyle I want.¡±

    ¡°I would consider that incident unusual, but fair play,¡± Kamak said. ¡°The money¡¯s good.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, hold on,¡± Corey said. He turned to Tooley. ¡°Is the money good?¡±

    ¡°Hey, you hold on, I just told you the money¡¯s good, why are you asking her?¡±

    ¡°Because she doesn¡¯t like you,¡± Corey said. Tooley nodded twice. ¡°She¡¯ll tell me the truth.¡±

    ¡°Pay varies from job to job,¡± Tooley said. ¡°But I¡¯ve never gone hungry, and when all the bills are paid I usually got a decent chunk of cash leftover to stash away for my own starship. There¡¯re worse gigs out there in the galaxy.¡±

    ¡°Far superior ones as well,¡± Farsus said. ¡°Like a Priest-Lord of Tanogg, who awake every morning to a legion of concubines gilding their genitalia in brushed gold as preparation for the day¡¯s ritualistic copulation.¡±

    ¡°That does sound better,¡± Corey agreed.

    ¡°Well they ain¡¯t hiring,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Believe me, I checked. So since that gig¡¯s off the table, how about this one?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Do I need to be registered to be a bounty hunter?¡±

    ¡°Not so long as you¡¯re with me.¡±

    ¡°Or literally any other registered bounty hunter,¡± Tooley added.

    ¡°He doesn¡¯t know any other registered bounty hunters,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°You sure changed your tune quick,¡± Doprel noted. ¡°Give Corvash some time to think about it. He¡¯s had a long day.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Tooley said. ¡°We got a swap or so before we hit the nearest station. Let him sleep on it.¡±

    ¡°Sleep sounds nice, but I don¡¯t know if I could,¡± Corey said. He¡¯d been awake for probably fifteen hours at this point, not counting however long he¡¯d spent unconscious with the slavers, and yet he didn¡¯t feel tired. All the excitement and confusion of being flung into space had his mind and his heart racing. ¡°You got any kind of space sleeping pills or anything?¡±

    ¡°Legally speaking I can¡¯t carry that kind of stuff on my ship,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°We got the next best thing though,¡± Tooley said. Her shining green eyes lit up with excitement. ¡°This¡¯ll be fun. We got an Uncontacted with us, time for a science experiment.¡±

    ¡°Oh, is this the part where you probe me?¡± Corey said. Nobody laughed. ¡°Human joke, we have a thing about getting probed by aliens, it¡¯s, uh-¡±

    ¡°Perverts,¡± Tooley said. ¡°No, Corey Vash, we¡¯re going to be performing a much more important experiment.¡±

    She kicked her heel on the table again, and summoned another one of the blue bottles, which she raised up into Corey¡¯s hands.

    ¡°How much alcohol does it take to get a ¡®human¡¯ blackout drunk?¡±

    <hr>

    The four humanoids stood around every side of the table, facing each other down in a four-way standoff. Each had a bottle in hand, and an ever-growing stack of empty bottles in front of them.

    ¡°Not even wobbling,¡± Tooley said. ¡°But you might as well be dancing, Kamak.¡±

    ¡°Rules don¡¯t say nothing about wobbling, princess,¡± Kamack said. The participants of the drinking game were only disqualified when they fell. ¡°I¡¯m embracing the flow. Feeling the buzz and riding it all the way to victory.¡±

    ¡°I am immovable in the face of this intoxication,¡± Farsus shouted. He stood opposite Corey in the face-off square, and had yet to so much as tilt to one side. ¡°The Torokoro are a hardy people! We hunted our dinners in caverns choked with methane! The weakling toxins of these beverages are no match for my natural resilience. I shall endure!¡±

    ¡°Humansh ain¡¯t no slouches either,¡± Corey slurred. ¡°There are...there¡¯re entire species of plants that tried to develop painful defenses against us...and we eat them anyway! And we enjoy it! Grind up all the peppers and bottle the juice, sell their toxins as hot sauce!¡±

    ¡°Your people stare death in the face and draw sustenance from the pain, I love it!¡±

    Farsus pounded his chest and let out a holler that turned into a belch. Every participant wrinkled their noses in disgust and then downed another bottle.

    ¡°Hey, hey, Gentanian¡¯s ain¡¯t no slackers in that department. The Boakso are the deadliest predators on our planet, covered in poison quills, and my ancestors, my ancestors, they hunted down those bastards, and cooked their meat on skewers made of the quills,¡± Kamak taunted. ¡°Little dash of poison in the meat makes for great seasonings!¡±

    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    ¡°Hail the mighty hunters,¡± Farsus screamed, and every participant drank to it. ¡°Tooley Keebur Obeltas! How did your ancestors brave death itself to slake their appetites?¡±

    ¡°I, uh, hold on,¡± Tooley said. She wobbled for a second and muffled a long belch. ¡°Okay, I good. Oh right, I know. A long long, long time ago there were mostly these really really really big birds on my planet. But we didn¡¯t have ships or flying yet. So when we hunted them, what they did was, they would climb up on top of the cliffs where the birds lived, and watch, and wait, and wait, and then, then when the birds started to fly, the hunters would jump on ¡®em! From above! And get them with spears!¡±

    Farsus let out a rousing cheer that nearly knocked Kamak off his feet, but he stayed upright.

    ¡°How many died in the pursuit of this mighty meal?¡±

    ¡°Uh...I don¡¯t know. It was way long ago,¡± Tooley said. ¡°A lot, I guess?¡±

    ¡°We drink to the numberless dead!¡±

    The quartet of drinkers let out an exuberant ¡°yeah!¡± and downed another round of bottles. The plastic containers clattered to the floor and were quickly replaced.

    ¡°So did the caveman versions of you have like, gliders?¡± Corey asked. ¡°Or did they just hop in the direction of a bird and pray?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, man, that was like twenty thousand thousand years ago or somming. Something.¡±

    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re slipping up,¡± Kamak said. ¡°You always mess up words right before the fall.¡±

    ¡°Use that mouth for drinking, not talk,¡± Tooley commanded, and the contestants downed another round.

    ¡°Do you guys do this a lot?¡±

    ¡°Only mostly sometimes,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Special occ-occ-coccasions.¡±

    ¡°Does Doprel ever join?¡±

    The hulking alien had apparently retreated to his private quarters for the duration of the game, but wished them all good luck before doing so.

    ¡°Oh, his species has different chemissssssss...brain stuff,¡± Tooley said. ¡°He couldn¡¯t get drunk if he wanted to.¡±

    ¡°How horrifying,¡± Corey mumbled.

    ¡°We shall drink to his lamentable existence!¡±

    At Farsus¡¯ cry, another round bottomed out. Farsus nearly stumbled, but caught his footing at the last minute and stayed upright.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if you noticed, Professor Corsmash, but Doprel ain¡¯t exactly built like the rest of us,¡± Kamak said. ¡°He¡¯s all different on the inside too. He¡¯s got...bug guts. To match his bug face.¡±

    ¡°Okay, yeah, that makes sense,¡± Corey said. ¡°But then why do we all look the same? Ish. Sort of. I mean you¡¯re red and she¡¯s blue and you¡¯re...sort of the same but like, very bad. Bald.¡±

    ¡°We are all of us Kentath renegades-¡±

    ¡°Retrogrades,¡± Tooley corrected.

    ¡°Yes, retrogrades, thank you for this correction, my beloved companion,¡± Farsus said. ¡°A once mighty race that dominated the universe, laid low by their own hubris. Before the plague consumed their species, they seeded the known universe with genetically engineered variants of their own kind, to undo the genetic homogeny. Homogeneity? Homogenousness?¡±

    ¡°He gets it, Farsus.¡±

    ¡°Yes! The boy comprehends! Tragically, the central command was consumed, and the various offshoots were never united under a common banner, left to redevelop their own civilizations, scattered like dust across the cosmos.¡±

    ¡°And that¡¯s why most of us out here in the universe look the same, and got the same parts,¡± Kamak said. ¡°We¡¯re like cousins, except twenty-two billion times removed.¡±

    Corey wobbled from side to side and processed the information. That would topple more than a few centuries of scientific understanding and religious doctrine back on earth. Corey focused on something else instead.

    ¡°We got all the same parts?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but they¡¯re usually all jumbled around in there,¡± Kamak said. He pointed to his own chest, then shifted his finger as he spoke. ¡°It¡¯s like this, Fartsus¡¯ got his heart in the center of his chest, but mine¡¯s down here, and his kindeys is over here, and mine...well it should be here, but I got shot in a kidneys a while back and I¡¯m not sure that guy put it in the right place, he might¡¯ve-¡±

    Kamak had leaned back to better display his abdomen, and in doing so, sealed his fate. The captain¡¯s arms flailed and he let out a panicked cry as he toppled backwards, but could not catch himself in the end.

    ¡°The captain has fallen,¡± Farsus declared. ¡°We drink to honor his memory!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m alive, numbnuts,¡± Kamak snapped, as the rest drank another round.

    ¡°But you¡¯re out,¡± Tooley sang. ¡°Lie down and sleep it off, Cap, I want you sober when I rub it in.¡±

    Kamak let out a few angry grumbles as he rolled over and tried to pull himself onto the couch to pass out properly.

    ¡°Final three, okay okay okay,¡± Tooley said. ¡°You humans can hold it together, Corvash.¡±

    ¡°And I¡¯m doing this on an empty stomach,¡± Corey boasted.

    ¡°Is that relevant to your intoxication, or are you requesting a snack?¡±

    ¡°I could go for some crackers or something, but I don¡¯t think you guys got any food in arms length of me,¡± Corey said. ¡°And if I move I¡¯m definitely going to fall over.¡±

    ¡°Oh ho, he admits weakness,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Let¡¯s see how much longer you can hold out. Again!¡±

    Another batch of bottles were downed in a flash. It was difficult to tell where the breaking point was crossed, but Farsus certainly crossed it. He fell backwards like a brick, landing halfway in a chair, completely unconscious by the time he hit the deck.

    ¡°And then there were two,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°Might as well just be one,¡± Tooley said. ¡°You know I¡¯m winning this, right?¡±

    ¡°Like hell you are,¡± Corey snapped. ¡°Again.¡±

    Tooley complied, and she raced Corey to the bottom of another bottle. He slammed his own down on the table and summoned another in the process.

    ¡°Again!¡±

    Another round passed in no time flat. Tooley could feel herself about to vomit, and the retching sensation nearly knocked her off her feet, but she endured.

    ¡°Okay. Okay okay stop, we¡¯re stopping stop stop stop,¡± she said.

    ¡°You giving up?¡±

    ¡°No. No no, just, pausing, giving it a minute, let it hit the brain, hit the- hit the tummy,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Give it a second. Tell, I don¡¯t know, tell a story or something.¡±

    ¡°Stories of what?¡± Corey asked. ¡°My homeworld¡¯s a ball of dust, all covered in...fuckers. Bad fuckers. Just all fuckers, in every direction. Nothing special.¡±

    ¡°That is super super cool,¡± Tooley said. ¡°My place sucks too. Do you want to kill people on your planet? Mine is kind of bad bad bad but I diecided I don¡¯t want to kill anybody there. Do you want to kill anybody on your planet?¡±

    Corey stopped and looked at the pile of empty bottles in front of him.

    ¡°Again.¡±

    Tooley shrugged and down another bottle alongside Corey. As the last drops of alien alcohol hit his system, Corey finally crossed a threshold of drunkenness he¡¯d never crossed before, and on the far side of absolute inebriation, he found his answer.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Then he collapsed backwards, and everything went black.

 Chapter 4: Cleanup Crew

    Corey woke up with one of the worst headaches he¡¯d ever had. The acidic scent of space booze still hung in the air, and nearly made him throw up before he¡¯d even opened his eyes.

    Space booze. Corey resisted the urge to open his eyes. He knew that when he did so, he¡¯d find himself on a spaceship, lightyears from Earth, surrounded by strange creatures who had very quickly taken him in. If he kept his eyes closed a little while longer, he didn¡¯t have to deal with the insanity his life had become. He was on a spaceship, for christ¡¯s sake.

    One of Corey¡¯s many hungover braincells piped up with the idea that if he played his cards right, he might get to fly a space ship. He was out of bed in a flash. Then he was back in bed, also in a flash, because vertigo hit him like a truck.

    ¡°Ow.¡±

    ¡°I hear signs of life!¡±

    Doprel entered the room unannounced. Corey might¡¯ve protested, but he didn¡¯t have the brainpower to do so at the moment.

    ¡°Whoof, looks like hangovers hit your species hard,¡± Doprel said. ¡°Lucky we got pills for that. You want one?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a saint, Doprel,¡± Corey mumbled.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s fine, I already handed them out to Tooley and Kamak, it¡¯s only fair,¡± Doprel said. ¡°Open up, then bite down hard and swallow.¡±

    With very little concern for his dignity, Corey opened his mouth and allowed Doprel to drop a pill into his waiting jaws. As ordered, he bit down and swallowed fast. The electric jolt that traveled through his system had Corey bolt upright in a second, and this time vertigo didn¡¯t topple him again. He shook his head to try and clear the voltage running through his system, and felt fine in a flash.

    ¡°First time?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Wow that is a kick in the head. What¡¯s in that stuff?¡±

    ¡°Nanomachines,¡± Doprel said. ¡°They do a full system flush in ticks. And speaking of flushing and ticks, you¡¯re going to need to do one in about twenty. Head outside, third door on your left. Has a blue sign on it.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a saint, Doprel,¡± Corey said, as he rushed out the door.

    ¡°You already said that!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s still true!¡±

    Roughly a minute later, Corey had attended to some necessary biological functions and also found some time to straighten out his hair and wipe some drool off his face. He found Kamak and Doprel waiting in the common area, barely acknowledging him as he entered.

    ¡°Hi, guys, thanks for everything, Doprel especially,¡± Corey said. ¡°One question. That glass tube-looking thingy in the bathroom, there, is that like a shower?¡±

    ¡°Is it a what?¡¯

    ¡°Is it- is it for cleaning your body in,¡± Corey said. The translation collar he still had to wear could only do so much. ¡°Like I stand in it and do something and then I¡¯m clean.¡±

    ¡°Oh, yeah. You¡¯re going to need to be at least mostly naked, though.¡±

    ¡°I assumed, yeah.¡±

    ¡°Okay, just making sure,¡± Doprel said. ¡°Some cultures get weird about that. They need special high intensity cleansers, gets them spotless right through their clothes.¡±

    ¡°Weirdos,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°Alrighty, I¡¯m going to go use that, then,¡± Corey said. ¡°If that¡¯s all right. I still sort of smell like slave ship and booze.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to ask permission,¡± Kamak said, gesturing towards the bathroom. ¡°I ain¡¯t going to nickle and dime you for bathroom privileges.¡±

    ¡°Yet,¡± Doprel said. Kamak gave him a dirty look, then continued reading whatever was on his tablet as Doprel continued. ¡°Make sure you hit the red button. The blue button is my setting, and it might rattle a layer of your skin right off.¡±

    Corey nodded thankfully to Doprel for the explanations and then went to the bathroom. He would¡¯ve liked a proper shower with boiling hot water, but he¡¯d take any form of cleanliness right now. He cautiously stepped into the ¡°cleaner¡± and then hit the red button.

    A mild buzzing sound filled the glass tube, but nothing else happened. Corey waited a few seconds and, as nothing continued to happen, looked around the tube. There definitely wasn¡¯t any water coming out anywhere. He wasn¡¯t sure if that was supposed to be happening or not. He considered stepping out to ask Doprel for more directions, but the bathroom door opened before he got the chance.

    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Occupied,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°Then make room,¡± Tooley demanded. She opened the cleanser door and stepped into the empty space as Corey stepped as far back as he could and tried to keep his eyes up. Tooley¡¯s species was blue all the way down, apparently. Tooley paid no heed to his discomfort and stood in the cleanser as casually as she did in the common room.

    ¡°What¡¯re you, an infant?¡± she asked. She bumped her blue fist into the red button twice more, and the vibration in the air intensified until Corey could feel his skin shaking. Tooley nodded in approval of the new setting and started humming in tune with the resonance.

    ¡°Okay, good morning Tooley, hi,¡± Corey said. ¡°Quick question, is sharing a sh- cleanser with someone normal for you?¡±

    ¡°Is it not normal for you?¡± Tooley asked. She turned to face Corey, which he really wished she hadn¡¯t done. Apparently those weren¡¯t poison sacks on her chest after all.

    ¡°Not really, no,¡± Corey said. ¡°On my planet-¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not on your planet,¡± Tooley noted. ¡°We¡¯re on a starship. And on a starship, sometimes you need to be as efficient as possible with your space and your time.¡±

    She spent a few seconds in silence and then hit the red button twice more to turn off the cleanser. Corey would¡¯ve been relieved to see her step out -if the open door didn¡¯t reveal a waiting, and also entirely naked, Farsus. Corey hadn¡¯t seen so much body hair in his entire life. It almost obscured everything else. Almost.

    ¡°Good morning, comrades,¡± Farsus said.

    ¡°Hey, Fars,¡± Tooley said. ¡°You could¡¯ve hopped in. I was just teaching Corvash about sharing spaces.¡±

    ¡°A valuable lesson, yet even our large cleanser could not accommodate the three of us comfortably, given my broad shoulders and ample buttocks.¡±

    ¡°Hah, you got me there,¡± Tooley said. She stepped out of the cleanser and gave the aforementioned ample buttocks a slap on her way out, turning the cherry-red cheeks even redder. Farsus laughed his usual boisterous laugh and entered the cleanser just as Corey sped out of it. He still had to get dressed, even.

    ¡°Congratulations on your performance in our drinking contest, Corey Vash,¡± Farsus shouted from the cleanser. The glass obscured some things, at least. ¡°You are truly an exemplar of your species.¡±

    ¡°You did kick some ass,¡± Tooley said. She had a shirt on now, which made it much easier for Corey to focus on talking to her. ¡°And you only got a little existentially weird. Come by the cockpit in a drop, I¡¯d say second place earns you copilot privileges.¡±

    ¡°Copilot?¡±

    ¡°Figuratively speaking,¡± Tooley said. ¡°You can sit in the chair next to me and push whatever buttons I tell you to push. If I tell you to push them. And if you do anything I don¡¯t explicitly tell you to do I¡¯ll eject you into space.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    ¡°The view¡¯s great, though,¡± Tooley said. She clapped Corey on the shoulder and left the room. When the door shut behind her, it was just Corey, with his pants unbuttoned, and Farsus, naked in the glass tube.

    ¡°Hey Farsus, how long is a drop?¡±

    Corey still didn¡¯t actually know what a ¡°drop¡± a ¡°swap¡± or a ¡°tick¡± was. People occasionally mentioned them as if they were units of time, but never with any context.

    ¡°It is difficult to explain, but you will learn in time,¡± Farsus said. ¡°I will shout when it is time, so that you may enjoy your prize.¡±

    ¡°Cool, thanks Farsus.¡±

    <hr>

    In retrospect, Corey probably should¡¯ve guessed that when Farsus said he¡¯d ¡°shout¡± he actually meant shout. Loudly. Once his ears stopped ringing, Corey stumbled his way to the cockpit.

    The helm area had eight seats total, with six seats arrayed at the back of the cockpit in a crescent shape, and two up front, with an almost overwhelming spread of buttons and levers before them. Most of the controls were centered on the apparent pilots seat, on the left, where Tooley currently sat, but many were mirrored to the right-hand seat¡¯s console. Corey kept his hands firmly at his sides and away from the controls as he sat down.

    ¡°Good instinct, Corvash,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Just keep your hands away from anything shiny and enjoy the view.¡±

    ¡°The view is sort of...beige,¡± Corey observed. The cockpit canopy was a solid wall of off-white color.

    ¡°Yeah, that happens at FTL,¡± Tooley said. ¡°All the background light in the universe sort of smears together into beige. It¡¯ll get better when we¡¯re not at max speed.¡±

    ¡°Which should be soon, by the way,¡± Kamak said, as he strolled into the cockpit. ¡°Stop yapping at the new guy and-¡±

    Kamak froze mid-sentence and stared daggers at Corey.

    ¡°Why¡¯re you in my seat?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s his seat for today,¡± Tooley said. She started flipping a few levers and pressing buttons near her seat. ¡°Because he beat you in the drinking contest.¡±

    ¡°He gets a prize for second place?¡±

    ¡°Sort of,¡± Tooley said. ¡°His prize for second place is that he gets to sit next to me, and my prize for first place is that I don¡¯t have to sit next to you.¡±

    Kamak did a few glances between the pilot and her ¡°copilot¡±, and then sank into one of the rear seats, grumbling all the while.

    ¡°Fine,¡± he groaned. ¡°Better than you trying to squeeze ceces out of me like last time.¡±

    ¡°Oh, Kamak, I wouldn¡¯t do that,¡± Tooley said. ¡°I know you¡¯re broke right now.¡±

    ¡°I am not broke,¡± Kamak protested. ¡°We¡¯re just a little in the red because the last job botched itself. Now focus on landing my ship.¡±

    Tooley got to work, without even throwing in a witty comment before she did so. Her shimmering blue fingers danced along a series of inputs more complex than Corey could even begin to comprehend. She rounded out her performance with a single graceful pull of a lever, and the beige blur that consumed their cockpit started to shift through different hues. The monochrome of lightspeed gave way to a colorful blur of deceleration, before settling into the solid palette of reality.

    A blue planet, mottled with strands of deep purple and cloudy bands of white, dominated their view of the stars. A wide ring of cosmic dust and rock encircled the gas giant¡¯s equator, with a massive space station serving as centerpiece of the ring. The sprawling station had a long, pillar-like central structure, with visible spires and massive antenna on either end, and a slowly rotating outer ring, with ships great and small buzzing around the ring like bees in a hive.

    ¡°What do you think, ¡®Uncontacted¡¯?¡± Kamak asked. ¡°How¡¯s the majesty of interstellar society?¡±

    ¡°Uh...well, we have sci-fi movies,¡± Corey said. ¡°It¡¯s cool that it¡¯s real, I guess. But I¡¯ve seen this kind of stuff before.¡±

    ¡°Hmph. Lightyears from home, lost in the depths of space, the kid says he¡¯s seen it on TV,¡± Kamak grumbled.

    ¡°It¡¯s a fucking mining station expac, Kamak, take him to Centerpoint if you want shock and awe.¡±

    ¡°Shut up and take us in,¡± Kamak grumbled. ¡°See if the kid¡¯s any more impressed with his boots on the ground.¡±

 Chapter 5: Job Hunting

    ¡°Alright, pack up and let¡¯s get this shit done,¡± Kamak said. ¡°We are, again, not broke, but we do need a job fast.¡±

    ¡°Good luck with that,¡± Tooley said. She finished up their landing process and returned to the common room, kicking her feet up and selecting a video on her data pad.

    ¡°What, do you not help with the job hunt?¡±

    ¡°Nah, I¡¯m freelance, baby,¡± Tooley said. ¡°These guys don¡¯t keep me busy, I¡¯ll just get a job somewhere else. Better hurry, by the way. I still get gig requests from the Miner¡¯s Guild sometimes, and they got pretty sweet benefits.¡±

    ¡°Liar. You love Doprel¡¯s back rubs too much to ditch us,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°They are very good back rubs,¡± Tooley said. ¡°But they buy you an extra day of waiting, at most. Clock¡¯s ticking.¡±

    ¡°Well, hold on, we still need to deal with something,¡± Doprel said.

    ¡°What?¡±

    Doprel waved a giant, six-fingered hand in the direction of the collar Corey was still wearing.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯ll be fine,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Farsus took all the bits off, nobody will even recognize it.¡±

    ¡°Legally speaking it is still a slave collar,¡± Farsus said. ¡°Even in the absence of its locking mechanisms and internal explosives. Slavery is illegal in Council space.¡±

    ¡°Okay, but it¡¯s not a slave collar,¡± Kamak said. ¡°He can take it off whenever he wants, he just doesn¡¯t want to, because then he wouldn¡¯t be able to talk to anyone.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll still get stopped by every officer on the station,¡± Doprel said.

    ¡°Oh, wear a scarf or something,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Tooley, you own scarves, right? Let him borrow one.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t own scarves.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve seen you wearing scarves.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t wear scarves, I wear sashes,¡± Tooley protested. ¡°And they¡¯re my sashes. He can¡¯t have them.¡±

    ¡°Alright, fine,¡± Kamak said. ¡°I¡¯ve just had a better idea anyway.¡±

    ***

    Kamak¡¯s ¡°better idea¡± was currently tied to Corey¡¯s neck. The sheet of plastic had ¡°NOT SLAVE ¨C TRYING TO FIND NEW TRANSLATOR¡± written on it in marker. It got funny looks, but the patrol officers on the station hadn¡¯t stopped them for interrogation ¨C yet.

    The actual interior of the space station looked disappointingly like a terrestrial airport, a lot of long hallways and branching paths with the occasional storefront built into the walls. The inhabitants were a lot more colorful, though, often in the literal sense. The aliens were mostly humanoid, or ¡°Kentath retrograde¡± as Farsus had called them, though they came in a lot of different colors, and some featured accessory evolutions like small horns or dermal ridges. The crowd was also dotted with much stranger, more diverse aliens like Doprel, things that didn¡¯t follow the humanoid template -or any template, for that matter. Every now and then a small, gelatinous creature with a ¡°U¡±-shaped anatomy and three eyes on either end of the curved body waddled past. While similar to Doprel in eschewing the humanoid body type, none of the aliens in the crowd looked exactly like Doprel. Corey made note of that, but kept the thought to himself.

    ¡°So, uh, do we just go to a bar, or is there like a guild, or something?¡±

    ¡°Depends on where you are,¡± Kamak said. ¡°You can get a gig in a bar if you¡¯re on a busy station, but this is station ain¡¯t. Sometimes there¡¯s a Guild branch, but at a place like this we¡¯re probably going to end up at a terminal.¡±

    ¡°Okay, so what is a ¡®Bounty Hunter¡¯ then, anyway?¡± Corey asked. ¡°Because apparently there¡¯s regular cops.¡±

    Some of which were staring at Corey right now, actually. He quickly unlatched his collar, removed it, and waved in their direction. They waved back, and then went back to doing nothing.

    ¡°Well, those are this system¡¯s cops. There¡¯s a lot of systems with a lot of different cops, different rules, you get the point,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Bounty hunters are kind of a neutral, independent peacekeeping force slash mercenary workers. Sort of a middle man. And if something does end up going sideways and somebody makes a stink, governments can put all the blame on the individual bounty hunter instead of causing some interstellar diplomatic incidents.¡±

    ¡°The crew of the Hard Luck Hermit has been banned from three star systems,¡± Farsus said.

    ¡°Which sounds bad out of context, but it¡¯s actually really good,¡± Doprel clarified.

    ¡°I got a buddy who can¡¯t even enter the Cigar Galaxy anymore,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Banned from all but like, five systems in the very center.¡±

    ¡°Cool. I¡¯ve never been banned from anywhere.¡±

    ¡°Yet! Stick with us, kid, we¡¯ll have you banned somewhere in no time. Possibly here,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Take your collar off real quick again, those rent-a-cops are looking at us funny.¡±

    Corey obliged, pointing to the sign on his chest as he did so, and the two patrol officers broke off their not-so-subtle attempt to follow the hunters.

    ¡°Perhaps we should prioritize purchasing Corvash a proper translation unit before we continue,¡± Farsus suggested. ¡°The appearance of his collar is drawing unwarranted attention.¡±

    ¡°I could-¡±

    ¡°No, Doprel,¡± Kamak said. ¡°We need to know where our next paycheck is coming from before you spend your savings on charity again.¡±

    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    ¡°Fine, fine,¡± Doprel said. ¡°But as soon as we get a job we¡¯re picking one up.¡±

    ***

    ¡°Armed escort, armed escort, armed escort,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Shit there¡¯s a lot of armed escorts. Raiders must be getting antsy.¡±

    ¡°Are those even bounties?¡±

    ¡°Not technically, but there¡¯s not a lot of bounties to go around, really,¡± Kamak said. ¡°You do a lot of mercenary work to make ends meet.¡±

    Kamak continued scrolling through the bounty terminal. There was technically a Guild representative on site, but they were apparently a new hire and didn¡¯t know jack shit about the actual work in the region, or work in general, for that matter. They were, however, receiving a very informative pep talk from Doprel.

    ¡°Couldn¡¯t we just take an armed escort?¡±

    ¡°You got some bloodlust in you, Corey? I still got blaster marks you need to buff off my ship, I don¡¯t want to take any more risky gigs, especially with a newbie along for the ride. You are along for the ride, right?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t see a lot of ¡®now hiring¡¯ signs around here, and I need money to live, so...I guess,¡± Corey said. He¡¯d been lucky enough to land in a decent spot with half-decent people. He saw no reason to tempt fate and try to find a new place, and risk ending up somewhere worse. The crew was a bit rough around the edges, but he doubted he¡¯d find someone as nice as Doprel if he scoured half the galaxy.

    ¡°Great! Welcome aboard. Again, but officially this time,¡± Kamak said. ¡°How do you feel about prisoner transport? This seems like our best bet, job-wise.¡±

    ¡°Just transport? As in taking him from one place to another, no capturing involved?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s easy, but it pays,¡± Kamak said. ¡°That question was for politeness¡¯s sake, by the way, I already accepted the job. I am the captain, you know.¡±

    The data related to the job transferred to Kamak¡¯s tablet, and he gave it a quick perusal.

    ¡°Oh, look at that, he¡¯s a cannibal,¡± Kamak said. ¡°I only slightly regret this. Oh, and his restraints don¡¯t come with any kind of gag, that¡¯ll be neat. Doprel, do we have any extra locks lying around the ship? Maybe a muzzle?¡±

    ¡°Not that I know of,¡± Doprel said.

    ¡°Maybe we can shop for one while you pick up Corey¡¯s new translator,¡± Kamak said. ¡°This guy looks bitey.¡±

    <hr>

    The shopping trip had not yielded a muzzle, but they did get a translator.

    ¡°Alright, this process is usually pretty painless, but depending on what kind of nerves your species has behind the ear, it can hurt a little.¡±

    ¡°I should be fine,¡± Corey assured him. Doprel nodded and placed the small translator chip behind Corey¡¯s ear. ¡°Fuck!¡±

    Corey managed to get out one coherent word before collapsing to the ground with a scream. Doprel tried to pick him up, but Kamak held him back.

    ¡°Just give him a second, it¡¯ll be over soon,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Only takes a bit for the wires to get into his brain.¡±

    Doprel kept an eye on Corey anyway. He¡¯d been lying on the floor for a suspiciously long time already. While Corey twitched a little, Kamak pushed their newly acquired prisoner into the cargo bay. He¡¯d made it halfway there when Tooley came out to check on the source of the screaming and saw Corey writhing on the floor of the cargo bay.

    ¡°What¡¯s his deal?¡±

    ¡°We bought him a translator piece,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Apparently his species has a lot of nerve endings behind the ear.¡±

    ¡°Noted,¡± Tooley said. She stepped past Corey¡¯s body and nodded to the prisoner in their transparent cell. ¡°Then what¡¯s his deal?¡±

    ¡°Prisoner transport,¡± Kamak said. ¡°He committed some mild cannibalism.¡±

    ¡°Aw fuck, Kamak, you know I don¡¯t like cannibals,¡± Tooley said, as she took a step back. Tooley had acquired a stronger than average distaste for cannibals -and a bite mark on her thigh- from personal experience.

    ¡°You like money,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°I do like money.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s an Athudian job, you know how big they are on law and order,¡± Kamak said. ¡°And efficiency, so speaking of, get back in the cockpit and start our flight check. Sooner we leave, the sooner we get this guy off our ship and get paid.¡±

    Tooley would never dignify Kamak with a ¡°Yes Captain¡± or even a salute, but she did head back to the cockpit to start the flight prep. While she sat down, Corey stumbled to his feet, and resisted the urge to rub the small metal chip now embedded in his skin.

    ¡°Fuck that hurt,¡± he mumbled, as he finally removed the clunky metal collar he wore.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± Doprel said.

    ¡°It ain¡¯t your fault his species is apparently crazy sensitive behind the ears,¡± Kamak said. ¡°You good, Corvash?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m getting there,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°Good,¡± Kamak said, before tossing Corey a thick cloth and a bottle of cleaning solution. ¡°Once you¡¯re all the way there, start buffing the blaster marks out of my cargo bay.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I told you you were going to have to do it when we picked you up,¡± Kamak said. He gestured to the scorch marks left by their daring escape from the slaver vessel. ¡°Don¡¯t act all surprised. You get the ones inside the bay for now, you can do the outside at the next stop.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll swing by and help later-¡±

    ¡°No, you won¡¯t, Doprel,¡± Kamak said. ¡°This is how we¡¯re getting squared up. So far we¡¯ve given Corey a job, a place to stay, a translator unit, and frankly a hell of a lot of booze at that drinking contest last night. Not to mention a crash course in galactic culture. He gets my ship cleaned up, we¡¯ll call it square.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a lot of work, though,¡± Doprel protested.

    ¡°It sounds fair to me,¡± Corey said. ¡°He didn¡¯t even mention that you guys literally saved my life.¡±

    ¡°Exactly. I¡¯m being charitable here, but we¡¯re all business partners at the end of the day, and frankly, Corey has not provided a return on investment yet,¡± Kamak said. He gestured to the cloth and then to the scorch marks on the walls. ¡°Investment. Return.¡±

    ¡°Would you guys quit talking about bullshit and close the hangar so I can take off,¡± Tooley screamed from the cockpit. ¡°I want to fly! And I want money! I want to fly us to money!¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re going, we¡¯re going,¡± Kamak said. He slammed his fist on the button that closed the hangar and then headed for the cockpit. ¡°And I¡¯m taking my chair back!¡±

    As Kamak rushed forward to reclaim the copilots seat, Doprel lingered behind.

    ¡°Okay, if you really need help-¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m good, Doprel, thank you,¡± Corey said. ¡°Kamak is actually right. I need to earn my keep around here.¡±

    ¡°Okay, okay, fine,¡± Doprel said. ¡°But if you need more supplies, the cleaning cabinet is on the far side of the washroom, and if you change your mind-¡±

    ¡°Doprel, I got this,¡± Corey said. ¡°I¡¯m just polishing some scorch marks, it¡¯s no big deal.¡±

    ¡°Alright, I get it,¡± Doprel said. ¡°There¡¯s spare blankets in the cabinet with the cleaning supplies, just in case you want to throw something over the cannibal box.¡±

    The high-tech cell the cannibal was contained in was supposed to be soundproof, but the way he looked up when he was mentioned made Corey doubt that. It was also supposedly impossible for a normal humanoid to break out of -but Corey wasn¡¯t sure of that either. He might¡¯ve forgotten about their prisoner entirely if not for Doprel¡¯s reminder, but now he was all too keenly aware of their presence -and their leering stare.

    ¡°No, that¡¯ll be fine too, I¡¯m sure Space Ted Bundy will behave himself,¡± Corey said. ¡°What¡¯s he going to do, leer at me?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a very unsettling leer,¡± Doprel said. Corey gave the cannibal a second look and immediately looked away, shuddering with revulsion.

    ¡°Do you think he practiced that, or does it just come naturally when you become a cannibal?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Doprel said. ¡°I don¡¯t really understand faces in general. I got mandibles.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve noticed.¡±

    ¡°I know weird when I see it, though,¡± Doprel said. ¡°I¡¯m going to get one of those blankets. I feel like he¡¯s going to be fantasizing about cooking you the whole time he¡¯s watching you.¡±

    With that vivid fear planted firmly in Corey¡¯s head, Doprel left to fetch a blanket while Corey got to work scrubbing the walls. The cannibal overseer didn¡¯t make it easy, but Corey pushed through. He was many things, but Corey Vash was not a freeloader.

 Chapter 6: Drinking Time

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯m done with the polishing shit,¡± Corey said. He stepped into the cockpit and found only Tooley waiting for him. She had her feet up on the empty copilots seat and was staring intently at the beige wall of FTL travel.

    ¡°Good for you,¡± she said, without taking her eyes off the cockpit. ¡°You need something?¡±

    ¡°Just thought Kamak might want to know his ship was all shiny again.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s only like twelve rooms in the ship, and he doesn¡¯t even hang out in most of them,¡± Tooley said. ¡°You¡¯ll find him eventually.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t really want to look that hard,¡± Corey said, as he took a seat in the back of the cockpit. His admission of laziness drew a smile from Tooley.

    ¡°Like hearing my own words,¡± Tooley said. Then she returned to her single-minded focus on the wall of beige light above them. Corey endured the silence for a while before curiosity got the better of him.

    ¡°You like seeing the, uh, beige?¡±

    ¡°I guess? It¡¯s, what do you call it, meditative, I think,¡± Tooley said. ¡°And occasionally it¡¯s not beige.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not beige.¡±

    ¡°I heard you, what do you mean it isn¡¯t beige? Does it change colors?¡±

    ¡°Oh, yeah, not completely, I guess? There¡¯s just like, streaks of color sometimes. It¡¯s hard to describe because it¡¯s like, blue and yellow at the same time, but also purple.¡±

    Corey didn¡¯t bother pressing for a better description. It sounded like an optical illusion causing an impossible color, making it hard to describe for even the most poetic. Tooley was pretty far from a poet on her best day.

    ¡°Okay. When does that happen?¡±

    ¡°Randomly. And not very often. But it¡¯s pretty neat when it does happen.¡±

    ¡°What causes it?¡±

    Tooley shrugged. She hadn¡¯t taken her eyes off the cockpit glass yet.

    ¡°Nobody knows. Could be a ship going faster than light the other direction, could be some streak of random cosmic radiation, could be a brief glimpse of an alternate reality as our ship shudders through relativistic barriers.¡±

    ¡°I think I like the second explanation best,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°Pussy,¡± Tooley said, as she reached down to her side and retrieved a previously unseen bottle of space booze. She stared at the monochrome expanse of lightspeed and did not blink. ¡°Stare cosmic oblivion in the face like the rest of us.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been here for like two days, I¡¯m working on staring at cosmic anything.¡±

    Tooley shrugged and took another drink. She then rattled the bottle and was displeased with how little sloshing she heard.

    ¡°Be a gem and get me another drink, would you Corey?¡±

    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    ¡°Only if you get your feet out of the copilots chair so I can sit there.¡±

    ¡°You drive a hard bargain, human,¡± Tooley said, as she removed her feet from the chair. Corey went back to the common area to fetch some space beer. He had to kick the table a few times to get it to dispense right, but he succeeded in fetching a matching set of bottles. Tooley took one of the bottles and reached out to take the other, but Corey kept it for himself.

    ¡°Fine, be that way.¡±

    ¡°Hey, I like this stuff too,¡± Corey said. He hadn¡¯t had much time to appreciate the flavors of the cosmic booze during their drinking contest, but it had a very unique flavor profile he had taken a quick liking to. It was slightly more viscous than most earth beverages, which took some getting used to, but it had an acidic, sweet flavor that burned his throat in a good way. ¡°What do you call this stuff, anyway? I¡¯ve just been thinking of it as ¡®space beer¡¯.¡±

    ¡°We got beer, but this ain¡¯t it,¡± Tooley said. ¡°It¡¯s called shiiv.¡±

    ¡°Shiiv,¡± Corey said. ¡°What¡¯s it made out of?¡±

    ¡°Shi,¡± Tooley said, before taking a sip of her shiiv.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what shi is.¡±

    ¡°I figured, but I wanted to drink more than I wanted to explain,¡± Tooley said. ¡°It¡¯s some animal with a lot of sugar in it¡¯s body. They make it from the leftovers after they butcher and prep the rest of the animal.¡±

    ¡°From an animal? Shit, that¡¯s weird.¡±

    Tooley drank, and Corey drank in turn. Now that he focused on it, he could sense a slight aftertaste of iron, like a little bit of blood in the mix. That might¡¯ve just been his mind playing tricks on him, though. Tooley, who had no reason to contemplate the flavors of her shiiv, simply chugged it down.

    ¡°Hmm. What do I got to bribe you with to make you get me another shiiv?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Corey said. ¡°This chair is a pretty powerful bargaining chip and you already lost it.¡±

    ¡°I knew I should¡¯ve started at one foot,¡± Tooley said. ¡°What if I put my feet back up on you and don¡¯t take em off unless you get me another shiiv?¡±

    Tooley kicked up her booted heels and rested them both on Corey¡¯s lap. Her attempted negotiation for another drink came to a screeching halt as she pressed her heel against Corey¡¯s thigh.

    ¡°Damn. You humans got some muscular thighs.¡±

    ¡°I work out sometimes,¡± Corey said. He grabbed Tooley by the feet and swung her legs off his lap. ¡°I also thought of something you can do for me.¡±

    ¡°What you got, Corvash?¡±

    ¡°Can you explain how the clock works up here?¡± Corey asked. ¡°Like, people keep saying ¡®tick¡¯, ¡®drop¡¯, ¡®swap¡¯ and stuff like they¡¯re units of time, but I have zero frame of reference.¡±

    ¡°Shit, is that all? I would¡¯ve done that for free,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Too late now, though, you¡¯re getting me a shiiv. Buckle up, Corvash.¡±

    Tooley spun her chair towards Corey¡¯s and held her hands out.

    ¡°Alright, so obviously us spacers have to have our own clock, since we don¡¯t have any suns or anything to go by,¡± Tooley said. ¡°So our clock is based on the breakdown of the hydrogen cells used as fuels. A ¡®tick¡¯ is the shortest unit, based on how fast one atom of hydrogen is burned. It goes by fast as hell, like this.¡±

    Tooley raised her hand and started snapping her fingers at regular intervals. Corey couldn¡¯t tell exactly, but he felt like it was slightly longer than a second.

    ¡°Then you got about fifty of those to a drop,¡± Tooley continued. ¡°Then two-hundred drops to a cycle, and fifteen cycles to a swap.¡±

    ¡°Neat. Can I borrow your tablet for a second? I need to do math.¡±

    ¡°Do math while you¡¯re getting me another shiiv,¡± Tooley said, as she passed off the plastic device to Corey. He did some calculations while he fetched another round of drinks. If a tick was a little longer than a second, then a ¡®drop¡¯ was roughly a minute, making a ¡®cycle¡¯ a little less than two hours, and a ¡®swap¡¯ about twenty-nine hours long.

    ¡°You look pissed off,¡± Tooley noted, as Corey re-entered the room. She snatched her fresh shiiv away from him without waiting to hear his concerns.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m ever going to get used to this,¡± Corey sighed. He didn¡¯t even want to ask what their version of weeks, months, or years was.

    ¡°Not too late to try and find your way back to Earf.¡±

    ¡°Earth.¡±

    ¡°Whatever. If you¡¯re lucky, Doprel might even talk Kamak into flying you there.¡±

    ¡°Nah. You¡¯re not getting rid of me that easily.¡±

    ¡°Get rid of you? Why Corvash, I would never,¡± Tooley said. ¡°You¡¯re the only person other than Doprel who ever gets me shiivs. You¡¯re already my second favorite person on this ship. Learn how to give a good foot rub and you might unseat Doprel as my number one someday.¡±

    ¡°I think I¡¯ll manage as number two,¡± Corey said. Tooley shrugged and continued drinking.

 Chapter 7: Trigger Discipline

    After the relatively easy task of polishing the interior of the Hard Luck Hermit¡¯s cargo bay, Corey had allowed himself some optimism about cleaning the exterior. That had proven to be a mistake. Not only was the exterior a much coarser, tougher material than the polished interior, he had to crawl all over the awkwardly shaped exterior of the ship. The ship¡¯s main body was cube-shaped, with rounded protrusions for the cockpit and engine nacelles. Two sets of large, rectangular wings also folded to the sides of the sizable vessel for occasional atmospheric maneuvering, and their complicated folding mechanism made the exterior scrub even harder.

    The fact that he was stuck doing the scrubbing while the rest of the guys went off to do cool bounty hunter stuff made it even worse. Finishing a prisoner transport wasn¡¯t exactly exciting or glamorous, but it was still preferable to scrubbing hulls. He¡¯d even rather be napping in the ship with Tooley.

    ¡°Corvash!¡±

    Apparently Tooley had woken up. Corey nearly fell off the hull when she screamed his name.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Put down the rag and get the fuck in here,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s an emergency.¡±

    Corey seized on the excuse to not be scrubbing anymore and climbed down the side of the ship, back into the cargo bay. Tooley was waiting for him, pacing side to side through the empty space nervously.

    ¡°About time,¡± Tooley said. ¡°You know how to shoot, right?¡±

    ¡°Your space guns are a bit new, but I know how to point and shoot,¡± Corey said. His mother had insisted that they be able to defend themselves if the Church of the Guiding Truth tried to ¡°reclaim¡± them more aggressively, so Corey knew his way around a firearm. Thankfully, ¡®point and shoot¡¯ appeared to apply to even the most advanced firearms of the wider universe.

    ¡°That¡¯ll do,¡± Tooley said. It now registered with Corey that she sounded worried. ¡°Come on. Kamak hit his panic button.¡±

    ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°Something panicking, I don¡¯t know,¡± Tooley said. She led the way into the spare living quarters that Farsus had converted into an armory. All of the gun safes that were normally shut and locked now sat wide open, waiting for someone aboard the ship to grab one and spring to the crew¡¯s rescue. ¡°Come on, pick your favorite and lets go. We have to check it out, and maybe bail out the guys.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t there space cops for this kind of thing?¡± Corey asked. In spite of his questions, he did grab a very pointy rifle with a lot of glowing bits and head out of the ship.

    ¡°If he trusted the space cops, he would¡¯ve hit his cop button,¡± Tooley said. She had grabbed a small pistol, not much larger than the one Corey had claimed during his escape from the slave ship, as her own weapon. ¡°Shit happens, Corvash. Sometimes cops are on the take, or just shit at their job.¡±

    ¡°Understandable.¡±

    ¡°Slow your roll a bit, and keep your weapon casual,¡± Tooley advised. ¡°We go too fast, we¡¯re going to get the kind of attention we don¡¯t have time for.¡±

    At Tooley¡¯s insistence, they tried to feign a casual stroll while also keeping a swift pace towards their destination. Tooley¡¯s datapad was pinging them the route to Kamak and the rest of the crew. They weren¡¯t far, but their projected path took them into the guts of an already derelict station. They were on an out of the way stopgap station, mostly used by bounty hunters and other mercs, and as soon as one stepped away from the crowded hanger, the halls showed clear signs of disuse and disrepair.

    ¡°How did Kamak get lured into a place like this?¡±

    The dilapidated halls looked suspicious even at a casual glance, and the absence of any bystanders made them even sketchier.

    ¡°They¡¯re bounty hunters, Corey, half the places they hang out are like this,¡± Tooley said. ¡°It¡¯s why I stay in the ship half the time.¡±

    This borderline derelict station was probably one of the nicer places Tooley had ever taken a stroll through. It was also on the smaller side. Tooley held up a hand and grabbed Corey¡¯s chest, forcing him to stop.

    ¡°We¡¯re almost on top of them. Guns up, voices down.¡±

    With a nod, Corey raised his gun and slowed his footsteps, carefully proceeding down the halls. Tooley muted her datapad and led the way, taking them around two more corners before holding up her hand again. She pointed around the corner with two fingers and then held her hand in front of her mouth. It was an alien gesture, but Corey knew ¡°stay quiet¡± when he saw it. He followed her lead and pressed his shoulder to the corner, just barely daring to peek around it.

    On one end of the hall, Farsus, Kamak, and Doprel had their backs to a wall, with the caged cannibal still in their custody and guns in their hands. A wall of humanoids in matching uniforms stood between Corey and the rest of the crew, also with guns in their hands. It looked like the standoff had been going on a while. While still firmly pointed in each others direction, most of the guns had relaxed, if only due to tired hands not being able to point them more threateningly.

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    ¡°Another standoff, fun,¡± Corey whispered. ¡°Aren¡¯t those cops?¡±

    They had the uniforms, at least, but Tooley knew better than to assume a few pieces of cloth made you belong to anything. She raised her datapad. All the ¡°cops¡± had their backs turned, but thankfully, universal criminal databases included full 3D body scans.

    ¡°Okay, good news, if we make it out of this, we¡¯re going to get a huge payday, maybe,¡± Tooley whispered. ¡°Most of these guys are wanted dead or alive.¡±

    ¡°Bad news?¡±

    ¡°The bad news is if we don¡¯t make it out of this, we¡¯re all going to get eaten,¡± Tooley said. ¡°These guy are in the same creepy cannibal cult as our passenger. They must be trying to spring him.¡±

    Corey¡¯s eyes narrowed, and his finger slipped onto the trigger of his gun.

    ¡°We¡¯ve had a cultist in our cargo hold the whole time? Why didn¡¯t anyone say anything?¡±

    ¡°It seemed less relevant than the cannibalism,¡± Tooley said. She stopped scrolling through criminal profiles and looked up long enough to see Corey getting more and more tense.

    ¡°So, the cult, what do they believe?¡±

    ¡°I dunno, they¡¯re brainrot cannibals,¡± Tooley hissed. ¡°Something about genetic memory, and if everybody keeps eating each other¡¯s bodies, eventually all the memory will be combined in one uber-being or something? Why?¡±

    ¡°Just curious,¡± Corey said. Nothing like the Church of the Guiding Truth back on Earth, at least, but a cult was a cult. In the end, only the central authority of the cult mattered, and everyone else was just a lamb to the slaughter -more literally, in the case of these cannibals. Corey could see shades of the old cult in these new, alien faces. He looked at them and all he could see were so-called family members like his aunt, his cousins, and the ¡°family¡± of strangers the Church had forced on him and his mother, all of them parasites sucking the joy out of their life and offering nothing but suffering in return.

    And the fact that he could only see the faces of the past made it much more satisfying when Corey raised his gun and put those faces squarely in the crosshairs.

    ¡°Corey, what are you-¡±

    The answer to Tooley¡¯s question came in the form of a round of high-velocity plasma. The unexpected kick of the rifle threw his aim off a bit, but Corey was smart enough to aim for the center of mass. The first volley tore a hole through the ribcage of the cultist he aimed at. The yelp of pain hadn¡¯t even ended when Corey put the next target in his sights and pulled the trigger again.

    Guns went up, and in several different directions, as the cultists realized they were being fired on from a different angle. Farsus also took the blaster fire as an excuse to start shooting, and unloaded a barrage of his own at the cultists. The weapons master of the crew was, predictably, a better shot than Corey, and had already taken out three of the cultists in the time it took Corey to drop his second. Their matched gunfire made everyone else realize the fight had started in earnest, and the momentary confused panic was replaced by confused panic with a lot more bullets.

    In the entire hail of bullets, Tooley would guess she maybe managed to clip somebody in the thigh once. She tended to stay out of firefights for this very reason. Thankfully Corey, Farsus, and Kamak had her covered in the accuracy department. Doprel also contributed a few shots in the right direction, but he focused mostly on keeping his allies safe. His alien physiology was significantly sturdier than that of his humanoid comrades, and they used him (with his consent) as a living shield. Albeit an imperfect one.

    As the last body hit the ground, Kamak stepped up and looked over Farsus.

    ¡°Shit, Farsy, you alright?¡±

    ¡°My wounds are not beyond a doctor¡¯s ability to fix,¡± Farsus grunted. Since he¡¯d had the foresight to wear armor to the prisoner hand off, the hits to his thigh and shoulder hadn¡¯t maimed Farsus, but they still hurt.

    ¡°What about you, Doprel? You good?¡±

    There were a few oozing holes in Doprel¡¯s carapace, but he was barely bothered by them. Unlike humanoids, Doprel didn¡¯t need to keep most of his fluids inside him to stay alive.

    ¡°I¡¯m alright,¡± he said. ¡°Barely broke the carapace.¡±

    ¡°Good. Tooley! Get these two to a medic, fast,¡± Kamak commanded. ¡°Corey. You stay right fucking here.¡±

    The command carried a bit too much of a ¡°scolding parent¡± tone, but Corey complied regardless. Tooley helped guide the wounded while Kamak and Corey were left to look over the dead. Corey took one last look at a still-twitching cultist before pulling the trigger one more time to stop the twitching. The captain of the crew scowled heavily as he looked down at the gaping wound in the face of the cultist. Kamak didn¡¯t know if it counted as a mercy kill if you were the one who¡¯d put him on the ground in the first place.

    ¡°What the hell was that, Corey?¡±

    ¡°They had guns pointed at you, and Tooley said they were wanted dead or alive,¡± Corey said. ¡°I figured dead was the better option.¡±

    Kamak breathed a sigh of relief. At least Corey had confirmed they were wanted dead before he¡¯d started shooting. He didn¡¯t have another complete psychopath on his crew, at least. The standing authorization to kill the cultists downgraded Corey¡¯s behavior from homicidal to just inadvisable.

    ¡°Alright, so, fairly justified here, but in general, try to be smarter about when you pull the fucking trigger,¡± Kamak said. ¡°They¡¯ve got cop uniforms on. Shooting at them can cause a bit of confusion, yeah?¡±¡±

    ¡°Uniforms don¡¯t change what they are. I killed cultists, anyone worth shit will understand,¡± Corey spat. Kamak stared at him for a second and then looked down at the dead bodies.

    ¡°I¡¯m sensing some personal issues here,¡± Kamak said. ¡°This time it was okay, because these guys also killed people and ate their dead bodies, but I need you to promise me you aren¡¯t going to go blasting every cultist you see.¡±

    ¡°Not all of them,¡± Corey said. ¡°But if we happen to meet any more cultists we can kill-¡±

    ¡°I see where you¡¯re coming from, but no,¡± Kamak said. ¡°You make a habit out of blasting anyone we don¡¯t have a bounty on, I¡¯m kicking you out. We¡¯re bounty hunters, not serial killers. Be a professional, or you¡¯re done.¡±

    A thin wisp of smoke rose up from one of the plasma-scorched corpses of the cannibal cultists. Even Corey could recognize that he had perhaps gone slightly overboard. Though even that small amount of guilt was mostly born from Farsus and Doprel¡¯s injuries. Corey could care less about dead cultists, only about how recklessly he had made them dead.

    ¡°Alright, you¡¯ve got a point,¡± Corey said. ¡°I¡¯ll be more careful.¡±

    ¡°Good. Glad we¡¯re done with the lecturing, because holy shit this is a lot of bounties to cash in,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Nice job, Corvash.¡±

    After factoring in the cleaning and processing fees associated with killing a bunch of people inside a space station, as well as Doprel and Farsus¡¯ medical fees, the pile of fugitive cannibals had just about quadrupled their payout for an otherwise only mildly profitable job. Kamak was, frankly, more concerned with the payout than the mess that had been made. His enthusiasm for the blood money slightly undercut Kamak¡¯s point about restraint, but Corey vowed to be more careful in the future anyway.

 Chapter 8: Pocket Money

    After a tense exchange with some very agitated-looking space cops, Corey had been dismissed while Kamak finalized the details of their altercation with the cannibal cult. He had chosen not to tempt fate and made a beeline directly back to the Hard Luck Hermit, joining his crewmates in waiting for Kamak¡¯s return. To his surprise, Doprel and Farsus were already waiting, looking like their wounds had been patched up. It made sense that medical tech was more advanced up in space, when Corey took a moment to think about it.

    ¡°Hey guys,¡± Corey said stiffly. ¡°Good to see you¡¯re alright. Sorry you got hurt, that was kind of my bad.¡±

    ¡°Apologize for nothing, Corey Vash,¡± Farsus said. ¡°Considering the mental instability of our opponents, our injury was relatively inevitable.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s not many ways out of a showdown with heavily armed cultist cannibals that don¡¯t end in shooting,¡± Doprel said. ¡°If anything, you made things better, not worse.¡±

    ¡°But you still could¡¯ve been more careful,¡± Tooley said. She wasn¡¯t quite as forgiving as the other two. ¡°The bad guys had their backs to us. You could¡¯ve given our team a signal, or something, given them some warning that shooting was about to start.¡±

    ¡°I know. It was pretty impulsive.¡±

    ¡°You got a thing about cultists, yeah?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Cool. Murder as many of them as you want, just make sure we aren¡¯t in the line of fire when you do it,¡± Tooley cautioned. While she offered warnings, Doprel offered sympathy.

    ¡°Do you want to talk about it?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Are you-¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure,¡± Corey insisted. ¡°How long is it going to take Kamak to get back?¡±

    ¡°Depends on how feisty the local cops are,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Lot of the uniform types don¡¯t like bounty hunters.¡±

    ¡°Some of them love us, though,¡± Doprel said, eagerly vouching for their (technical) brothers in law enforcement.

    ¡°Yes, many are quite fond of bounty hunters, as our active pursuit of criminals ensures they can grow fat behind their desks and file paperwork,¡± Farsus said. Tooley laughed, but Doprel didn¡¯t.

    ¡°And speaking of paperwork, it might be a while,¡± Doprel said. ¡°Cases with bodies involved tend to involve a lot of filing and documentation, Kamak might be gone for hours.¡±

    Kamak walked into the room and sat down.

    ¡°Hey, what¡¯d I miss?¡±

    ¡°We were just talking about how long it was going to take you to file paperwork,¡± Tooley said, looking up at Doprel with a wide grin.

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    ¡°Oh, nah,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Turns out those cultists actually killed cops to get their uniforms, so the fuzz was pretty excited to see them in body bags, paperwork be damned.¡±

    ¡°Sick. And since they added killing and impersonating officers to their rap sheet¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes, Tooley, our bounty got even bigger,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Try not to sound so excited that multiple people are dead.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just seeing the silver lining here,¡± Tooley said. ¡°There¡¯d be dead dudes either way. Now there¡¯s dead dudes and a huge paycheck for us. Speaking of-¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah, give me a minute to do some accounting, you walking trashfire,¡± Kamak grumbled. His datapad light up with a long display of information, but, after seeing Tooley¡¯s prying eyes, he set it to private mode, rendering the back side of the transparent plastic slab opaque.

    ¡°By the way, when do I get one of those?¡±

    ¡°Do you want one?¡± Doprel said. ¡°We have like twelve in storage.¡±

    He grabbed one of the boxes on the shelves of the common area and dug out a handful of the plastic tablets. The datapads were very cheap, and the crew members had a habit of breaking theirs for various reasons, so Doprel made sure to keep plenty of spares on hand.

    ¡°Why did I not get one sooner?¡±

    ¡°I think we all assumed you already had one,¡± Tooley said. ¡°They¡¯re pretty basic stuff. I keep forgetting you¡¯re Uncontacted and we have to explain literally everything to you.¡±

    ¡°Speaking of, press your palm flat against the surface of the pad and grab the top left corner,¡± Doprel explained. Corey did so, and the invisible circuitry within the plastic tablet activated, keying the device to Corey¡¯s biometrics. Doprel walked through a few more steps of device set up while Kamak finalized the accounting.

    ¡°Hey, Corvash, speaking of you not knowing things, you know what a cece is?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Well it¡¯s money, and now you have some,¡± Kamak said. He pressed one more button on his tablet and tucked it away. ¡°Congratulations, don¡¯t spend it all in one place.¡±

    Tooley immediately grabbed her own datapad and sped through the commands to pull up her bank account. What she saw made her grey eyes light up with delight.

    ¡°That is the sexiest number I¡¯ve seen in a while,¡± Tooley said.

    ¡°How do I check the -why does this have a weather app pre-installed?¡± Corey demanded. ¡°We¡¯re in space. Fuck off, weather. How do I open my bank whatever?¡±

    Doprel demonstrated, tapping him through to the digital wallet that now existed in Corey¡¯s name. Physical currency was unwieldy at best in a spacefaring environment, so all currency existed digitally in the form of a cryptocurrency called Council Currency, or cece by those with few syllables to spare. Whatever they were called, Corey now had about thirty-four thousand of them.

    ¡°This is a lot, right?¡±

    ¡°It is a significant sum,¡± Farsus said. ¡°Especially in comparison to many jobs we do.¡±

    ¡°Okay. I kind of need some perspective here, though. Say I wanted to buy dinner at a shitty restaurant, how much would that cost me?¡±

    ¡°Like four cece¡¯s,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Two, if you want to go really shitty.¡±

    ¡°Okay, wow, this is a lot,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°High risk, high reward,¡± Kamak said. ¡°And this is after I took out all the expenses for restocking supplies, the medical stuff those two needed, and the transit fees, so everything there is yours to keep.¡±

    ¡°Transit fee? What transit fee?¡±

    ¡°Well, since we had so much money to spare, I sprung for a quick ticket to greener pastures,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Soon as everyone¡¯s ready to go, I got us a Bang Gate ticket to the Arkenne galaxy.¡±

    ¡°God damn, finally,¡± Tooley said. ¡°No offense, Corey, but your home galaxy¡¯s kind of a shithole.¡±

    ¡°Why would I be offended? I¡¯ve only been on one planet and I don¡¯t even like it that much,¡± Corey said. ¡°If there are cooler galaxies out there, let me at them.¡±

    ¡°Heh. You¡¯ve seen nothing so far, kid,¡± Kamak said. Their circumstances had forced Kamak and his crew to seek jobs in the far reaches of the universe, where there was less competition for contracts. Now that they had some fallback funds, they could head back to the Arkenne galaxy, the de facto center of the universe, home to all the riches and all the problems that came with such a lofty status. Mostly the problems.

 Chapter 9: The Not-So-Big Bang

    For the first few days -or swaps, as Corey was forcing himself to refer to them- he found himself missing the hot water of a shower at home. After using it a few times, though, Corey found himself starting to enjoy the intense vibrations of the cleanser on the ship. At least when he didn¡¯t have to share it with someone else. Considering how much time they had in every day -swap- it felt odd that he kept getting partners in nudity. He¡¯d started waking up earlier to dodge the cleanser crowd, and that had solved the problem for now. Corey stepped out, got dressed, and headed for the cockpit to face the swap.

    The Hard Luck Hermit had been in transit for about two swaps now, heading for a ¡°Bang Gate¡±, whatever that was. Corey intended to clarify that right now. He made his way to the cockpit and found Kamak perusing something on his datapad.

    ¡°Hey, Kamak?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s up, Corey?¡±

    ¡°I had a question about how we¡¯re traveling,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°Yeah, that tracks,¡± Kamak sighed.

    ¡°Sorry. I¡¯m trying to space the questions out a little,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°Yeah yeah, you got a whole universe to catch up on, just- hold on a minute,¡± Kamak said. He glanced the far side of the common room and put his datapad down. ¡°Tooley! What are you doing?¡±

    Tooley stopped in place and sighed. She had a messy bundle of clothing tucked under her arm, and those were the only clothes on her person.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to the cleanser, Kamak.¡±

    ¡°You know the rules,¡± Kamak snapped back. ¡°You can be naked in the washroom and your bedroom, nowhere else!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just walking from one place to the other!¡±

    ¡°Rules are rules!¡±

    ¡°Doprel¡¯s naked all the time,¡± Tooley protested.

    ¡°Doprel has no external genitalia,¡± Kamak shouted. ¡°I don¡¯t want your exposed orifices all over my ship! Get back in your room and get dressed!¡±

    Tooley put her thumb near her navel and then jerked it in Kamak¡¯s direction, which was apparently a rude gesture in space, and then returned to her bedroom to put some pants on. Kamak sighed and returned his attention to Corey.

    ¡°Sorry about her, she¡¯s a disaster of a sapient being,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Anyway. You had a question?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I, uh...hold on, I lost it,¡± Corey said. He had to shake a few bouncing blue body parts out of his head first. ¡°Okay, I was wondering what ¡®Bang Gates¡¯ are. They actually go between galaxies?¡±

    It had taken Corey a few conversations to pick up on the fact that intergalactic travel was actually a possibility. His head was still reeling from being able to travel between stars, much less galaxies. For Kamak and the others, though, it wasn¡¯t even a notable point of conversation.

    ¡°Yeah. Pretty standard stuff, but I guess not to an Uncontacted like you,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°How many galaxies are there?¡±

    ¡°Eh, I don¡¯t know, two hundred and thirty or so? At least that got Bang Gates connected to them,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Couple dozen more that don¡¯t, I think.¡±

    ¡°Jesus.¡±

    ¡°I know spatially that¡¯s kind of big, but when you break the numbers down, it ain¡¯t much,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Livable planets are pretty rare, kid, you get maybe four or five inhabitable planets per galaxy, and you¡¯re lucky if even one or two of those actually develop sentient life.¡±

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    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve spent my entire life so far only knowing about the one,¡± Corey said. The fact there might be three to four other inhabitable planets in the Milky Way was mindblowing in it¡¯s own way.

    ¡°Hah, right, you¡¯re from a species of morons, I forget.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, alright,¡± Corey said. He didn¡¯t even bother arguing in favor of human intelligence. "What about those Bang Gate things, though? They¡¯re like some kind of fast travel tube between galaxies, or what?¡±

    ¡°Well...that¡¯s a pretty complicated question. You got the ¡®what¡¯ right, they¡¯re basically big tubes that go between galaxies, but as far as how...I¡¯m not sure anybody without eighty-seven advanced physics qualifiers could actually explain it to you.¡±

    ¡°Well, just the basics will be fine, if you know them,¡± Corey said. Kamak shrugged.

    ¡°Alright, well, I don¡¯t know how it works, but basically it¡¯s like a little bit of time travel.¡±

    ¡°Time travel?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Like some collection of big shot geniuses got together and realized that the everything in the universe was super close together right before the Big Bang, and then they did a lot of cosmic science bullshit to make these gateways so that either end exists in our time, but the middle bit exists in that moment before the Big Bang. So you¡¯re going from point A to point B, but taking less time, since you¡¯re traveling through a time period when A and B were closer together.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t- how- that shouldn¡¯t work, should it?¡±

    ¡°Fuck if I know, apparently it does,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Well enough that universal society kind of depends on them. Intergalactic travel could take a long fucking time without Bang Gates.¡±

    ¡°I just can¡¯t- is it safe?¡±

    ¡°Statistically speaking, it¡¯s safer than just flying around like this,¡± Kamak said, gesturing to the beige blur of FTL travel outside their window. ¡°Only about four accidents in all the centuries they¡¯ve been running.¡±

    ¡°Wild,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°Yeah, do yourself a favor and try not to think about it too hard, you¡¯ll melt your brain,¡± Kamak said. ¡°End up like Tooley.¡±

    ¡°I heard that!¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± Kamak said. ¡°But seriously, don¡¯t worry about it. People a lot smarter than you or I will ever be worked this out a long time ago. It¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    <hr>

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t look fine.¡±

    A few swaps later, the Hard Luck Hermit and her crew had made their way to the outskirts of the galaxy, to the Bang Gate that would lead them to their intergalactic destination. The circular construct dominated the view from their cockpit, and bathed the helm in a blood red glow. The interior of the warped portal was full to bursting with roiling primordial fire, as the energies of the ancient universe burned wild and untamed within the burgeoning cosmic inferno of the Big Bang.

    ¡°What do you mean? That¡¯s totally normal,¡± Kamak said. A lance of ancient celestial fire belched forth from the gate and shot through the queue of ships waiting to pass through the Bang Gate.

    ¡°Perhaps his species has an innate fear of fire,¡± Farsus said.

    ¡°We don¡¯t,¡± Corey said. ¡°I mean, not any more than any other flammable species, I assume. I still don¡¯t want to dive into a portal full of it.¡±

    ¡°Relax, Corey, it¡¯s not actually fire, it just looks like it,¡± Tooley said. ¡°It¡¯s some kind of proto-energy plasma. Lukewarm, in a cosmic sense. Nothing the ship can¡¯t handle.¡±

    To be space-worthy, the Hard Luck Hermit had to be shielded against temperatures up to several thousand degrees. The universal primordial furnace was closer to a soup than a supernova in temperature, relatively speaking. The interior of the Bang Gates averaged out to an entirely tolerable (for a spaceship) three hundred degrees celsius.

    ¡°I¡¯m still not really comfortable with this,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°Well you got a couple drops to get used to the idea,¡± Kamak sighed. ¡°These queues take fucking forever sometimes.¡±

    A long line of ships trailed out in front of the Bang Gate, each of them waiting their turn to fly through the fires of the past. As one might expect from a massive construct capable of warping space and time, Bang Gates were expensive and difficult to build, and the Galactic Council built very few of them. Their scarcity made for very long wait times for intergalactic travelers.

    ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll just go get blackout drunk in my room,¡± Corey mumbled. ¡°Can¡¯t feel existential dread in a drunken coma.¡±

    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t get drunk without me,¡± Tooley protested. The only thing she liked more than getting drunk was getting drunk with company.

    ¡°Focus on flying my ship, you alcoholic bitch,¡± Kamak scolded. ¡°Just go to your room and stay there. We¡¯ll get you when we¡¯re on the other side.¡±

    ¡°Sounds like a plan,¡± Corey said. He stepped out of the cockpit for a second before poking his head back in. ¡°And also, if anyone¡¯s getting any bright ideas about tricking me into coming out of my room to freak me out: don¡¯t.¡±

    Tooley and Farsus retained a very deliberate yet conspiratorial silence. Kamak managed to keep a straight face, but only because he hadn¡¯t thought of that prank yet.

 Chapter 10: The Center of the Universe

    Corey had managed to use his datapad to navigate to the space version of Youtube. He counted that as a win. Now he wasn¡¯t entirely sure what to do next. All of the videos were dealing with products he¡¯d never seen, games he¡¯d never played, and locations he¡¯d never been to. It was too much information to have at his fingertips all at once, and Corey didn¡¯t know what to do with any of it.

    As his mind raced with the endless possibilities of the information laid out in front of him, Corey¡¯s mind, being the mind of a twenty year old man, came to one inevitable conclusion. Where there was a space internet, there was probably space porn. Corey made his way back to the search function, not just for himself, but for every sci-fi fan who¡¯d ever dreamed of this opportunity.

    ¡°Corey, we¡¯re out of the bang gate!¡±

    Doprel opened the door and poked his head in to make the announcement, prompting Corey to yelp with surprise and shove his datapad under his pillow.

    ¡°Oh, sorry, did I scare you?¡±

    ¡°No- sort of,¡± Corey said. Being interrupted was bad enough, being interrupted by an eight foot tall armored colossus with razor sharp mandibles on his face was actually genuinely terrifying. ¡°Just in general, my culture expects you to knock before you enter someone¡¯s private space.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so sorry, I¡¯ll be sure to do that next time,¡± Doprel said. ¡°But we¡¯re done traveling through the Bang Gate now, and talking about where to go next. You should join us.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, sure, be there in a minute.¡±

    Doprel left the room, and Corey quickly withdrew his datapad and cleared his search history before following him.

    Tooley had taken the ship into deep space, far from the overcrowded Bang Gate exit, and left them adrift on the cosmic winds as they plotted their next move. The Arkenne Galaxy was the effective center of universal civilization, and a hub for travel throughout the known universe, so they had a lot of options.

    ¡°Hey, Corey, about time you joined us,¡± Kamak said. ¡°You don¡¯t know shit about shit, so help us decide where to go.¡±

    ¡°How am I supposed to help if I don¡¯t know anything?¡±

    ¡°Me, Tooley, and Farsus all got different ideas about where to go,¡± Kamak said. ¡°You can just pick whatever you like and we¡¯ll do that.¡±

    Without saying a word, Corey pointed to Doprel, silently asking why they didn¡¯t simply use him as a tiebreaker.

    ¡°Doprel has made his suggestion, and it was summarily dismissed by all parties,¡± Farsus said. ¡°Though mostly by our pilot.¡±

    ¡°I just thought it¡¯d be nice for you to go-¡±

    ¡°Shut it, Doprel,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Corey, back me up here, we want to go to Paga For. It¡¯s a shithole of a planet, the kind of place where somebody always wants somebody else dead. Perfect place for bounty hunters.¡±

    ¡°Perfect place to get shot, more like,¡± Kamak protested. ¡°Let¡¯s go to GC Station 32. The ladies at the Guild network know me, they can line us up with a prime gig in a couple swaps.¡±

    ¡°And the simple compromise would be to travel to Centerpoint,¡± Farsus said. ¡°The citadel is often overcrowded, but ripe with opportunity.¡±

    ¡°So there you have it,¡± Kamak said. ¡°One great option and two mediocre ones. What do you want?¡±

    ¡°Well, let me ask a follow up question,¡± Corey said. ¡°Which of them has the best shopping options?¡±

    ¡°What do you care?¡±

    ¡°I feel like I should remind you that I own literally nothing,¡± Corey said. ¡°It¡¯s nice that you have all these spare clothes in my size for some reason-¡±

    ¡°We were doing a transportation job for a passenger roughly your size recently,¡± Farsus said. ¡°He perished.¡±

    ¡°In a way that was not our fault,¡± Kamak quickly interjected. ¡°He got all touristy on a space station and leaned too far over a railing.¡±

    ¡°Dumbass,¡± Tooley said.

    ¡°Okay great! Now I definitely want to go shopping. Not really cool with the idea of wearing a dead guy¡¯s luggage. Where do we go for the best shopping?¡±

    Tooley and Kamak shared a reluctant look, then both shrugged and spoke together.

    ¡°Centerpoint,¡± they said in mutual agreement. Farsus nodded, with a broad smile on his hairy face.

    ¡°Centerpoint it is,¡± Corey said. ¡°Plot a course, Tooley.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t go giving orders on my ship,¡± Kamak said. ¡°You got to make one bad decision, don¡¯t get cocky.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not all bad,¡± Tooley said, as she plugged in flight controls. ¡°Bars on Centerpoint are decent. It¡¯s no Paga For, but you can get your shit wrecked real good.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re going for business, not bars.¡±

    ¡°We can do that too,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Sooner we get Corvash some body armor, sooner we can get into some gunning jobs.¡±

    ¡°There is that,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°I was thinking more about pants that fit right, but body armor works,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°You¡¯ll go through pants a lot faster without the right armor, the way we live,¡± Tooley said.

    ¡°I -what?¡±

    ¡°She is implying that lack of proper protection will result in damage to your garments,¡± Farsus said.

    ¡°What? No, I meant- never mind, let¡¯s not start that conversation,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Speaking of pants, tighten yours, we¡¯re about to jump. Next stop, Centerpoint!¡±

    <hr>

    ¡°Admit it, human, this one is impressive,,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°Yeah, no, I admit it. This one¡¯s cool,¡± Corey said. While he¡¯d been underwhelmed by their first space station stop off, Centerpoint did not disappoint.

    The massive space station resembled an angular dome suspended in orbit around a red sun. Hexagonal platforms were linked together side by side, creating a cosmic beehive the size of a continent. The outskirts of the linked constructs still showed signs of construction and development, while the core cells were bursting with massive alien spires and elaborately linked buildings, the sheer size of which were visible even from a high orbit.

    ¡°Mind transmitting the landing codes, Kamak? I got to deal with this damn queuing process.¡±

    The heights of galactic civilization also came with the lows of galactic bureaucracy -and overcrowding. Kamak navigated the complex registration and landing documentation process while Tooley did the literal navigating. Centerpoint was swarmed with starships coming and going from the stations, and short-range skiffs ferrying people from platform to platform, adding to the beehive-like nature of the hexagonal platforms. A comparison which had probably never occurred to anyone before Corey, since he doubted that other planets had bees. He briefly considered explaining the concept of bees, but decided against it.

    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

    One of the massive towers started to loom larger and larger on the horizon, eventually consuming their view entirely. The metal shell of the tower opened up to expose a small hangar, illuminated by flickering lamps, with two strips of runway lights beckoning them in. Tooley finessed the Hard Luck Hermit into the small space and set her down with a gentle bump.

    ¡°Easy,¡± Tooley said. She turned away from the controls and towards Kamak. ¡°What¡¯s first on the agenda, captain?¡±

    ¡°Oh, you actually going to leave the ship this time?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I want to see what happens when Corey gets set loose in a store,¡± Tooley said.

    ¡°Hey.¡±

    ¡°What? It¡¯s fun to watch people squirm,¡± Tooley said. ¡°I¡¯ll buy you a drink in exchange for the entertainment.¡±

    ¡°It better be a good drink,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°Naturally.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll save it for after,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Jobs first. If there¡¯s a good opportunity we got to jump on, I want to know.¡±

    ¡°I would have thought that our unusually large, murderous payday from the cannibals would have earned us less urgency in seeking employment,¡± Farsus said.

    ¡°It could. We can take a few swaps rest if nothing jumps out at us, but if there¡¯s a good looking job on the docket I want to take it,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s move. Tooley, you¡¯re in charge of Corey. Don¡¯t let him get abducted, robbed, or molested.¡±

    ¡°Ugh, fine,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Stick close, Corvash. I won¡¯t let anyone touch you. Unless you want them to.¡±

    ¡°You can touch me all you want. Everybody else, I¡¯d rather they didn¡¯t,¡± Corey said. As the crew got moving, Tooley accepted the invitation by slapping Corey on the back to get him moving. The slap did very little to motivate Corey to move any faster, since he was already desperate to keep pace. The last thing he wanted was to get lost on an insane alien satellite. He¡¯d probably be dead in a week if he lost track of the Kamak and the crew.

    As they made their way out of the hangar area and further into the populated zones, Corey lowered his possible survival time to a few swaps. The interior of Centerpoint was a labyrinth, a tangled mishmash of corridors and connected structures made all the more confusing by the hustle and bustle of bodies and the constant environmental noise of alien adverts. Massive signs advertising products Corey had never heard of beamed out from half the exposed surfaces in sight, some of them merely printed ads, and others elaborate holographic displays featuring moving models. If any of those ads played with sound, it was all lost in the din of the crowd.

    ¡°Still with us, Corey?¡±

    ¡°Physically, yes,¡± Corey said. ¡°Mentally, this is all a bit much.¡±

    The crowd of aliens had already been diverse at their earlier space station stopoffs, but Centerpoint multiplied the variety by ten. Though still mostly humanoid, the aliens here came in shapes, sizes, and colors Corey hadn¡¯t seen before. Some of them towered almost as high as Doprel, while others barely came up to Corey¡¯s waist. Beyond the horns and skin colorations Corey had seen earlier, the aliens present on Centerpoint also had more wildly divergent evolution''s like prehensile tails or extra eyes.

    For the small portion of aliens that were not humanoid, the diversity was even greater. Colonies of small, stone-skinned creatures moved together like living rockslides on the ground, while leathery balloons coated in eyes floated overhead, buoyed by internal gas pockets. Over in a side alley, Corey caught a glimpse of someone with purple skin arguing with what appeared to be a pillar of flesh covered in jagged spikes. He didn¡¯t spend very long looking at that one.

    ¡°So, uh, if I ever talk to one of these aliens that doesn¡¯t have a face-¡±

    ¡°At the top,¡± Doprel said. ¡°That¡¯s where you look.¡±

    ¡°Oh, okay, thanks.¡±

    ¡°Everybody else wonders the same thing,¡± Kamak said. ¡°We all agreed that the top was the best. Close to where the face would be on a humanoid, and very few species have their genitals at the very top of their bodies, so it¡¯s usually a polite place to look.¡±

    ¡°Usually?¡±

    ¡°Listen, don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Kamak said. ¡°You¡¯re new blood, just stand around quietly and try not to look stupid until you¡¯ve got things figured out.¡±

    ¡°That might be a while,¡± Corey said, as he watched a living orb of gelatin roll through the crowd. Kamak just chuckled at him.

    The group made their way out of the main transit thoroughfares and into more open territory. Centerpoint was still a tightly crowded station even in it¡¯s most expansive plaza¡¯s, but Corey at least had enough room to remove his elbows from his ribcage.

    ¡°Excuse me!¡±

    Someone was shouting across the way, and Corey nearly turned to look, but Tooley grabbed him and kept his eyes forward.

    ¡°Don¡¯t listen,¡± she advised. ¡°They¡¯re just trying to sell you something.¡±

    ¡°Often low quality recreational drugs or experimental pills which claim to enlarge one¡¯s genitals,¡± Farsus said.

    ¡°Speaking from experience, Farsy?¡±

    ¡°The pursuit of chaotic cause and effect obliges me to try almost anything once,¡± Farsus said.

    ¡°Pardon me, sorry, I really need to talk to you!¡±

    ¡°Head down, eyes forward, casual but brisk pace,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Do not turn around, and if they somehow get ahead of us, do not make eye contact.¡±

    ¡°No, I get it,¡± Corey said, as he maintained a casual but brisk pace. ¡°This kind of thing is universal.¡±

    Corey had dodged more than one persistent petition pusher back on Earth, during his brief tenure on a college campus. He put those skills to work as they continued crossing the plaza -and it became more and more apparent that whoever was shouting was after them specifically.

    ¡°Excuse me, I just need one moment of your time! You there, traveling with the large insectoid creature!¡±

    ¡°Oh, shit,¡± Kamak mumbled.

    ¡°Maybe we can lose her in the transit tubes,¡± Tooley suggested.

    ¡°This one seems persistent,¡± Farsus observed. ¡°Perhaps it is best to confront our pursuer and discern her reasons.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, and worse case scenario, if we let her catch up, Doprel can punch her,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°Not doing that,¡± Doprel said.

    ¡°Why not?¡±

    ¡°Because she¡¯s a cop, Kamak.¡±

    A massive finger pointed through the crowd, and the crew finally saw the face of their pursuer. That face was deep brown, with mottled black spots like a leopards, and an equally catlike mane of hair that stretched down her neck, back and shoulders. They wore the uniform of the Galactic Council police -albeit a noncombatant version. The crisp and professional outfit was better suited for the desk jockeys and pencil pushers who wore it. The breathless alien officer finally caught up to her quarry, then gave a sharp salute and a bright yet purely professional smile.

    ¡°Ah, finally. Greetings, visitors, I am To Vo La Su, registration officer number forty-three thousand eight-hundred and thirty-six of the Centerpoint division branch of Galactic Council Law Enforcement.¡±

    ¡°Hi,¡± Kamak said, his voice an utter black hole of excitement.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to take up your time, but in accordance with docking protocol eighty-five dash b-one, all visitors to Centerpoint have their DNA scanned for security purposes-¡±

    Corey looked around at the faces of his comrades. Nobody seemed all that perturbed. DNA scanning just to park seemed a bit extreme by Earth standards, but was apparently fairly normal in space. Normal enough that everyone aboard the Hard Luck Hermit had entirely forgotten about the procedure, and a small hiccup in it.

    ¡°-and it looks like your companion here has an unregistered DNA sequence,¡± To Vo said. ¡°In accordance with the Grand Uplifting protocol charter page thirty-five section b dash one point zero point two, I am obligated to ascertain and verify every example of a potential new species for uplifting.¡±

    ¡°I-¡±

    ¡°You got the wrong lifeform,¡± Kamak interrupted. ¡°This dude¡¯s just a Gentanian, like me. Got a little gene modding to have hair.¡±

    ¡°He was jealous,¡± Tooley said, giving her own blue hair a quick flip to show it off. It would¡¯ve been more impressive if she took better care of her hair, but it still looked good in spite of all the split ends.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry sir, but I¡¯ve seen gene-edited samples before and they look nothing like this,¡± To Vo said. ¡°The margin of genetic difference is way beyond a few simple clinical edits.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s a bit of an addict, you know how people get,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°I¡¯m not an addict,¡± Corey said. He wasn¡¯t sure why they were lying, but everyone else was doing it, so he joined in. ¡°I just like to look good. Doesn¡¯t everyone?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m...what sort of gene editing were you doing that caused this kind of genetic drift, exactly?¡±

    To Vo La Su had a keen edge to her leonine eyes that said she was on to their game, but couldn¡¯t directly call them out. As she made her move, Kamak countered it.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, doesn¡¯t Galactic Council law prohibit anyone from having to disclose medical procedures to non-medical personnel?¡±

    ¡°Well, yes, that¡¯s explicitly stated in manual five, subsection eighty seven bullet point four, but-¡±

    ¡°Are you medical personnel, ma¡¯am?¡±

    ¡°I am not,¡± To Vo huffed.

    ¡°Then we are not required to disclose any relevant information to you,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Thank you for your concern, but we have business to attend to. Good day, officer.¡±

    Kamak gave To Vo a mock bow, just to rub it in, and then gathered his crew to depart. Corey glanced over his shoulder at the officer and saw her heavy brows furrow. To Vo La Su prodded her datapad a few times to finalize something and then walked back to her post in a huff.

    ¡°I feel bad,¡± Doprel said. ¡°She was just doing her job.¡±

    ¡°Her ¡®job¡¯ was to get Corey in a lab so he could poked, prodded, and psychoanalyzed,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Trust me, we¡¯ll do a better job ¡®integrating him into galactic society¡¯ than she ever would.¡±

    ¡°I do like your approach better,¡± Corey said. ¡°You guys give me beer.¡±

 Chapter 11: Guilded

    Corey turned his back to the mirror and examined the body armor from another angle. Kamak¡¯s recommendation had been worth every penny, at least as far as aesthetics were concerned. The composite material of the armor was lighter and more flexible than any earth counterpart, yet offered greater protection. Or so they claimed. Corey personally hoped he¡¯d never have to find out.

    ¡°Everything good? All fits right?¡±

    ¡°Yep, we¡¯re all good,¡± Corey said, giving an approving nod to the tailor. He was glad enough cultures had independently recreated the nod that it was still usable in space.

    ¡°Very well then, I shall send you the bill.¡±

    ¡°Bite down on something, Corey,¡± Kamak said. ¡°This is where he gets you.¡±

    Corey pulled out his datapad and waited for the bill to hit. The armory tailor flicked a fingertip across the screen of his own datapad, and Corey tried not to bite his tongue.

    ¡°Twenty thousand cece, huh?¡±

    ¡°Twenty thousand,¡± Kamak said, his outrage clear. Corey thought he was getting scammed, until Kamak turned to the tailor and continued his rant. ¡°You charged me twenty-seven!¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve streamlined our process somewhat in the decades since then,¡± the tailor said, his face an impassive wall of professionalism. ¡°And this one did not request lantum weave lining around the joints.¡±

    ¡°Your stock stuff chafes and you know it,¡± Kamak protested.

    ¡°At twenty or twenty-seven thousand, the armor is well worth the cost,¡± Farsus said. ¡°Mine has saved my life many times over, and repaid it¡¯s investment ten-fold.¡±

    With a sigh, Corey swiped on his datapad and transferred more than half of all the money he had to his name. Farsus was right, good body armor would be a literally life-saving investment. He¡¯d signed on with bounty hunters now. It¡¯d be idiotic to think he wouldn¡¯t be facing down a lot more bullets in the future.

    The tailor waved his hand through an alien gesture of gratitude and dismissed the crew so that he could serve his next client. Having no reason to linger, the crew moved on rapidly, back into the crowded streets of Centerpoint.

    ¡°Alright, now that Corey looks the part, how about we hit up the Guild? Always helps to make an in-person appearance when you¡¯re just starting out.¡±

    ¡°Oh, yeah, got to let all the criminals in the universe know Corey Vash is coming after them, right?¡¯ Tooley mocked. ¡°Got to make a big debut, look like a hotshot.¡±

    ¡°Oh, cool it, you blueberry bitch,¡± Kamak said. ¡°I¡¯m not talking about walking in guns in one hand and dicks in the other like all those hotshots who get shot in the ass on their first mission. Just getting in and getting networked. Knowing people is important, you know.¡±

    ¡°Knowing people is worthless,¡± Tooley said. ¡°I know shitloads of people and most of them hate me. Having friends is what¡¯s important. And you don¡¯t really make friends, Kammy.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s bounty hunting, it¡¯s literally a cutthroat industry,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Connections are important, let¡¯s go make some.¡±

    <hr>

    The headquarters of the Bounty Hunter¡¯s Guild was significantly more ostentatious than Corey had been expecting. Given how Kamak and the others behaved, Corey had assumed the whole guild would be filled with hard-hitting high functioning alcoholics lurking in underground bars. The facade of the guild had more in common with an opera house than a speakeasy, however.

    Corey¡¯s subverted expectations were quickly reverted when he walked through the door and found himself face to face with a partially scorched carpet, a desk that had clearly been broken and repaired roughly fourteen different ways, and a dartboard that had several pictures of cops taped to it. Down a hallway to the right, Corey heard glass breaking.

    ¡°Yep, Centerpoint authority only makes us keep the outside looking clean,¡± Kamak said, his face beaming with pride. ¡°Interior¡¯s still got character, though.¡±

    ¡°And several stenches,¡± Farsus added.

    ¡°That¡¯s part of the character.¡±

    After about twenty seconds of waiting, someone sidled up to the front desk they should¡¯ve been sitting at the whole time. The poorly-attended attendant looked up at Kamak, swiped through a terminal at his dusty workstation, and then nodded.

    ¡°Kamak D-V-Y-B, and four unregistered. What brings you here?¡±

    ¡°Work, if you¡¯ve got it,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°Right, I¡¯ll let some of our liaisons know you¡¯re here and...it looks like you have an outstanding ¡®possible internal conflict¡¯? Seems like you crossed paths with another bounty hunter while on an assignment?¡±

    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

    ¡°Oh, yeah, happened to jump on board a slave ship about the same time as the Heart Rippers. I let them handle it, you know how they are,¡± Kamak said, giving an exaggerated grimace that the desk attendant matched. ¡°What do I have to do to get that cleared out?¡±

    ¡°Well, let me see,¡± the attendant mumbled, as he clicked through several tabs on his computer. ¡°Looks like you¡¯ll have to...oh. Uh. Nevermind.¡±

    ¡°Not a fan of the way you said that, champ,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°Oh, well, it¡¯s just, the thing is, the Heart Rippers are, well, uh, dead.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Well, bounty hunting, death¡¯s an occupational hazard,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°The Rippers were competent warriors,¡± Farsus said. ¡°They would not fall easily.¡±

    ¡°Well, we never really stuck around to see how that gunfight turned out,¡± Kamak said. The attendant shook his head.

    ¡°No, they claimed that bounty,¡± he said. ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened. Looks like they got intercepted in transit.¡±

    ¡°Could be a lot of things,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Rippers got messy even by bounty hunter standards, made a lot of enemies. We¡¯ll drink to them tonight.¡±

    Tooley nodded in a rare moment of agreement, though mostly for the excuse to drink. Not that she needed one. Kamak tapped his knuckles on the desk and got the attendant back on track.

    ¡°So, about that consultant meeting...¡±

    ¡°Oh right. You¡¯re in luck, one of our consultants is available right now,¡± the attendant said. ¡°Third door on the left.¡±

    ¡°Alright, thanks for the help.¡±

    ¡°Do we really have to talk to someone?¡± Tooley whined. ¡°Can¡¯t you just scroll through a terminal or something?¡±

    ¡°I could, but like I said, connections are important,¡± Kamak said.

    The captain found the third door on the left, and opened it without bothering to knock. The interior of the office matched the rest of the ramshackle building decor, with several scuffed floors and a hole in the wall barely covered up by a dusty shelf. The shelf contained numerous trophies, presumably from past bounties: aged guns, broken body armor, and jagged knives that still had flecks of dried blood on them. Kamak barely even looked at the office¡¯s sole occupant before pointing to one of the knives.

    ¡°I thought I told you to get my blood off that thing.¡± Kamak said.

    The woman behind the office desk chuckled coldly.

    ¡°I did. Somebody tried to hold up my office a few cycles back. That¡¯s their blood.¡±

    Kamak walked up to the desk, and the woman behind it stood to give him a firm clap on the shoulder, though the stiffness of the gesture implied very little actual affection.

    The alien woman had relatively human features, with dark brown skin and a long, narrow nose, though her forehead was punctuated by a crown of five short, jagged horns. The most striking feature of her face was not her alien anatomy, but what appeared to be a prosthetic mask attached to her face. The natural skin of her face had a thin line of visible scarring where the rubbery prosthetic took over, comprising roughly half of her jaw, a small portion of her nose, and her entire right eye socket, as well as a small portion of her forehead. The eye and mouth mimicked the full range of natural motion, and Corey could even see the false nostril flare slightly as she spoke.

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t expecting to see you again so soon, Kamak.¡±

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t expecting to be back so soon. But I got some lucky breaks out in the boonies and figured I had enough pocket change to afford to live in civilized territory for a while.¡±

    ¡°Nothing civilized when you¡¯re around,¡± she said, only half joking. ¡°Doprel, good to see he hasn¡¯t chased you off yet.¡±

    ¡°Not yet, Ghul.¡±

    ¡°And Farsus, you¡¯re still working with him? No problems there?¡±

    ¡°None we cannot endure,¡± Farsus said. ¡°Our arrangement is mutually beneficial. He requires my guns, I require his ship.¡±

    ¡°And you two are new,¡± Ghul noted. Kamak held out a hand to his two new hires.

    ¡°This is Tooley, my pilot-¡±

    ¡°You still haven¡¯t learned how to fly that thing?¡± Ghul said. ¡°She¡¯s what, the thirteenth pilot you¡¯ve had to hire?¡±

    ¡°Seventeenth,¡± Kamak admitted, to Tooley¡¯s visible delight. ¡°But hey, it helps to have someone on the ship sometimes. Makes for quick exits.¡±

    ¡°Which is more useful for you than it might be for some people,¡± Ghul noted. ¡°So who¡¯s this thing?¡±

    ¡°This is Corey. He¡¯s new. To a lot of things. Slavers picked him up off an Uncontacted planet, we set him loose and gave him a job.¡±

    ¡°Bit of an unorthodox recruiting scheme. You really feel up to this, Corey?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t have many other options. None of the skills from my planet are really useful up here,¡± Corey said with a shrug. ¡°But shooting a gun is shooting a gun.¡±

    ¡°Pragmatic. You might be cut out for this after all,¡± Ghul said. She relaxed and took a seat behind her desk again before folding her hands together atop her desk and leaning forward. ¡°So. Time to talk shop.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s why we¡¯re here,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°I have something I can line up for you in a few swaps,¡± Ghul said. Both halves of her mismatched face were edged with severity. ¡°A client has been looking to have something handled with professionalism, and discretion. If you can vouch for these two new hires of yours, I¡¯ll put in a good word for you, Kamak.¡±

    ¡°How ¡®professional and discrete¡¯ are we talking here?¡± Kamak asked, glaring at Tooley specifically.

    ¡°The client reached out to me specifically because of the Farot job,¡± Ghul said. ¡°I¡¯m retired, but you were on that hunt too. He¡¯d be willing to trust you. And expecting roughly equivalent results.¡±

    ¡°Okay, but he knows what the Farot job is,¡± Kamak said. ¡°We clearly weren¡¯t that discrete.¡±

    ¡°We got the job done, and none of Farot¡¯s men found out he¡¯d been taken out until after it was too late,¡± Ghul said. ¡°As long as you¡¯re quiet when it matters, I¡¯m sure the client will be perfectly happy.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, we can handle that. I¡¯ll stay in town long enough to hear out the offer, but I¡¯m not guaranteeing anything until I know what I¡¯m doing and who I¡¯m doing it for,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°Understandable,¡± Ghul said. ¡°I¡¯ll get in touch with the client. Try not to get into trouble, and don¡¯t come back to the guild hall if you can avoid it. I¡¯m not the only old acquaintance in town, but I¡¯m the only one who owes you half a face.¡±

    ¡°I see. Let¡¯s get moving, gang, the lady has made her point clear. Good to see you again, Ghul.¡±

    ¡°Try to stay alive, Kamak,¡± she said coldly. That was about all the sentimentality she could muster for Kamak. He quickly excused himself and led his crew out of the guild hall entirely.

    ¡°Sounds like you got some bad blood in the business, captain,¡± Tooley noted.

    ¡°Bounty hunting is messy work,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Some people take those messes more personally than others.¡±

    Kamak offered no further explanation, and dismissed the crew to take some well deserved R&R.

 Chapter 12: Taking Shots (The Fun Kind)

    Tooley kept a close eye on Corey as they navigated the Centerpoint streets. While she did not take Kamak¡¯s order to ¡®keep him safe¡¯ seriously in any way shape or form, Corey actually did need to be kept safe. Here moreso than a lot of other places. Tooley preferred her bars seedy and out of the way, which made the odds of getting mugged or assaulted much higher than usual.

    ¡°If space stations had assholes, I¡¯m pretty sure this place would be the asshole,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°You¡¯re half right. The septic ejection system is a few klicks that way,¡± Tooley said. ¡°We¡¯re for sure in the crack of the space station, though.¡±

    Centerpoint was a centuries-long work in progress, and many of the older, out of date structures had become more and more dilapidated as they became more obsolete. While still habitable, the archaic structures of old sub-platforms were mostly set aside for shifty businesses, slums and septic ejection systems.

    Tooley led the way through the detritus of the universe¡¯s center, trawling through the tightly-packed substructures until they reached what had once been a bustling marketplace, the center of commerce in the oldest version of Centerpoint. Now, what few storefronts weren¡¯t abandoned were serving as pawn shops, bars, or brothels.

    ¡°There we go,¡± Tooley said, satisfied. ¡°Hey, do you want to go to a brothel after we¡¯re done drinking?¡±

    ¡°Is that your usual routine?¡±

    ¡°No, but I can persuaded, and I¡¯ve been watching you glance at alien asses all day,¡± Tooley said, elbowing Corey in the ribs as she spoke. ¡°You know you¡¯re curious.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll admit that, but I shouldn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Why not? I¡¯ve seen your dick, it¡¯s compatible with most alien orifices out there,¡± Tooley assured him. ¡°And you¡¯ll be able to tell if you¡¯re getting near any of the orifices that have acid in them.¡±

    ¡°Well, thanks for that assurance, but that¡¯s not what this is about,¡± Corey said. ¡°Doprel was talking about taking me to a clinic and getting me some vaccinations and stuff tomorrow. I don¡¯t want to catch anything. Or give anyone anything. Who knows what kinda fucked up diseases I could swap with someone up here?¡±

    ¡°Hmm, good point,¡± Tooley said. ¡°All night drinking it is! More fun anyway.¡±

    Tooley gave Corey a hearty slap on the back to push him forward towards her favorite bar. The dilapidated doorway opened to reveal and equally ramshackle interior, with broken tables sparsely populated by broken people. Some of them appeared to be having a good time, but most were in various stages of drunken comas.

    ¡°Looks like a fun crowd,¡± Corey noted.

    ¡°We¡¯re not here for the ambiance,¡± Tooley said. ¡°We¡¯re here for cheap drinks.¡±

    To that end, Tooley claimed a seat at the bartop and started making demands of a very tired-looking bartender. In short order, two matching rows of alien alcohols had been laid out in front of Tooley and Corey, and the bartender left to tend to other customers.

    ¡°Hey, I probably should¡¯ve asked before we ordered, but is tipping important in space?¡±

    ¡°Tipping? I thought you weren¡¯t doing sex tonight?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not- okay, I¡¯m not going to ask what your version of ¡®tipping¡¯ is-¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s when you grab someone by the ass and-¡±

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    ¡°I said I¡¯m not asking, Tooley,¡± Corey said. ¡°Anyway, what I mean is, when you get served by someone, is it polite to give them a small amount of money in addition to what you¡¯re paying for the food or drinks? To show appreciation for their service, or whatever.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of that,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Which means it¡¯s either not a common thing or I¡¯m an even bigger asshole than I thought. We should ask Doprel later, he knows what polite things to do are.¡±

    With that issue only halfway resolved, Tooley dragged Corey¡¯s attention forcibly back to the alcohol. She grabbed one glass at random and pushed it closer to him, taking her own matching glass in hand as well.

    ¡°Is this one made out of meat too?¡±

    ¡°Nope, this is vodka. Katali vodka, specifically, made out of a tuber that can grow to be the size of Doprel¡¯s species.¡±

    ¡°Neat.¡±

    He raised his glass to the air, and got a funny look from Tooley.

    ¡°It¡¯s something my people do,¡± Corey said. ¡°When you drink with someone you tap the edges of your glass together before you start.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m down,¡± Tooley said, as she rammed her glass into his hard enough to make both spill a little. Corey called it ¡°close enough¡± and took a drink.

    He regretted it.

    ¡°Holy shit,¡± he gagged. ¡°I think my throat¡¯s melting.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯ll do that,¡± Tooley said. Her voice sounded hoarse, though her reaction was more muted than Corey¡¯s. ¡°Give it a bit. Deep breaths.¡±

    Corey took a deep breath and found that the chill of the bar¡¯s cold air helped a lot. After a few long exhales, his throat had cleared enough that he could talk almost normally again.

    ¡°Holy fuck,¡± he mumbled. ¡°Do you actually like that stuff?¡±

    ¡°No, I fucking hate it,¡± Tooley grunted.

    ¡°Then why¡¯d you make me drink it?¡±

    The outrage aggravated Corey¡¯s throat again, and the coughing fit that followed last a minute or two. Once he could pay attention again, Tooley explained her reasoning.

    ¡°Well I don¡¯t like it, but you might¡¯ve,¡± Tooley said. She waved her hand at the rows of alcohol in front of them. ¡°We¡¯re scouting, finding out what you like, trying new things.¡±

    ¡°Okay, I sort of get that,¡± Corey said. ¡°Just give me a warning next time, holy shit.¡±

    ¡°For sure. We¡¯ll do one of my favorites next, even it out,¡± Tooley said. She offered up the next beverage, and after a few more deep breaths, Corey dared to try it. To his surprise, he found it to have a very pleasant citrus taste, with a smooth finish.

    ¡°Oh, I like this one,¡± Corey said. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s called katasis,¡± Tooley said. ¡°It¡¯s from some fringe nebula. Made out of carnivorous plants.¡±

    ¡°Oh, more meat booze. Is that common in space?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a big universe. We got a lot of booze made from a lot of things,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Fruit, leaves, eggs, hair, you name it, if it could reasonably, or even unreasonably, be fermented, someone out there has fermented it.¡±

    ¡°Hair?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, you want to try some? It sucks shit, but it¡¯s unique.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll pass,¡± Corey said. ¡°So. Any of this booze from your home world?¡±

    Tooley immediately shoved another drink into Corey¡¯s hands, and took one for herself as well. Once they¡¯d both downed the bitter drink, Tooley took a deep breath.

    ¡°Nah, all the booze from my home planet is shit,¡± Tooley said. She took another shot and choked down the sickeningly sweet taste of it. ¡°Everything that comes from my home planet is shit.¡±

    ¡°You came from it.¡±

    ¡°And I¡¯m shit. What¡¯s your point?¡±

    Corey decided not to belabor the point and instead reached for another drink. This one was thick, almost syrupy, but it tasted like salt and strawberries. It took a long time to choke down, but Corey was surprised to find he enjoyed every second of it.

    ¡°Hot damn. What was that one?¡±

    ¡°Hado liqeuer. It¡¯s made out of some berry or something. Dogshit, right?¡±

    ¡°You kidding me? That was the best thing I¡¯ve had all night.¡±

    ¡°Different taste buds, I guess. Tastes like ass to me.¡±

    ¡°More for me, then,¡± Corey said. He flagged down the bartender and ordered more of the sweet liqeuer.

    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t go doubling back, we got like seven more of these things to try,¡± Tooley protested.

    ¡°But I like this one,¡± Corey said. ¡°I want to have something I actually like to drink.¡±

    ¡°Corey, those are like eighty percent alcohol. You drink two more of those you¡¯re going to be shitfaced before we get through our shots.¡±

    The bartender set down four more of the liqeuer shots. Corey looked at them, then back at Tooley.

    ¡°Is that a problem?¡±

    Tooley also did a double take between the booze and Corey.

    ¡°Guess not,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Bottoms up, bitch!¡±

    Tooley grabbed another shot, as did Corey, and they repeated their awkward toast before downing the rest.

 Chapter 13: The Doctor is In(sane)

    Corey shook off the last jitters of the hangover pill. While it flushed out the worst effects of binge drinking, it also left him with an odd buzzing sensation in the back of his neck. Made him shivery, for some reason. Not a good state to be in while heading for a checkup.

    Kamak had scheduled him for a consultation and vaccination with a semi back-alley doctor he and the crew used frequently. Dr. Theddis was, technically, a doctor, but he was also technically registered as a bounty hunter, allowing him to do work for fellow hunters without some of the paperwork and red tape medical procedures usually required. Nobody had bothered explaining to Cory what legal loopholes allowed that, but he didn¡¯t really care. Doprel vouched for Theddis, and that was the only thing Corey needed to hear.

    ¡°I can¡¯t go in with you, because of confidentiality and all that stuff, but it should be no problem,¡± Doprel assured him. ¡°He usually only asks the medically necessary questions. Unless he¡¯s feeling chatty.¡±

    ¡°What if he is feeling chatty?¡±

    ¡°Oh he just likes to talk about sports and things, and you don¡¯t know anything about space sports,¡± Doprel said. ¡°You should be fine.¡±

    ¡°Ah, alright, so I¡¯m cool to tell him I¡¯m ¡®Uncontacted¡¯ and all that?¡±

    ¡°He already knows,¡± Doprel said. ¡°Kamak told him when he set up the appointment. Hard to explain why you need the universal vaccine otherwise. Most species get it as children.¡±

    Doprel found the door they were looking for and gestured to it.

    ¡°All you, Corvash,¡± he said. ¡°See you back in the lobby.¡±

    While Doprel headed away, Corey headed in. He¡¯d made it about two steps into the medical room when something stabbed him in the shoulder. He let out a yelp of surprise just in time for his attacker to slap his injured shoulder with some kind of putty.

    ¡°Fucking hell, what was that for?¡±

    Turning to face his assailant, Corey saw a gray alien with an almost wooden complexion holding a very complicated looking syringe. The doctor tapped a single loose drop of blood off the tip of his instrument and then deposited it into a nearby machine.

    ¡°Trust me, it¡¯s better if you do it quickly and the patient doesn¡¯t see it coming. Tissues samples are tricky business,¡± Dr. Theddis said. He punched a few buttons on his mystery machine and observed whatever it was doing. ¡°My apologies. I need to analyze your biological functions more closely to properly calibrate this procedure. Is the gel working? It¡¯s less effective on some species.¡±

    The glob of goo on Corey¡¯s shoulder had dried up and stuck in place.

    ¡°What is it supposed to do?¡±

    ¡°Uncontacted, right. It prevents pain and seals minor wounds.¡±

    After hesitantly plucking the dried glob off his shoulder, Corey saw that his shoulder did not hurt and was not bleeding, so he assumed it had done it¡¯s job. He said as much to the doctor.

    ¡°Good, good, that helps too,¡± Theddis said. He tapped a few more buttons. ¡°This is going to take a moment, so if you have any medical questions, now would be the time.¡±

    ¡°Uh...a couple, I think,¡± Corey said. ¡°Oh, just something I¡¯m curious about. All of the, what are they called, ¡°Kenthat-somethings¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Kentath retrogrades.¡±

    ¡°Thanks. We¡¯re all sort of the same species, right?¡±

    ¡°Vaguely. Most retrograde species have DNA differentials between zero-point-two to zero-point-five percent,¡± Theddis said. ¡°But, as you¡¯ve no doubt seen, that can lead to some big differences.¡±

    ¡°Right, but like, internally, we¡¯ve mostly got the same organs and stuff right? All the same functions?¡±

    ¡°For the most part. On that note, how many kidneys do you have?¡±

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    ¡°Two,¡± Corey said. For some reason, he worried to himself that that might be the wrong answer. His momentary, and very weird, stress was alleviated when Theddis nodded approvingly.

    ¡°Okay, good. This gets very complicated if you have three or more.¡±

    ¡°Any other major points of failure I should know about?¡±

    ¡°As long as your blood¡¯s red, there¡¯s nothing else worth mentioning.¡±

    ¡°Well, it is in fact red, so I think we¡¯re good. Could I ask you a couple other questions?¡±

    Theddis nodded, and Corey continued.

    ¡°Cool, first question, maybe a bit of an odd one, is, uh...interbreeding? Is that possible?¡±

    Theddis snapped his head away from the machine to look Corey dead in the eye.

    ¡°Why are you asking? Have you had sexual contact with an alien species?¡± Theddis asked insistently. ¡°If you have, you need to be honest and tell me right now because there¡¯s a non-zero chance an aggressive alien STD is already rotting your organs from the inside out.¡±

    ¡°Oh, god, jesus, no,¡± Corey said. ¡°I¡¯ve barely touched anyone, I swear. I was afraid you might say something like that, now I¡¯m really glad I skipped going to a brothel last night.¡±

    ¡°Smart man, have some candy,¡± Theddis said. He drew some kind of alien confection on a stick from a drawer and thrust it into Corey¡¯s hand in one swift motion. ¡°And for the record, once we¡¯re done here you should be able to visit as many brothels as you like.¡±

    ¡°Okay, might not do that, but at least I¡¯ll have the option,¡± Corey said. ¡°Back to my question?¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes, impregnation,¡± Theddis said. ¡°It¡¯s unlikely in the best case scenario. Very few species can achieve cross-species fertilization, and of those, none are likely to have viable offspring. I think there¡¯s only three hybrids alive today in the universe, and all of them required significant medical intervention. In short, no, you shouldn¡¯t be producing any space bastards from whatever shenanigans you intend. You should still take protective measures, though.¡±

    ¡°Can do.¡±

    Corey had no desire to rehash middle school sex ed, so he changed the nature of his questions after that.

    ¡°How about blood transfusions? Say somebody gets shot out there in the field and-¡±

    ¡°Bad idea. Don¡¯t do it,¡± Theddis said. ¡°Even with the vaccine, conflicting antibodies will kill you faster than bleeding to death would. You should avoid transferring or ingesting fluids in general, really. Small amounts in various forms of oral contact or sexual encounters are usually safe, but better not to take the risk at all.¡±

    ¡°Noted. What about like, allergens? Should I carry around a space epipen or something in case there¡¯s some exotic alien plant I¡¯m randomly allergic to?¡±

    ¡°The vaccine you¡¯re about to get should cover most reactions,¡± Theddis advised. ¡°On the off chance that it doesn¡¯t, well, just hope whatever you¡¯re reacting to doesn¡¯t kill you, because there¡¯s nothing any injection can do to save you.¡±

    ¡°It sounds like most medical emergencies in space end in me dying,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°Well that¡¯s true of medical emergencies anywhere,¡± Theddis said. He double checked his analytical machine as he spoke. ¡°Could be worse. Couple centuries ago if you put both of us in a room together we¡¯d both be dead from aerial viral exchange.¡±

    Corey decided not to ask any more questions, as he could reasonably assume the answer to be ¡°You¡¯re going to die¡±. Theddis hummed something to himself and waited for his machine to finish it¡¯s work, which it did with a loud ding, like a toaster.

    ¡°Ah, there we are,¡± Theddis said. He pulled up a readout of Corey¡¯s biology and gave it a quick scan. ¡°Good news for you, everything looks pretty close to the baseline biologically, your species is pretty middle of the road. Slightly higher iron content in your blood than most species. Might want to keep some supplements on hand if you¡¯re not eating a lot of red meat.¡±

    Corey made a note of that and allowed Theddis to continue.

    ¡°Higher predilection to heart failure than most too,¡± Theddis said. ¡°And the microplastic content in your blood is...well, we can sweep that out for you, nothing to worry about. Should maybe send a memo to your planet to adopt bioplastics.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve been told,¡± Corey said. ¡°People don¡¯t listen.¡±

    ¡°I see why you¡¯re sticking around up here,¡± Theddis grunted. ¡°Let me just plug this data into the lab and we¡¯ll get your vaccine ready in no time. Trillions of nanomachines ready to emulate every possible viral threat and prepare your immune system for any situation.¡±

    Theddis clapped his hands on his thighs and spun back towards Corey.

    ¡°Fair warning, now, I hope your schedule¡¯s clear because this is going to be, and I am not exaggerating, the worst swap of your life,¡± Theddis said. ¡°Your biology is going to be attacked in every possible way. You are going to feel like you are dying. That¡¯s normal. But it¡¯s one swap of suffering for a lifetime of protection.¡±

    An increasingly nervous Corey stayed in his seat while Theddis plugged in a few commands and filled a syringe with a silver solution.

    ¡°You¡¯ve got about a cycle and a half to get to a comfortable place before it starts to kick in,¡± Theddis warned. ¡°Once you¡¯re there, stay there, and don¡¯t take any alcohol or other medications. Also, probably remove any sharp objects from the room in advance.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure this is worth it?¡±

    ¡°Do you want to have one shitty swap or risk dying of a horrific flesh-eating virus every time an alien coughs near you?¡±

    Corey hesitated.

    ¡°Is there anything I can do to make the day less shitty?¡±

    ¡°No, but having something to bite down on helps keep you from grinding your teeth. Are you ready?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    Theddis jabbed him anyway. It was always better when the patients didn¡¯t see it coming.

 Chapter 14: Everything is Heresy

    ¡°Hey, Corvash, good to see you¡¯re on your feet again,¡± Tooley said. ¡°How¡¯d the vaccine treat you?¡±

    ¡°I genuinely wanted to die,¡± Corey said, not exaggerating in the slightest. He was busy shoving his face with some food, as the previous day¡¯s ¡°treatment¡± had resulted in him being unable to eat or drink, as his mouth had been alternating between constant screaming and being locked in place by agony. Even if he had managed to put any food inside his mouth, he was pretty sure his constantly churning stomach would¡¯ve rejected it instantly. The universal vaccine¡¯s side effects had already been bad enough without adding vomiting into the mix. While he was past the worst of it now, Corey was still aching in places he didn¡¯t know it was possible to ache.

    ¡°It is a deeply unpleasant process,¡± Farsus said. ¡°It is unfortunate that you could not receive the vaccine in your infancy, as most do.¡±

    ¡°You seriously give that shit to babies?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. They¡¯re not smart enough to complain and they¡¯re not coordinated enough to kill themselves,¡± Tooley said. ¡°You do that to people who know how to walk and they might jump off a roof.¡±

    ¡°Holy shit.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t act like you don¡¯t get it, I heard you begging for a gun last swap.¡±

    ¡°I mean, yeah, but still,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°It is all worthwhile in the end,¡± Farsus said. ¡°Immunity to all disease is very important for the roving life of a bounty hunter.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re indestructible now,¡± Tooley said. ¡°I think we should all spit in your mouth to celebrate your new immunity.¡±

    ¡°I will shoot you in the ass.¡±

    ¡°Boring.¡±

    Corey briefly wondered what threats Tooley had received that made getting shot in the ass seem outright boring by comparison.

    ¡°Whatever you¡¯re talking about, I¡¯m sure Corey is right and Tooley is wrong,¡± Kamak said, as he stormed his way into the ship. Tooley almost fired back with a retort, but she saw that Kamak had brought a guest. Considering he¡¯d been gone for so long to discuss their next contract, the wrinkly old alien she now saw might be their next employer. She didn¡¯t like to be too sarcastic in front of possible paychecks. Or talk in general, for that matter. Tooley had often received the feedback that she was ¡°unlikeable¡±, ¡°difficult to tolerate¡±, and ¡°anathema to anyone with any normal sense of social niceties¡±.

    ¡°Hey cap. Who¡¯s the guy?¡±

    ¡°This is Professor Drrok,¡± Kamak said, gesturing to his elderly companion. ¡°He¡¯s the contact Ghul was talking about the other day. He¡¯s got a job offer for us, if you¡¯re all onboard.¡±

    When discussing a secret contract that required discretion, Corey had been imagining the client as some kind of shady assassin type, or maybe a military commander ordering a clandestine operation. Drrok was just a tiny, pudgy man, his soft face deeply set with every possible wrinkle. His already short stature lowered even further as he hunched over a cane and squinted at the crew from behind a thick pair of glasses. All together, the alien professor looked more like an old teddy bear than a hitman.

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    ¡°Yes, yes, if you¡¯d all like to hear the details, I¡¯d be happy to tell you,¡± Drrok said. ¡°If you can keep it yourselves, of course. Nothing¡¯s against the law, per say, but it may be inconvenient if details begin to spread.¡±

    ¡°I shall keep your secrets safe,¡± Farsus swore. Tooley and Corey just nodded along, which was apparently good enough for Drrok. He walked towards the center of the common room and held up a small device in a wrinkled hand. With the push of a button, a holographic map of an egg-shaped galaxy projected into the room, filling the air in front of their faces.

    ¡°This is the Cetaphean Galaxy,¡± Drrok said, gesturing to the galactic projection. ¡°One of the relatively unexplored galaxies of the Septek Supercluster.¡±

    Corey nodded along as if any of those names meant anything to him. He wasn¡¯t the only one feigning intelligence this time. Even Farsus, the most well-traveled of the crew, had never heard of this particular galaxy. Drrok zoomed in on the galaxy, focusing on one star system, and one planet, in particular.

    ¡°And here, on the planet Killikiss, is located one of the universe¡¯s largest remaining unexplored Kentath ruins,¡± Drrok said. ¡°A relic of their once universe-spanning empire. By Galactic Council law, all Kentath ruins are shared research spaces, open to academic exploration from any community. The local planetary government, however, has declared the site off-limits for religious reasons. The Council doesn¡¯t see much value in further Kentath research, at least not enough to sanction a diplomatically thorny incursion into the ruins.¡±

    The Council had long since shifted it¡¯s priorities from expanding their knowledge to expanding their political influence, and was willing to let scientific curiosity fall by the wayside if it meant new species would join the Council. A decision Drrok, as a historian, deeply disagreed with.

    ¡°So you want us to sneak you in and out, from the sounds of things?¡±

    ¡°That would be ideal, yes.¡±

    ¡°Sounds like a good way to get ourselves banned from a system,¡± Tooley said.

    ¡°Who cares, have you seen this place?¡± Kamak asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m just saying, we came all this way to get out of the galactic boonies, what if we go all the way out there and something goes wrong? Are we still getting paid?¡±

    Clandestine missions came with the risk of failure, and failure came with the risk of not getting paid. Tooley didn¡¯t want to travel thousands of lightyears just to fuck something up and have to turn around empty-handed.

    ¡°I¡¯ll cover costs for transit in and out of the system, no matter what happens,¡± Drrok assured her. ¡°As for what I imagine concerns you more: for at least one swap of research time, you will each be paid twenty-five thousand cece¡¯s.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m on board,¡± Tooley said. She¡¯d trespassed for way less than twenty five k in the past, and had in fact done it for free for no reason other than thinking it would be funny.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know about this, guys,¡± Doprel said. ¡°Should we really be going out of our way to commit heresy?¡±

    ¡°There are many religions with many practices, Doprel, almost every action you take is a form of heresy to someone,¡± Farsus said. ¡°There are no less than seventeen religions in which your very existence is heretical. I am interested in receiving money for my heresy, at least.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m in too,¡± Corey said. He enjoyed heresy, be it active or passive. ¡°It¡¯s just a ruin. If they think it¡¯s important, that¡¯s their problem.¡±

    ¡°Sounds like we¡¯re almost unanimous,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Sorry, Doprel. You can stay on the ship if it bugs you.¡±

    ¡°No, no, I get it,¡± Doprel said. ¡°I¡¯m not one-hundred percent on board, but I¡¯m on board.¡±

    ¡°Alright then, looks like we¡¯re on the case,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Professor, when do you think you can be ready to go?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll have to get my equipment in order, it might take a few cycles,¡± Drrok said.

    ¡°Contact us when you¡¯re ready,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Rest of you, finish up any business on the station and be ready to fly when the professor gives the word. We¡¯re off to commit heresy.¡±

 Chapter 15: Religion and Philosophy and Stupidity

    While the ship was in transit to their next job, Corey used most of his spare time perusing the internet for more information. He wanted to stop asking stupid questions eventually, and while alien websites were a bit hard to navigate at first, he got the hang of it eventually, and then started spending some time on Space Wikipedia. One of the first things he did was try to look up more about Tooley and Doprel¡¯s species, which turned out to be surprisingly hard. Searching ¡°alien race blue skin¡± turned up several hundred species, and trying to search for ¡°alien bug gorilla fish thing¡± brought up nothing useful at all.

    Corey put a bit more effort into searching Tooley¡¯s species. He needed to know if they had some kind of cultural thing about sharing cleansers. In spite of his attempts to shake up his cleaning schedule, Tooley kept stepping in to shower with him. He could only imagine she was doing it on purpose. Probably just to mess with him, but he wanted to know if there might be some other cultural reason before he said something potentially offensive. The whole point of using Space Google was to try and avoid stupid questions.

    But even when Corey was trying to avoid stupid questions, stupid questions came to him.

    ¡°Hey, Corvash,¡± Tooley said. She slumped into a seat across the common room, next to Farsus. ¡°You going to be able to keep your beast caged when we¡¯re on site?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡±

    ¡°Well, the planet we are going to is apparently very religious.¡±

    ¡°Yes, and?¡±

    ¡°And the last time we met a bunch of overtly religious people you shot them to death.¡±

    ¡°I did not.¡±

    ¡°You very much did.¡±

    ¡°The only people I¡¯ve killed were murderous cannibalistic cultists,¡± Corey said. ¡°They weren¡¯t religious, they were psychopaths with uniforms.¡±

    ¡°The distinction between religion and cult is often a matter of good publicity,¡± Farsus added.

    ¡°I tend to agree, but I¡¯ll be fine. Those cannibal bastards on the station were especially bad. As long as these guys aren¡¯t hurting anybody, it¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    ¡°And what if they are hurting someone?¡± Tooley asked. ¡°Are your feelings more important than our job?¡±

    ¡°Hey, Tooley, you fucking reprobate,¡± Kamak snapped. ¡°I know the professor¡¯s all locked up in his room right now, but maybe don¡¯t go casting doubt on the character of the guy I just vouched for.¡±

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    The good doctor had spent exactly fifteen minutes trying to socialize with the crew and then quietly retreated to his room for reasons unknown but easy to guess. Kamak blamed Tooley, Tooley blamed Kamak, Corey blamed both of them, and Farsus and Doprel stayed on the sidelines, guiltless and entirely amused by the blame game.

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m not casting any doubt, if Corey wants to murder people as a coping mechanism for past issues, that¡¯s his deal,¡± Tooley said. ¡°I¡¯m not going to try and talk him out of it, I just want to know what¡¯s going on.¡±

    ¡°What are you even-¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t bother looking for logic, Corey, you won¡¯t find any,¡± Kamak said. ¡°She should know better. You haven¡¯t shot Farsus yet, and he¡¯s the most religious guy we know.¡±

    ¡°I thought you had more of a philosophy thing going on,¡± Corey said. A very weird philosophy, but philosophy all the same. As far as Corey could tell, Farsus¡¯ belief system revolved around destruction, death and the inevitability of entropy. That kind of logic didn¡¯t confuse Corey, but the fact that he was so darn chipper about it did. Farsus debated the inherently meaningless nature of existence the way most people discussed a sunny day.

    ¡°There is much debate on where chaos scholars fall on the scale between religion and philosophy,¡± Farsus said. ¡°We have little organizational structure and acknowledge no higher entity other than the cold, uncaring forces of random chance and entropic decay that govern our universe, so most call us philosophers. The official policy, however, is that words are meaningless attempts to cage concepts greater than we can ever understand, so people can call us whatever they want.¡±

    Farsus stopped and took a sip of his drink.

    ¡°Though I would apparently hesitate to call us a cult, given your feelings on them.¡±

    Just because Farsus studied death and destruction didn¡¯t mean he wanted to invite it upon himself. He was very excited to die someday, as the experience would be quiet illuminating, but it would be the last educational experience he ever had, and he still had a lot of things he wanted to learn before it happened.

    ¡°Sounds fine to me,¡± Corey said. ¡°No power structure makes it hard to abuse power. That¡¯s my real issue. Power and control. And the ways it can be abused.¡±

    ¡°If you hate shitty controllers, feel free to shoot Kamak any time,¡± Tooley said.

    Corey shook his head, but Kamak didn¡¯t even blink at the threat.

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t get anything out of it,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Ship¡¯s DNA coded, and it goes to Doprel if I die. Even you would never kill Doprel.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s true, I could never hurt that beautiful blue giant,¡± Tooley said. She shouted across the ship to the kitchen area, where the man(?) himself was preparing a meal. ¡°I love you Doprel!¡±

    ¡°Then please stop talking about murdering Kamak!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t love you that much, Doprel,¡± Tooley said. She then stood, clapped her hands on her thighs, and stretched out. ¡°Alright, we got an FTL lane switch coming up, I better go make sure we don¡¯t cross a star¡¯s gravitational influence and get turned into atomic paste.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I pay you for,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Quit hassling the new guy and do your job.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going, I¡¯m going.¡±

    While she was going, Corey started searching. Now he had to look up what an FTL lane switch was, a brand new stupid question for him to try and cut off at the pass. Corey began to have a sinking feeling the stupid questions would never stop.

 Chapter 16: The Local Flavor

    Taking his first steps onto his first actual planet other than Earth, Corey found himself unsure what to expect. The soil on the planet Killikiss was, for some reason, a chalky pink, which just confused him. The sky was a familiar blue, at least, so he had that going for him, and the atmosphere was breathable. For some of the crew, at least.

    ¡°What¡¯s with the mask, Doprel?¡¯

    ¡°This planet¡¯s biome isn¡¯t very well cataloged,¡± Doprel explained, his voice slightly muffled by a thick breathing apparatus covering his face. ¡°Don¡¯t want to be breathing in anything toxic. You Kentath types can mostly get around on any inhabited planet, but I have to be a little more careful.¡±

    ¡°Big guy¡¯s gotta take care of himself now and then,¡± Kamak said. ¡°We all know he takes care of you guys often enough.¡±

    ¡°He carries you back to the ship when you¡¯re hungover too, cap,¡± Tooley said.

    ¡°Yeah, yeah, fuck you,¡± Kamak said. He pointed himself, Farsus, and Doprel. ¡°Three of us are going to escort the professor to the ruins.¡±

    He then pointed to far off mountains briefly, before turning his attention and his finger to the small town near their landing site.

    ¡°The two of you, get into that town and play tourist,¡± Kamak ordered. ¡°Keep people from getting curious about the ship that just landed. Try to play nice and stay mostly sober. We might need you ready to fly on short notice, Tools.¡±

    ¡°Ugh, fine,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Can Corey get drunk in my stead?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d prefer he didn¡¯t, but his brainpower isn¡¯t mission critical,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Try to stay on your feet, at least.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best, captain.¡±

    <hr>

    For having such a small population, the local town was incredibly dense. Buildings were small, and stacked right on top of each other like sardines in a can.

    ¡°So the good news is, I think the distraction is working,¡± Tooley mumbled.

    ¡°What¡¯s the bad news?¡±

    She hadn¡¯t even said there¡¯d be bad news, but Corey could still tell it was there. There was usually bad news.

    ¡°The distraction is working a little too well,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Hope you like being the center of attention.¡±

    This culture liked to live in tight knit communities -something that made Tooley and Corey¡¯s presence that much stranger. The multicolored aliens stared intently at the new arrivals, though nobody approached them just yet.

    ¡°We should at least get off the main road,¡± Corey said. ¡°Act natural. What do space tourists do? Do we need to get a place to stay, or do you usually sleep on the ship?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Tooley hissed. ¡°I¡¯ve never been a tourist. I¡¯m a pilot, I travel space in the cool way, not the lame sightseer way.¡±

    ¡°Well then what the fuck do we do?¡±

    ¡°Food, Corvash, everyone needs food,¡± Tooley said. ¡°There¡¯s got to be restaurants or grocery stores or something. We can act natural. Maybe even have a decent lunch.¡±

    Getting a decent lunch was it¡¯s own reward, so Corey had twice the usual enthusiasm for this plan. The main thoroughfare didn¡¯t have any building that seemed large enough to house customers of any kind, so Tooley veered towards the outskirts. She didn¡¯t find anything out there either, but there was at least a vendor stall on the main street, entirely alien yet entirely familiar: a schlubby guy selling lukewarm meat on a stick. No matter where she went in the galaxy, someone had invented meat on a stick. Slightly dodgy, but generally reliable meat on a stick.

    Tooley paid for two of the dodgy meat-sticks and handed one to Corey. He took a bite first. The meat was suspiciously bitter, but not entirely unpleasant. Once Corey had chewed and swallowed without puking or spitting out his food, Tooley took a bite of her own meat-stick and cautiously chewed it while she spoke to the vendor.

    ¡°So, not that this isn¡¯t delicious,¡± Tooley said. It wasn¡¯t delicious. ¡°But is there any other place to get food around here? We looked around and everything seems very...residential.¡±

    ¡°Most food and drink is purchased in the subterranean,¡± the vendor said. ¡°You¡¯ll pardon us, our town is not designed with visitors in mind. We don¡¯t get many.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s understandable,¡± Tooley said. ¡°We were looking for out of the way places. We expected them to not be tourist friendly.¡±

    ¡°What brings the two of you out so far, anyway?¡±

    ¡°Just...trying to get away from it all, you know? Universal life can be so overwhelming sometimes.¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know,¡± the vendor said. ¡°Must be a lot to bring you all this way.¡±

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    The vendor had a skeptical look in his eyes, and Tooley¡¯s sub-par acting skills weren¡¯t really helping his suspicions. More attention wouldn¡¯t do anyone any favors, so Corey stepped in.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that bad most of the time,¡± Corey said. ¡°But it¡¯s just been a lot harder to keep up with the hustle and bustle since my mom died. Seeing new places and people...It sort of helps.¡±

    A combination of sympathy and outright awkwardness blasted the suspicion out of the vendor¡¯s head. He mumbled ¡°sorry¡± under his breath and then, after a moment of contemplation, handed Corey another dodgy meat stick.

    ¡°On the house. Enjoy your stay.¡±

    Corey nodded gratefully and stepped away from the vendor. Tooley, not knowing what else to do, turned sharply and followed along.

    ¡°Good thinking,¡± she said, when they were around the corner. Then she snatched the sympathy meat out of Corey¡¯s hands.

    ¡°What¡¯s that for?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t get to keep this,¡± Tooley said, waving the meat skewer at him. ¡°You got it by lying.¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t lying.¡±

    Tooley stopped waving the meat skewer and looked at Corey for a second.

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    The meat skewer changed hands again.

    ¡°Sorry. If I should be sorry. Should I be sorry?¡±

    ¡°Why would you not be?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s species out there where the young eat their mothers,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Or she could¡¯ve just been shit. I¡¯m not saying she was shit, but my mom was. I wouldn¡¯t feel bad if she died.¡±

    ¡°Well, my mom was great, and I cared about her, so yeah, be sorry.¡±

    ¡°Okay, sorry.¡±

    The insincerity was obvious to all involved, and Tooley aggressively changed the subject.

    ¡°So there¡¯s got to be a way into this subterranean thingy somewhere,¡± Tooley said. She tapped her fingertips against her thighs just to have something to do with her hands while she scanned the horizon. ¡°Keep an eye out for holes.¡±

    ¡°Found one.¡±

    ¡°Where?¡±

    Corey pointed at Tooley.

    ¡°Asshole.¡±

    The indignation on Tooley¡¯s face lasted about three seconds before she cracked into a delighted chuckle.

    ¡°Alright, you got me,¡± she said. ¡°But seriously, let¡¯s go.¡±

    <hr>

    ¡°Hey, Corvash, you sober?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m- Hold on, don¡¯t say anything, you¡¯re on speaker,¡± Corey said. After finding an entrance to the subterranean, he and Tooley were perusing the underground markets of the city, which were much more crowded than the streets above. He didn¡¯t want Kamak¡¯s voice coming out of his datapad to give away any secrets.

    ¡°I¡¯m on what?¡±

    ¡°Everyone can hear you and we¡¯re in public,¡± Corey said. Apparently the phrase ¡°speaker¡± didn¡¯t translate well. ¡°Give me a minute to mute you.¡±

    At that point, Tooley forcibly grabbed the tablet out of his hands, changed a few settings, and handed it back. Corey tested it to make sure the changes had worked, and then got back to the conversation.

    ¡°What do you need?¡±

    ¡°I need extra hands and a quick exit,¡± Kamak said. ¡°The professor found something he wants to take home with him. There¡¯s no way to get it through town without someone noticing, so we need Tooley ready to swing by the ruins for a pickup. And you, to help us carry something heavy. Be ready when the sun goes down.¡±

    Kamak hung up before giving Corey a chance to get a word in edgewise. He pulled Tooley away from the collection of alien fruit she had been perusing and filled her in on the situation, prompting a heavy sigh.

    ¡°Great, now I got to go back and do flight checks and shit,¡± Tooley grumbled. ¡°Now we have to go back up through the tunnels and everything again.¡±

    Finding an access to the subterranean market had been hard enough, and traversing it even harder. The more Tooley and Corey explored this culture, the more they discovered no one on the entire planet had any concept of personal space. Every space was smaller than it had any reason to be, and the natives apparently didn¡¯t mind standing literally shoulder to shoulder in any given space -even on the rare occasions when there was room to move.

    ¡°Come on, I think I saw a tunnel over this way,¡± Corey said. ¡°And I¡¯m going first this time.¡±

    ¡°Look, I¡¯m sorry I stepped on your face, there was an old dude and he had his ass right in my-¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care, I just don¡¯t want it to happen again,¡± Corey insisted. Tooley had surprisingly strong legs for someone whose career was based on sitting. This time Corey took the lead as they climbed up the narrow tunnel and emerged into one of the town¡¯s few public spaces. They had entered the subterranean through some kind of shared recreational space, and were now exiting through a sort of communal meeting space. Chairs were arranged in a massive circle in the center of the room, all facing towards a central podium, currently empty.

    ¡°Looks like a church,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Your trigger finger itching yet?¡±

    ¡°Only in your direction,¡± Corey grunted. Tooley chuckled a little at the joke.

    ¡°We think of it more as a community space.¡±

    Tooley and Corey resisted the urge to jump at the unexpected voice, and instead turned around to face the source. An old man was sitting in a chair in a corner, watching over the empty space. He wore no priestly garb, but he had the air of a man with authority, in spite of his advanced age.

    ¡°Oh, sure, glad to see you, tell us all about it,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Corey loves churches.¡±

    Corey elbowed her in the ribs, which did nothing to stifle her teasing -or the old man¡¯s response to it.

    ¡°Churches are for those who worship higher powers,¡± the old man said. ¡°Here we give thanks to nothing but those around us, the land on which we live, and the community we have built.¡±

    ¡°Cool, that¡¯s great, thanks,¡± Corey said. ¡°We should get going now.¡±

    ¡°Back to where you belong?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s debatable,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°Everyone belongs somewhere, child.¡±

    ¡°Thanks?¡±

    ¡°If you have not found your place, you soon will,¡± the old man said. ¡°I can see it in your eyes.¡±

    ¡°Okay, thanks again,¡± Corey said, as he aggressively shuffled away. ¡°I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll find it too.¡±

    Corey pulled Tooley back into the main streets, away from the old man and his suspiciously wizened smile. She had a broad smile on her own face, though it was born from more than just her delight at Corey¡¯s discomfort.

    ¡°God I love it when old people just talk complete fucking nonsense,¡± Tooley said. ¡°I bet he¡¯d tell all sorts of wild stories that make no sense. Man, now I¡¯m kind of sad we¡¯re committing heresy. I¡¯ll never get to hear any of his bonkers old people stories.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a big universe, there¡¯ll be other weirdos with other stories,¡± Corey said. ¡°Maybe your ¡®place you belong¡¯ will be somewhere surrounded by old people.¡±

    ¡°If the old people have booze and a beach, I¡¯m in,¡± Tooley said.

    ¡°Not a lot of beaches here, though,¡± Corey said. This planet had very small bodies of water, by most standards. ¡°We better get a move on.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, got to go loot some old ruins,¡± Tooley said. ¡°I dig it.¡±

 Chapter 17: Angry Mobs Are An Occupational Hazard

    Tooley brought the Hard Luck Hermit in low and slow. A little too low. The ship occasionally made a scraping noise as it bumped into the tops of the coral-like fauna that grew all over the planet.

    ¡°Fuck me,¡± Tooley mumbled. ¡°If Kamak makes me buff all those scratches out, will you help me? I¡¯ll buy you more booze.¡±

    ¡°Let me look at the scratches first,¡± Corey said. They sounded deep, and he wanted to know what he was getting into.

    ¡°Fair play.¡±

    Tooley found the clearing Kamak had indicated as a landing zone and set the ship down. She flipped a few switches to put the Hermit into idle and kept the engine running. Corey didn¡¯t waste time on a goodbye, and headed to the cargo hold to grab a lev-lift. He didn¡¯t know the finer details of the machine, but Kamak had said to press the green button, so he pressed the green button. The small pallet popped into the air, lifted by unseen forces. Corey saved figuring out how that worked for later and dragged the lev-lift into the ruins.

    The ruins of the ancient Kentath society were a lot less impressive than Corey had been hoping for. The decrepit building had more in common with an Earth office building than any elaborate space station he¡¯d seen in a sci-fi show. Broken windows and crumbling pillars lined both sides of the long hallways Corey walked through, following the map Kamak had sent to his tablet.

    ¡°Corey, that you?¡±

    Doprel¡¯s voice caught him off guard, since he was a few stops away from his destination. The lumbering alien lurched out of a side hallway, hunching over to squeeze through a doorway designed for much smaller creatures.

    ¡°What¡¯s up, Doprel?¡±

    ¡°We were doing some last minute sweeps of the building. You got here sooner than Kamak said you would,¡± Doprel said.

    ¡°He probably factored in time for Tooley to sober up,¡± Corey said. ¡°But she was never drunk.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Really,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°He owes me ten cece¡¯s, then,¡± Doprel said.

    ¡°Good for you. Come on, I got the thingy, now let¡¯s go get...the other thingy. What are we getting?¡±

    Corey messaged Kamak and Farsus to let them know he was on-site, while Doprel gave a noncommittal grunt.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, we¡¯ve been split up,¡± Doprel said. Farsus, who hadn¡¯t been far away, swooped in, and Corey asked him next. He didn¡¯t know either. Luckily for Corey, his answer was not far away. Kamak and the professor were at the appointed meeting spot, flanking a large metal cylinder. It was about as tall as Corey, perfectly cylindrical, and had what appeared to be several small hatches on it¡¯s exterior.

    ¡°Okay, what¡¯s this?¡±

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    ¡°A filing cabinet,¡± Kamak said, opening up one side of the cylinder to reveal a row of documents. The professor hurriedly shut the cabinet door and slapped Kamak on the wrist.

    ¡°Careful with those, the documents may be sensitive to light,¡± he scolded.

    ¡°A filing cabinet?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Help us put it on the lift,¡± Kamak said. While just a filing cabinet, it was a very large filing cabinet, and Professor Drrok insisted it be handled with the utmost care.

    ¡°I was expecting something little more high-tech,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°It¡¯s been thousands of years, all the high-tech shit is broken,¡± Kamak said. ¡°And probably obsolete anyway.¡±

    ¡°Reverse-engineering Kentath technology was once standard practice, but their inventions are now long out of date,¡± Farsus explained. Kentath society had peaked at the Bang Gate, and that technology had been reverse-engineered centuries ago. Even the most advanced tech in their ruins was now purely a matter of historical curiosity.

    ¡°But there are still myriad insights to be gained from their relics and records,¡± Drrok said. ¡°These documents relate to Project Reconverge, their never-executed plan to unite all their gene-seeded races into a new Kentath empire. There may even be some details on how they hard-coded universally understood facial expressions into their gene sequencers!¡±

    ¡°Fascinating,¡± Corey said, hoping that the translator would bury most of the sarcasm.

    ¡°Quite so.¡±

    ¡°The professor says it¡¯s important, so it¡¯s important,¡± Kamak said. He could care less about ancient paper, but his paycheck was now dependent on these dusty documents, so they were temporarily the most important thing in the universe. While Kamak dreamed of money, Corey checked his datapad. He had a message.

    ¡°Any idea why Tooley sent me the word ¡®fuck¡¯ sixty-two times?¡±

    ¡°It means we¡¯re in trouble, lugnut,¡± Kamak grunted. ¡°Push!¡±

    Doprel and Farsus got behind the lev-lift and used their prodigious combined strength to push it faster than it would naturally move. A panicked Professor Drrok ran in front of the device to keep it steady, but the lift stayed stable in spite of the rush, and the ancient filing cabinet made it aboard the Hermit safely. Kamak was the first to rush to the cockpit.

    ¡°What do you see?¡±

    ¡°Lights in the forest, headed this way,¡± Tooley said. She pointed out the cockpit window, at a row of lights in the woods, like the headlights from a trail of vehicles. ¡°Everything aboard?¡±

    ¡°Last time I checked, and if anyone jumped ship in the past fifteen ticks, that¡¯s their own fault,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Close the bay and take off.¡±

    Tooley complied, and set the bay doors to shut so they could safely take off. By the time the Hermit¡¯s heavy doors had shut, their pursuers had made it to the clearing. Corey could see dozens of people pushing through the coral-like trees, and while he couldn¡¯t quite make out their faces, it wasn¡¯t hard to tell they were upset. A few members of the crowd ran around the ship to gawk at the ¡°defiled¡± Kentath ruins, while others expressed their anger in a far more direct fashion.

    Corey knew the spaceship cockpit had to be pretty damn durable, but he still flinched when a large stone impacted and bounced off. It was soon joined by a few dozen other bits of angrily thrown debris, all of which bounced off the Hermit¡¯s hull. The only thing to stick was one of the very same meat sticks Corey had eaten earlier that day. Corey wondered if that merchant had joined the angry mob or if someone had bought a meal only to end up hurling it at their ship in a rage. Either way, he felt bad.

    The meat stick, and the mob, slid away as Tooley gunned the engines and took off, leaving the pink soil of Kilikiss behind and soaring skyward.

    ¡°Another day, another angry mob,¡± Tooley said. ¡°You do have that effect on people, Kamak.¡±

    ¡°Ha-fucking-ha.¡±

    ¡°Hope all that shit they threw didn¡¯t scrape up the ship too bad,¡± Tooley said.

    ¡°Nice try, Tools, but I saw those scrapes on the bottom long before the mob showed up,¡± Kamak said. ¡°You¡¯re buffing those out.¡±

    Tooley cast a pleading glance over her shoulder at Corey. He avoided her gaze to the best of his ability as the atmosphere of Killikiss gave way to the vast expanse of space.

 Chapter 18: She Does Bite

    ¡°Okay, you¡¯re doing this on purpose.¡±

    Corey had even checked to make sure Tooley was still sleeping before hopping into the cleanser this time, but here she was, naked and cramming herself into a thin plastic tube with Corey yet again.

    ¡°What, getting clean? Yes, that is on purpose,¡± Tooley said, as she turned up the vibration setting and shook out her tangled hair. ¡°Shockingly, I like to not stink.¡±

    ¡°I mean getting in here with me,¡± Corey said. ¡°You¡¯ve got an entire da- swap to get clean, why do you go out of your way to hop in with me?¡±

    ¡°Because I like watching you squirm, mostly,¡± Tooley said. She turned to face Corey and leaned on the wall of the cleanser. ¡°Seriously, have you seen yourself? You get all bug-eyed and you try so hard not to stare at me I can feel your neck muscles straining.¡±

    It took Corey a few seconds to respond, as it was hard to come up with a dignified rebuttal to those accusations. When he got out of the cleanser his neck actually did hurt from trying so hard not to stare, but he wasn¡¯t about to let Tooley know that. She seized on his silence to continue her teasing.

    ¡°Seriously, you come from the planet of prudes or something?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not a prude, I¡¯m just...trying to be polite?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care, Corvash,¡± Tooley said. ¡°I meant what I said the first time this happened. We¡¯re on a ship, there¡¯s tight spaces and tight timeframes sometimes, we¡¯re going to see each other naked. It¡¯s no big deal.¡±

    ¡°Okay, cool, I get that, will try to get used to the idea,¡± Corey said. ¡°Can you please stop doing it on purpose, though? I actually do like some privacy.¡±

    ¡°Since you asked nicely,¡± Tooley said. Also, since he had built up enough guts to call her on her behavior, Corey probably wouldn¡¯t be fun to tease that much longer anyway. ¡°I¡¯m staying in right now though. Still got to do my hair.¡±

    Thanks to his extensive firsthand experience with Tooley¡¯s cleanser routine, Corey at least knew that wasn¡¯t a lie. She liked to fluff up her hair, shaking every strand loose, to be extra sure the cleanser¡¯s vibrations got everything. Since Tooley¡¯s hair was a polite body part to stare at, Corey had observed it very thoroughly, and knew the extra care was warranted. The strands were very thin but densely packed, like the fur of a chinchilla. A peculiarity of her species, more than likely.

    ¡°So, we¡¯ve established my culture isn¡¯t that prudish -mostly, at least,¡± Corey said. ¡°What about yours? Do a lot of cleanser-sharing back home too?¡±

    Tooley briefly contemplated whether this violated her ban on questions about her homeworld, but decided to allow it. If only because she could use this opportunity to tease Corey more.

    ¡°My people are actually super prudish overall,¡± Tooley said. ¡°I¡¯m a renegade, though. Brace yourself, Corvash, I¡¯m about to say something that would give my mom and dad a heart attack: sometimes I have sex with people for fun. Not just with my lawfully wedded husband for the sole purpose of producing offspring.¡±

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    ¡°Okay, cool.¡±

    Having not gotten the expected reaction, Tooley continued, and escalated.

    ¡°I¡¯ve done most everything you can think of,¡± Tooley said, before listing several things Corey actually hadn¡¯t thought of. There were a lot of alien species with a lot of appendages that could be used for a lot of creative purposes, apparently. ¡°Oddly enough, not any mouth stuff, though. Can¡¯t do that.¡±

    ¡°Bad gag reflex?¡±

    ¡°No, I- actually, get your pants on, it¡¯ll be more fun to show you,¡± Tooley said. She slammed the cleanser button to shut it off and started to get dressed. Corey was curious now, so he followed suit, trailing Tooley¡¯s steps into the kitchen area. The small space was surprisingly clean, owing to the fact that almost no one ever actually cooked. Farsus or Doprel would occasionally throw together an actual meal, but for the most part the crew subsisted on a quick-serve travel ration that resembled a dumpling filled with a savory red sludge. Corey tried to just enjoy the flavor and not think about what the sludge was made of. Tooley pushed aside several containers of said sludge-dumplings as she started digging around in various storage containers.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see, thingy, thingy, thingy, thingy...Doprel, where do you keep your veggies?¡±

    ¡°Bottom left drawer.¡±

    ¡°Tooley Keeber Obeltas, are you finally interested in learning how to cook?¡± Farsus shouted. ¡°I will gladly give lessons.¡±

    ¡°Fat chance, Farsy, I¡¯m just giving Corvash a demonstration.¡±

    She dug around in the bottom left drawer and found what she was looking for. It vaguely resembled a carrot, but had a deep brown coloring with an oddly bark-like texture. She extended the strange root in Corey¡¯s direction.

    ¡°Try to take a bite out of this,¡± she demanded.

    ¡°Is this going to be super spicy, or make me shit myself, or something?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s actually kind of bland, honestly,¡± Tooley said. ¡°I¡¯m going a different direction with this, trust me.¡±

    In spite of his better judgment, Corey took a bite of the root. Or tried to, anyway. The strange vegetable was incredibly dense, and even trying to nibble the narrowest end of it strained Corey¡¯s jaw. After a few seconds of fruitless gnawing, he managed to tear a small chunk off the end. True to Tooley¡¯s word, the veggie was inoffensive tasting, though slightly bitter.

    ¡°Okay, now what?¡±

    In response, Tooley opened her mouth wide, baring rows of surprisingly sharp fangs, and placed the thickest part of the root between her molars. She took a single forceful bite, and sheared the root in half like it was paper. Corey actually heard her teeth click after effortlessly slicing through the rock-hard tuber. She chewed the remainder of the root (with equal ease) as she continued her explanation.

    ¡°My species are technically obligate carnivores,¡± Tooley explained, through mouthfuls of root. ¡°And we got the jaws to go with it. I think we¡¯ve got the fourth or fifth most powerful bite force of any known Retrograde species. We can pretty much bite through anything that¡¯s not hard enough to break our teeth.¡±

    ¡°Okay, and that ties back to you being unable to do mouth-¡±

    The dawning look of realization and horror on Corey¡¯s face delighted Tooley to no end.

    ¡°Oh. Oh no. Oh god.¡±

    ¡°Yep, on the off chance I get a little startled, I might try to close my mouth, and-¡±

    Tooley put what was left of the root in her mouth and bit down hard, severing it in one clean bite. Corey tried his best not to cross his legs as a reflex. After delighting in his strained response for a moment, Tooley handed over the small severed end of the root and walked away with a smile on her face. Sometimes it took a lot of effort to make people squirm, but to her, it was always worth it.

 Chapter 19: Purple

    ¡°Cap!¡±

    ¡°What,¡± Kamak called back.

    ¡°Get in here,¡± Tooley demanded.

    ¡°I¡¯m busy,¡± Kamak shouted. Busy trying to teach Corey a card game, but still busy.

    ¡°Get in here anyway, or I¡¯ll crash this flying garbage pile into a moon,¡± Tooley yelled. Kamak mumbled some curses under his breath and relented. Corey was proving a quick study anyway, which meant it wouldn¡¯t be any fun to thrash him in an actual game.

    ¡°What the fuck do you want, Toobertas?¡±

    ¡°Close the door.¡±

    ¡°Oh, what, you got an insult for me you¡¯re afraid Corey might hear?¡± Kamak asked. ¡°How many slurs are in it?¡±

    ¡°Close the fucking door, captain,¡± Tooley said, hissing the last word with as much venom as she could muster. Kamak glared at her for a few seconds and then slammed his fist on the button that sealed off the cockpit. He sat down in the copilot¡¯s seat as Tooley let out a dissatisfied huff.

    ¡°We¡¯re being followed,¡± she said silently. The cockpit door would seal off most sound, but she wanted to be sure. Kamak froze in his seat.

    ¡°What kind of ship?¡±

    ¡°Hasn¡¯t come close enough for that kind of ID yet,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Long range FTL notifications only.¡±

    Every ship came standard with a system that notified pilots of nearby FTL jumps, for safety purposes, but the Hard Luck Hermit¡¯s was especially advanced. It also tracked the location, heading, and serial number of vessels -useful features for tracking a bounty trying to flee into hyperspace, and coincidentally also useful for knowing when one was being followed.

    ¡°Same serial, same heading, same distance, for the past twenty jumps,¡± Tooley said.

    ¡°We¡¯re on a path to Centerpoint, it¡¯s a pretty damn common destination,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°The timing is too precise,¡± Tooley said. ¡°And we¡¯ve been idling here for a drop, now. They would¡¯ve overtaken us.¡±

    ¡°Some pissed off yokel from back on Killikiss?¡±

    ¡°Not likely. Their approach was from the wrong vector, anyone from Killikiss would¡¯ve had to go swaps out of their way to come from that angle.¡±

    Kamak put a hand on his chin and let out a low grumble of frustration. According to the instruments, they were in dead space -no habitable planets or space stations nearby, just a safe patch of cosmic void to reorient and redirect before making another FTL leap. No casual traveler would have a reason to idle here. Only those being followed or doing the following would ever hesitate.

    ¡°Give it a drop,¡± Kamak said with a wave of his hand. ¡°See what happens.¡±

    A drop turned out to be a generous estimate -only a few ticks passed before the proximity sensors started picking something up. Tooley took a quick glance at the monitor.

    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    ¡°No identifiable build,¡± she mumbled. There were simply too many ships in the universe to identify every possible variety, but ruling out some of the most common vessels was at least a start. Pirates could rarely afford exotic rides.

    ¡°How big?¡±

    ¡°Big enough to have us outgunned,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Not big enough to be a cargo ship.¡±

    ¡°Still moving?¡±

    ¡°Fast enough that we¡¯ll have visual in about two drops,¡± Tooley said. Kamak slammed a fist on the rarely-used comms system.

    ¡°Everyone get to the cockpit and buckle in,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Things might be getting ugly very soon.¡±

    As he finished up that order, Tooley went fishing for another one.

    ¡°Weapons free?¡±

    ¡°On Farsus¡¯ console,¡± Kamak said, much to Tooley¡¯s disappointment. She¡¯d only ever gotten to use the Hermit¡¯s guns once before. If worst came to worst, though, she wouldn¡¯t want to have to split her focus between flying and fighting. Better to divide and conquer when it was life or death.

    As Doprel finally clambered into the cockpit and finished latching the prodigious buckles of his custom seat, the pursuing ship came into view. It was more than triple the size of the Hard Luck Hermit, and far more elegant in its form. It had a polished, almost sparkling purple exterior, and a body shaped like a spacefaring dolphin -mostly cylindrical, but with a bottle-shaped nose and broad, flat fins on either side. The smooth, graceful appearance was significantly undercut by the large, visible cannons tucked beneath either fin.

    Farsus kept a finger close to the triggers as Kamak slowly flicked a finger across the long-range communications.

    ¡°This is Kamak D-V-Y-B, Captain of the Hard Luck Hermit,¡± he said. ¡°You got business with us or are you just going to drift there menacingly?¡±

    The ship continued to drift menacingly. Professor Drrok clearly wasn¡¯t handling the pressure well. His entire body trembling created the only sound in the breathless cockpit as the crew waited on a response. The purple vessel had no external viewpoints, but Corey still got the distinct feeling they were being watched.

    ¡°Unidentified vessel, we are bounty hunters on an active contract, state a reason for your pursuit within thirty ticks or I¡¯ll consider this obstruction of a duly appointed GC Bounty Hunter,¡± Kamak said. He knew the parts of the rulebook that suited him, and it being illegal to purposefully obstruct a hunter completing his contract suited him just fine. Helped him cut in line at a lot of places, and would hopefully come in handy here too.

    Thirty ticks passed, and the vessel offered no response.

    ¡°What do we do with these guys, just turn and leave?¡±

    ¡°Fuck ¡®em, do it,¡± Kamak commanded. ¡°If they¡¯re just going to float there they can kiss my ass.¡±

    Tooley flicked a switch and took the engines off of idle, setting the engines alight. She¡¯d barely flipped the switch when the guns on the purple vessel started to adjust, and take aim. Tooley said every curse word she knew in about two seconds, an impressive feat considering the sheer volume of alien swears in the universe.

    While she cursed every known curse, Professor Drrok unbuckled himself and dove for the comms switch.

    ¡°This is Professor Drrok, researcher alpha at the Centerpoint Institute of Kentath research,¡± he shrieked. ¡°This vessel bears unique Kentath relics, the theft or destruction of which is a Class One Felony in all Galactic Council systems! Please reconsider your course of action!¡±

    To the surprise of absolutely everyone, the desperate plea actually worked. The guns of the purple vessel deactivated, and it began to drift backwards. Tooley didn¡¯t sit around waiting to see what else it did before hauling the Hard Luck Hermit in the other direction and busting their ass into FTL as fast as she could.

    ¡°Good thinking, professor,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Don¡¯t ever touch my ship¡¯s controls again.¡±

    ¡°My apologies,¡± Drrok whispered hoarsely. ¡°Even at my advanced age, I fear undertaking the Great Drift into the next life, yes?¡±

    ¡°Messing with my ship is a good way to get Great Drifted too,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Tooley, make some junk jumps, scatter our trail, then get us into synched orbit around a gas giant with a ring and a bunch of moons. Make us hard to track.¡±

    ¡°Got it, cap.¡±

    ¡°What the fuck was that?¡±

    ¡°That, Corvash,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Was the reason we¡¯re drinking tonight.¡±

 Chapter 20: Bad Blood

    Professor Drrok thanked the crew for their services, paid them for their services (the far more important part), and then fled. The incident with the purple ship had clearly left him rattled. It had left them all rattled, though they were coping in different ways. Tooley had sealed herself in her room with a large bottle of something with a high alcohol content, and wished the rest of the crew, barring Kamak, good luck.

    The crew had spent hours speculating possible identities for their purple stalker, but produced no productive results. Their initial suspicion had been that it was some kind of pursuer from the planet they¡¯d just robbed, but that had proven wrong. There was only one spaceport on the planet, and a quick look revealed they were the only ship to take off or land that day. That left a galaxy of possibilities to contend with.

    ¡°Come on, we¡¯re going to the Guild,¡± Kamak ordered. The Bounty Hunter¡¯s Guild maintained active records of almost every suspicious vessel they came across, and most of the senior staff had done a few tours of the universe, and seen most everything there was to see. If you wanted info on a mysterious vessel, the Guild was the place to start.

    Unless, of course, you had as many enemies as Kamak D-V-Y-B. He¡¯d made it about two steps in the building before someone shouted his name. He glanced in the direction of the shout and saw a diminutive, fuzzy humanoid stomping his way.

    ¡°Do I know you?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t play dumb with me, you son of a bitch.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not playing dumb, I genuinely have no idea who the fuck you are,¡± Kamak said. ¡°You¡¯re what, a Demuin? I¡¯ve probably been bounty hunting longer than you¡¯ve been alive, I got a lot of shit to remember.¡±

    Gentanians were an unusually long-lived species, by the standards of the greater universe. Kamak was in his nineties and still considered young, and had been bounty hunting for most of his long life. The unusually long life gave him a unique perspective, but unfortunately for most of the people around him, it was a bad perspective.

    ¡°I¡¯ll let you know in advance, whatever you¡¯re going to bitch about, I don¡¯t care.¡±

    The fuzzy little alien stepped up to Kamak and stared up at him all the same. Kamak looked down at him like a child looking at gum stuck to his shoe.

    ¡°You left my brother behind to die,¡± the fuzzball spat.

    ¡°Bounty hunting is deadly work, I¡¯m sorry your brother got in over his head,¡± Kamak said flatly. ¡°It happens.¡±

    A varied group of aliens sitting behind the fuzzball stood to follow their friend and face off with Kamak. The receptionist at the Guild¡¯s front desk slowly and quietly ducked below his desk. They had a little shelter constructed beneath it for situations just like this.

    ¡°You really want to do this?¡± Kamak said. He pointed over his shoulder at Doprel. ¡°You seen this guy?¡±

    The fuzzball and friends did flinch slightly when they looked at Doprel¡¯s hulking frame, but they did not back down. They had numbers, at least, with seven bodies against Kamak¡¯s four.

    ¡°Alright, alright, just a second,¡± Kamak said. ¡°I got a new hire, not sure he wants to get roped in to my shit, just yet.¡±

    Kamak turned to look at Corey for a moment.

    ¡°Hey, newbie, might want to back-¡±

    The slight turn of Kamak¡¯s head provided the fuzzball with the perfect opportunity for a sucker punch, and he seized it. The captain¡¯s neck popped loudly as the blow turned his head much too sharply to one side. Kamak recoiled from the blow and then rebounded, spinning back towards the fuzzball with a punch of his own.

    Corey might¡¯ve appreciated the chance to drop out of a fistfight, but apparently he wasn¡¯t going to get it. Within seconds he was being shoulder checked by a stack of cinderblocks in human form, or at least something that felt like it. He let out a breathless gasp as he hit the ground and then started punching at anything that resembled a face or stomach. His knuckles met walls of solid, unyielding flesh, and Corey began to suspect this would be a very one sided fight.

    He was right, but in the wrong way. The thick body of the alien was bodily lifted from on top of him by Doprel¡¯s massive hands. Doprel squeezed once, for emphasis, and then tossed the attacker across the room, careful to aim away from any breakable furniture -as well as the other two aliens he¡¯d already chucked away. Farsus, ever the warrior monk, was holding his own against two more of the brawlers, while Kamak had his hands full with the fuzzball and a single friend.

    Since Corey was now free (and because the other aliens look a lot softer than the one that had tackled him), Corey decided to make a point, and help out Kamak in the process. While Doprel snatched one of the fighters harassing Farsus, Corey stumbled across the lobby, grabbed the shoulder of fuzzball¡¯s friend, and punched him square in the jaw.

    In retrospect, Corey might¡¯ve put more thought into the relative differences of alien anatomy before making a punch. This alien was apparently on the opposite end of the spectrum from the living cinderblock that had tackled him earlier. A few of their teeth flew out, and Corey could feel it¡¯s jawbone pop out of its socket as he punched. He wasn¡¯t even that strong.

    Freed from the interference of a second fighter, Kamak grabbed on to the fuzzball with both hands, lifted him off the ground, and then slammed him down hard. Farsus knocked out the last of the standing attackers, and Kamak spat blood on the ground before kneeling on the chest of the fuzzball that started it all.

    ¡°And I still don¡¯t even remember your fucking brother,¡± he spat. ¡°Now, you are a Demuin, right? I got that right?¡±

    Kamak grabbed on to the fuzzball¡¯s left arm and squeezed hard. The fuzzball let out a quick grunt of affirmation, prompting a smile from Kamak.

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    ¡°Oh, good. Then this-¡±

    Kamak twisted the arm at a sharp angle, causing a loud pop.

    ¡°-should really hurt,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Now, let¡¯s see if we can¡¯t make this not a total waste of my time. You¡¯ve got it out for me. You or any of your friends send a fancy purple ship after me?¡±

    ¡°No! No, no, nobody,¡± the fuzzball shrieked. Kamak was squeezing tight on his dislocated arm. ¡°My ship¡¯s a rust-red piece of shit, it¡¯s in the registry, you can see!¡±

    Kamak didn¡¯t bother verifying. Nobody who squealed like that had the stones to lie under pressure. He let go of the fuzzball¡¯s arm and stood up, wobbling slightly as he did so.

    ¡°Now, moment I walk out of that door I¡¯m going to stop giving a fuck about you,¡± Kamak said. ¡°I suggest you do the same. Grudges are a waste of time.¡±

    Kamak glanced at the alien Corey had punched, who was still rolling on the ground next to a row of their own scattered teeth.

    ¡°And teeth. Come on. We¡¯re getting out of here.¡±

    The Guild hall was no stranger to fights, but the cleanup process was a bitch. Better to let things blow over for a few swaps instead of trying to conduct business in a pile of blood and teeth. Kamak led the men back towards the ship, and back towards some medicine, limping slightly as he did so.

    ¡°You couldn¡¯t have started by grabbing the guys punching me?¡±

    ¡°You deserved it,¡± Doprel said.

    ¡°Eh, fuck you big guy,¡± Kamak said, with a bloodied smile. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go-¡±

    Kamak¡¯s rounded ears twitched as he heard the subtle yet familiar whine of a plasma cell charging to fire. He ducked instantly, and let the bolt fire over his head, careening into the Guild ceiling. The wounded Demuin, realizing his last chance gambit had failed spectacularly, started to back away, gun still raised in his uninjured hand.

    ¡°Seriously? In the fucking Guild hall? We got rules, asshole.¡±

    ¡°Fuck you and your rules, you can- oh no, no no no no no!¡±

    Kamak was pissed, but he didn¡¯t know if he was pissed enough for the Demuin to be quite so scared. As it turned out, he wasn¡¯t. The Demuin didn¡¯t have his eyes on Kamak, but on something behind him, and above him. The fuzzball¡¯s trembling hand dropped the gun to the floor just a moment before the hand itself hit the floor -while the arm was still raised.

    Some kind of alien polearm had flown down from the ceiling, severed the Demuin¡¯s gun hand, and embedded itself a few inches in the Guild Hall¡¯s floor. Corey traced the spear¡¯s angle upwards, towards the ceiling, and regretted looking for the source as soon as he saw it.

    There was an alien clinging to the ceiling unlike anything Corey had ever seen, or anything he had ever wanted to see. It had gray skin, thick and tough like an alligator¡¯s hide, covering a towering body that almost equaled Doprel in size. It clung to the ceiling with two long, spindly limbs, like bat wings without the connective membrane, while two stocky legs provided stability and two triple-jointed arms provided a means to hurl spears at lethal velocity.

    The horrific creature detached itself from the ceiling and landed near Corey, giving him an unpleasantly close look at it¡¯s face. It had a long mouth split into four jagged, fanged mandibles that moved independently of each other, and six eyes running along either side of it¡¯s head. The square pupils in each of the six eyes was locked firmly on Kamak. It moved forward slowly, folding it¡¯s wing-like appendages behind it¡¯s back, coiled around the spears it wore. Now that it was on the same plane as him, Corey could see how it towered above him even while hunched low, like a predator ready to bounce. Kamak looked calm, but too calm, as the monstrous being approached him. He was actively suppressing whatever emotions he felt as the strange beast clambered forward.

    ¡°Thanks for the assist,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Khem.¡±

    ¡°I do not assist,¡± the predatory alien said. ¡°I obey. The laws of this Guild protect it¡¯s members from harm within this place. Breaking those laws has punishment.¡±

    Khem bent down to match his six eyes with Kamak¡¯s two, pushing his face so close that his deep breaths washed over Kamak¡¯s entire head.

    ¡°Oathbreaker.¡±

    Kamak didn¡¯t blink. Neither did Khem. Corey wasn¡¯t entirely sure Khem could blink, come to think of it. Distracting himself with thoughts like that helped keep his mind off the many, many gigantic spears Khem was carrying on his back.

    ¡°You done?¡±

    Khem curled his fanged mandibles inwards and snorted at Kamak.

    ¡°For now,¡± Khem said. ¡°The laws of the Hunter¡¯s Guild stay my hand. But one day you will break the laws of this place, just as you broke our compact, and those laws will no longer-¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah, you gave me this shpiel before, ¡®shield me from the avenging fury that is due to me from...what was your code called again? Kalkoi?¡±

    ¡°Kalakai,¡± Khem snarled back.

    ¡°Right, that,¡± Kamak said, snapping his fingers as his memory was jogged. ¡°Anyway, the code of ¡®Koobokai¡¯ also says you can¡¯t leave the Bounty Hunter¡¯s guild, or disobey it¡¯s laws, and the Guild laws say you can¡¯t kill me so long as I¡¯m a member in good standing. Sucks to be such a stickler for the rules, right?¡±

    Khem let out a low, rumbling growl that sounded audibly acidic. The hairs on the back of Corey¡¯s neck stood on end.

    ¡°Oh hey, speaking of killing me,¡± Kamak said. ¡°You by any chance send a purple ship to do me in?¡±

    ¡°No, Oathbreaker,¡± Khem said. ¡°When I end you, it will be my fangs in your neck.¡±

    ¡°Alright then, asked and answered,¡± Kamak said. He gave Khem a firm pat on the shoulder, careful not to stick himself on any of the bristling spines that ran down Khem¡¯s back and wrapped around his shoulders. ¡°Good catching up with you, bud. Will I see you at the next Guild potluck?¡±

    Khem snarled once more and pulled himself away from Kamak. He retrieved his spear¡ªand the severed arm of the Demuin- and left with both, leaving the wounded Demuin behind to be tended to by his friends. Kamak waited a few moments to give the alien hunter some breathing room, and then also walked away, leading the crew back towards the ship.

    ¡°Come on. Don¡¯t much feel like hanging out here anymore.¡±

    ¡°I can see why,¡± Corey mumbled. ¡°Who the fuck was that?¡±

    ¡°Khem. Widely regarded as one of the deadliest individuals outside the Hatka Syndicate,¡± Farsus explained.

    ¡°What¡¯d you do to piss him off?¡±

    ¡°Broke a promise,¡± Kamak said. ¡°I ran with him for a few hunts, picked up some tricks, then went back to doing my own thing.¡±

    ¡°Hunters of the Kalakai Pact swear their souls and the souls of all their victims to the servitude of the god Akai,¡± Farsus said. ¡°Akai being a god of both blood and honor. Breaking laws or promises one swears to follow is the most heinous heresy a Kalakai can commit.¡±

    ¡°You swore your soul to a blood god?¡±

    ¡°Oh don¡¯t talk like that, Corvash, even if souls existed we both know I wouldn¡¯t have one,¡± Kamak said. ¡°I made some money, learned some fancy tricks, only got myself one never-ending blood vendetta, it was good times.¡±

    There was a blood trail from the Demuin¡¯s arm leading all the way out the Guild door and into the streets beyond. Corey found himself wondering just how many blood trails led right back to Kamak. The thought kept him preoccupied for the entire walk back to the ship. Kamak was thinking of nothing but his own bed and a bottle of booze as he stepped up into the common room and knocked on the threshold.

    ¡°Tools, sorry we¡¯re back late. We met an old friend,¡± he said. ¡°Got in a fight.¡±

    ¡°Oh hey-¡±

    Corey stepped into the common area, to see that it had been torn to shreds. Then he turned to a far corner, where Tooley was lying with red blood dripping down her blue chin, a jagged knife in her shoulder, and a corpse in her lap.

    ¡°-Me too.¡±

 Chapter 21: Its Fine, Shes Been Stabbed Before

    ¡°Tooley!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s better than it looks,¡± Tooley assured them. ¡°Most of the blood is the other guy¡¯s. Speaking of-¡±

    Farsus stepped up and removed the corpse from Tooley¡¯s lap, flipping it over to examine the body more closely. Whoever it had once been was a Gentanian, just like Kamak, but visibly younger. They had a few scratches and bruises, and also, notably, a large, jaw-shaped chunk of flesh missing from their neck. Corey recalled the earlier lecture about how hard Tooley¡¯s species could bite, and shivered a little.

    ¡°How the hell did they get in here?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Tooley said. ¡°I will happily recap what I do know, but I also have a knife sticking out of me. Do something about that, please and thank you, and then talkies.¡±

    Tooley was a little tipsy right now, which was probably a good thing considering aforementioned knife. Doprel extended his arm flat, and Farsus carefully laid her on top of it like a makeshift pallet.

    ¡°Alright, Doprel, you carry her,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Farsus, Corey, shove the corpse in a box and bring it with.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I want Theddis to take a look at it before cops get involved,¡± Kamak said. ¡°I trust him more than some random uniform.¡±

    <hr>

    ¡°Do you want to deal with the knife or the autopsy first?¡±

    ¡°Autopsy,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°Knife,¡± said everyone else.

    ¡°As a medical practitioner I¡¯m obligated to listen to the bleeding woman above all else,¡± Dr. Theddis said. ¡°Lie her down over there, and then take the body over there.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t you just put it on the next table over?¡±

    ¡°I am not putting a corpse next to a patient,¡± Theddis protested. ¡°I¡¯m still an actual doctor, you know.¡±

    ¡°Could¡¯ve fooled me,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Come on, help me haul this corpse.¡±

    Farsus and Corey helped move the dead body to a table on the far side of the examination room while Theddis scanned Tooley. A handheld x-ray gave him a good view of how deeply the knife had penetrated, while his sense of smell gave him some other important information.

    ¡°What have you been drinking?¡±

    ¡°Fateen.¡±

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    ¡°That doesn¡¯t play well with painkillers, you know,¡± Theddis said.

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t really expecting to get stabbed today, doc,¡± Tooley said.

    ¡°Just giving you fair warning,¡± Theddis said. ¡°This is going to hurt more than either of us are happy with. I¡¯d give you something to bite down on, but you¡¯d just bite through it.¡±

    ¡°Alright, just give me a heads up when-¡±

    Following his usual philosophy of ¡°get it over with¡±, Theddis pulled the knife out of Tooley¡¯s shoulder with no warning. A spurt of blood and a spurt of shouted curses filled the air at the same time.

    ¡°You absolute motherfucker, if you ever do that again I¡¯ll bite your hand off, you god damn son of a bitch,¡± Tooley screamed. The curses continued as Theddis took a few steps to manually close the gap in the flesh and then slapped a medicinal salve over the wound to do the rest. Tooley¡¯s cursing faded along with the pain, and she fell silent about the time Theddis started sizing her up for a sling to keep her arm in place.

    ¡°You done?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, sorry doc,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Thanks for the help.¡±

    ¡°Any time,¡± Theddis said. ¡°And don¡¯t worry about the swearing. I¡¯ve heard worse.¡±

    ¡°I have to step up my game, then.¡±

    ¡°Try ¡®geffekus¡¯,¡± the doctor suggested. ¡°It¡¯s a felony to even say it in thirteen systems.¡±

    ¡°Neat!¡±

    Theddis fed a blood sample into a nearby machine, made sure it was calibrated correctly, and then placed the small device atop Tooley¡¯s wound. It would start 3D-printing organic tissue to replace some of the flesh Tooley had lost, and keep Theddis¡¯ hands free to start the autopsy. He did a quick sanitary routine before putting gloves on and getting a scalpel. He liked autopsies better than medicine anyway. Dead people didn¡¯t squirm.

    ¡°Alright, cause of death, big fucking bite out of the neck, so we can skip that part,¡± Theddis said. ¡°I assume you guys already went through his pockets?¡±

    Kamak held up a loose datapad -utterly bricked by some kind of automatic failsafe-, an electronic slicing tool he¡¯d presumably used to access the ship, and a second knife, identical to the one that had been in Tooley¡¯s shoulder. Not much to go on. Corey would end up keeping the knife, though. No point wasting a perfectly good knife.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see if we can find out anything about where you¡¯re from,¡± Theddis said. He cut out four cubes of flesh from the corpse and dropped them into nearby vials, then used a more specialized tool to extract a sample from the bone marrow. A few nanobots, a centrifuge, and a scanner later, he had a field of data to draw possible conclusions from.

    ¡°Lot of background radiation,¡± Theddis said. ¡°Oxygen degradation on the cells implies a lot of recycled air...probably a spacer, like yourself. Spent time on ships.¡±

    Kamak nodded along with the explanation. They were having some bad luck with spacers nowadays, apparently.

    ¡°Any drugs in his system? What about gene editing?¡±

    ¡°Mild to moderate alcohol damage to the liver, but no hard drugs,¡± Theddis said. ¡°No gene mods either.¡±

    ¡°Not some random criminal, then,¡± Kamak said. Gangbangers and thieves rarely stayed sober. ¡°But no one in an expensive syndicate either.¡±

    ¡°Here¡¯s something,¡± Theddis said. ¡°Take a closer look at that radiation damage on the cells. Know what that¡¯s a sign of?¡±

    ¡°Absolutely not.¡±

    ¡°I figured, just reminding me why you pay me,¡± Theddis said. ¡°It¡¯s indicative of a recent exposure to short but intense bursts of gamma and x-ray radiation.¡±

    ¡°Like you¡¯d find near a set of binary neutron stars,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°Indeed. Before he came here to kill Tooley, this guy¡¯s last stop was Paga For,¡± Theddis said.

    ¡°Whoo!¡± Tooley shouted. ¡°Let¡¯s go kill a bitch on Paga For!¡±

    ¡°You want to go towards the people who tried to kill you?¡±

    ¡°Well when you put it like that...¡±

 Chapter 22: Beat Cops

    ¡°Alright, just drop him down there where all the bloodstains already are,¡± Kamak said. Doprel dutifully dropped the corpse of Tooley¡¯s would-be killer on the bloody portion of the ships common room. Now that they were done with their own forensic examination, it was time to bring in the police. Under false pretenses, of course.

    ¡°Now, I¡¯m totally down to tamper with a crime scene-¡± Corey began.

    ¡°Good. Don¡¯t need no fucking narcs on my crew,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°-but doesn¡¯t our corpse have some very obvious signs of tampering?¡± Corey concluded, gesturing to the multiple holes Theddis had carved to take tissue samples.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°So how do you plan to explain those to the cops?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to,¡± Kamak said. ¡°As an expert bounty hunter, I have a special technique for situations just like this. Observe.¡±

    Kamak then drew his pistol and fired seven shots into the corpse, obliterating the surgical holes -along with most of the upper body. Corey covered his eyes to shield them from the splatter as a new layer of blood and gore joined the long-dried blood already covering the common room.

    ¡°There we go,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Somebody call the cops, I want to make them clean this up.¡±

    <hr>

    Unfortunately for everyone involved, one of the beat cops on duty was Officer To Vo La Su, the very same pencil pushing policewoman who had once hounded Corey over his status as an Uncontacted. While her interest in that topic manifested solely as a very pointed stare in Corey¡¯s direction, she did have a lot to say about the crime scene.

    ¡°You found this man in your ship and killed him, and that¡¯s all you claim happened?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°After walking out of this very same ship with a bloody crate you refuse to identify the contents of, and your pilot suffering from a stab wound?¡±

    To Vo turned her datapad around to display the hangar security footage. It clearly showed Farsus stopping long enough to wipe a little blood off the side of the crate they had transported the corpse in.

    ¡°I tripped and fell while trying to show off my knife tricks,¡± Tooley said. While she had no interest in covering Kamak¡¯s ass, Tooley loved lying, and she especially loved lying to cops.

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    ¡°And the crate?¡±

    ¡°Unrelated. Bounty hunter business,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Confidential. According to...clause 315?¡±

    ¡°Clause 317-B,¡± To Vo La Su grumbled. The lack of proper bookkeeping annoyed her as much as the obvious cover up. ¡°Do you really expect me to believe this story?¡±

    ¡°You can believe whatever you want, it¡¯s the truth,¡± Kamak said.

    To Vo La Su grunted in displeasure and turned back to her tablet.

    ¡°We¡¯ll see what the District Manager has to say about that,¡± To Vo huffed under her breath.

    ¡°Please stop forwarding every minor dispute to me.¡±

    To Vo La Su jumped to attention as a very tired looking old woman with grey skin shambled into the ship¡¯s hold. She wore the same uniform as To Vo, though in much more haggard condition, and with a large badge sitting front and center on her chest.

    ¡°Ah, District Manager Mokai,¡± To Vo said, punctuating her greeting with an entirely unnecessary salute. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re here. These bounty hunters have presented a version of events that I find highly suspect.¡±

    ¡°So I¡¯ve heard,¡± Mokai mumbled. Not from To Vo La Su herself, of course. Mokai had gotten used to ignoring the junior officer¡¯s overly detailed reports. Thankfully there were other officers on the scene who presented a much more abridged version of events. Mokai started ignoring To Vo even more than she already was and turned to face Kamak.

    ¡°You¡¯re the captain of this vessel?¡±

    ¡°Yep.¡±

    ¡°And you stand by the version of events as you¡¯ve stated?¡±

    ¡°Absolutely.¡±

    Kamak stared at Mokai, and Mokai stared right back. They both knew Kamak was bullshitting. Neither blinked.

    ¡°Very well then, carry on,¡± Mokai said. ¡°Officer To Vo La Su, finish up the crime scene photography and prepare the body for transport and processing.¡±

    ¡°Ma¡¯am!¡±

    ¡°That was an order, officer,¡± Mokai droned.

    After another huff of frustration, To Vo complied, and the body was moved out of the hold in short order. In spite of Kamak¡¯s hopes, none of the cops mopped up all of the blood and viscera. He¡¯d have to make Corey do that later.

    ¡°So, are we free to go?¡±

    ¡°The last thing I want is for you to take up more of my time and hangar space,¡± Mokai grunted.

    ¡°Alright, cool, we¡¯ll be off in a bit,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Have fun with the paper work while we do the real legwork of justice.¡±

    Mokai did not respond to Kamak¡¯s petty jab and strolled off the ship, with her subordinates in tow. She took one last look at the body and then watched the Hard Luck Hermit take off. The district manager snorted slightly as it escaped her hangar and then rushed out of sight.

    ¡°Ma¡¯am, I know this isn¡¯t the official channel for complaints,¡± To Vo La Su began. Mokai restrained a deep sigh.

    ¡°Speak freely, Officer.¡±

    ¡°Their story was full of holes, and entirely suspect,¡± To Vo continued. ¡°Why would we let them go without questioning?¡±

    ¡°Because bounty hunters labor under the delusion that they have a feud with uniformed officers,¡± Mokai said. Many indulged in the petty rivalry, but Mokai did not. She had more important things to do with her time. Like literally anything else. ¡°They would have obstructed us and obfuscated our investigation at every turn. A waste of our time and theirs.¡±

    ¡°Still.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯ll live to regret it,¡± Mokai said. For the first time in the entire ordeal, she cracked a slight smile. ¡°If they¡¯d cooperated, I might have told them who that assassin worked for.¡±

 Chapter 23: Cope-ulating

    Tooley pounded out a few more controls into her console, but stopped short of initiating their flight sequence.

    ¡°So, all set up and ready to go, cap,¡± she said. ¡°Except one little thing. I notice we aren¡¯t pointed at Paga For.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, because why the fuck would we go right to the people who got you stabbed?¡±

    ¡°So I can stab them back,¡± Tooley said.

    ¡°All things in time, Tooley,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Look, whatever¡¯s going on, someone¡¯s clearly keeping an eye on us. We go right to Paga For, they¡¯re going to know something¡¯s up. We just happen to go to Paga For later on, maybe their guard¡¯s a little lower. For now, we¡¯re doing a job, acting like we don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on, playing it cool.¡±

    ¡°And what if they leave while we¡¯re being clever?¡±

    ¡°If their intent is to leave, they will likely leave long before we arrive on the planet regardless,¡± Farsus said. ¡°Paga For is on the furthest edges of the known universe. It will take us quite some time to arrive.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll take a long time to get where we¡¯re going anyway, might as well be going somewhere useful,¡± Tooley grumbled.

    ¡°We need to be smart, though,¡± Doprel said. ¡°And who knows? Maybe while we¡¯re stalling, people might lose interest in us.¡±

    ¡°Your optimism is as inspiring as it is naive, friend,¡± Farsus said.

    ¡°Well, seems like we have a majority vote, but in the interest of everyone having their voices heard: Corey, what do you think?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m with Tooley, actually,¡± Corey said. ¡°If somebody¡¯s got it out for us, we need to be doing more to get them first.¡±

    ¡°Well, there you go,¡± Kamak said. ¡°And we are doing something. Strategic inactivity is still a kind of activity. That¡¯s tactics. Or something. Tooley, we have an accord. Push those buttons.¡±

    Though she grumbled under her breath about it, Tooley complied, and the ship lurched into faster-than-light acceleration. As soon as she¡¯d finished up her post-flight check, Tooley stood up and left the cockpit.

    ¡°We¡¯re on a straight shot for the next three swaps,¡± she grumbled. ¡°Get comfortable.¡±

    <hr>

    It was hard to get comfortable on the ship, in spite of Corey¡¯s best efforts. His ¡°bedroom¡± on the Hard Luck Hermit was slightly larger than some closets back on earth, and even that space was dominated by a slab of a bed that was only barely big enough for him to lie down flat on. The cushion was soft, at least.

    The slab of a bed had enough room for him to lie down and hold up his tablet, a position he made liberal use of. He¡¯d been perusing some of the media in space and found a surprisingly engaging gameshow, in which a variety of species with differing numbers of arms competed in games of reflex and dexterity. His translator chip had rather awkwardly turned the title into ¡°Varying Arms Competition¡±, but he preferred to think of it as ¡°Arms Race¡±.

    As engrossing as the show was, Corey still looked up from it when the door to his bedroom slammed open, and Tooley strutted in. She had her eyes locked on Corey, but her fixated gaze broke slightly when the door behind her jingled. She looked over her shoulder and saw that Corey had affixed several small chunks of scrap metal to the handle.

    ¡°What are those for?¡±

    ¡°Noise. Doors on here are too quiet,¡± Corey said. His mother had often stressed the importance of never letting anyone sneak up on him, even in his own room. ¡°I don¡¯t want anyone getting the drop on me.¡±

    Tooley might have called that paranoid a few cycles ago, but considering how recently she¡¯d gotten stabbed on this very ship, she was far more understanding. She got her mind back on track and started making a beeline for Corey.

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    ¡°What¡¯s up, human?¡±

    ¡°Nothing much...whatever your species is called.¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you like to know?¡±

    Lacking anywhere else to sit, Tooley hopped up on to Corey¡¯s bed and squeezed into what little space there was at the end of his bed. She straddled the soles of his feet and then propped a leg up on top of his.

    ¡°I could sit up, you know.¡±

    ¡°No no, stay right there,¡± Tooley said. ¡°So, I got stabbed recently, if you recall.¡±

    ¡°Distinctly,¡± Corey said. ¡°You feeling alright?¡±

    ¡°Feeling fine, thanks for asking,¡± Tooley said. ¡°I¡¯ve been a lot closer to death than that plenty of times. I¡¯ve got my usual coping mechanisms; swearing a lot, drinking heavily, and fucking.¡±

    Tooley leaned forward and slipped further along Corey¡¯s bed -and his body. She settled into a leaning position with her hips raised and her chin resting on Corey¡¯s chest. The arc of her hips and the mischievous glint in her eyes made her look like a cat ready to pounce.

    ¡°Can you guess which of those three I haven¡¯t done yet?¡±

    ¡°I think I can.¡±

    ¡°Alright then. What do I have to do to convince you?¡±

    Not much, it turned out.

    <hr>

    ¡°Fuck, watch it,¡± Corey gasped. ¡°You¡¯re going to break my knees.¡±

    ¡°Oh fuck that, we¡¯ve got medkits.¡±

    Corey had easily guessed that Tooley liked it rough, but he had vastly underestimated just how rough. The longer the sex lasted, the more aware Corey became that Tooley¡¯s species were natural carnivores. Every embrace felt like a death grip, every movement a killing blow. Corey considered himself lucky Tooley had other carnal appetites in mind.

    Tooley currently had him pinned to the bed, and was riding him with an energy that would permanently alter Corey¡¯s definition of ¡°ferocious¡±. He had hands on her waist to try and contain the more violent thrusts of her hips, but he could only do so much to combat the surprising fervor in her body. Her skin was almost uncomfortably warm to the touch, like a hot stove top, but Tooley wasn¡¯t even sweating.

    ¡°Come here,¡± Tooley demanded. ¡°Like this.¡±

    She grabbed on to Corey¡¯s shoulders and pulled him upright, then pushed him against the back wall, into a sitting position. She wrapped her arms and legs around him and held Corey tight, using the constrictive grip for leverage as she continued to bounce.

    ¡°God yes,¡± Tooley groaned. ¡°Right there, right there¡­¡±

    While she wasn¡¯t sweating, the exertion -and pleasure- of her efforts was written all over Tooley¡¯s face. Her blue lips occasionally parted in a delighted smile, baring sharp teeth as they did so, and her deep black eyes were locked on Corey¡¯s chest.

    He had admired Tooley¡¯s body on more than one occasion, thanks to her many attempts to embarrass him in the cleanser, but he¡¯d never really seen it in action. It was equal parts exciting and curious -she had muscles where muscles weren¡¯t supposed to be, at least by his standards. It was hard for Corey to do a comprehensive analysis of her anatomy, especially since two very specific parts of it had most of his attention, but every now and then he noticed a flexing muscle or a tensed tendon that didn¡¯t exist on the human body. Every time he got distracted by anatomy for too long, Tooley dragged him back to the action at hand, forcing him to pay attention to her and her desires.

    As Tooley¡¯s relentless onslaught of lust continued, Corey gradually adapted to her hunger -and realized he wasn¡¯t exactly doing his part. Not that Tooley seemed to be unsatisfied, or even care about his presence beyond being a warm body to fuck, but Corey had slightly higher aspirations than just a ¡°warm body¡±. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer, before pressing his lips against hers in a passionate kiss. The sudden assertion prompted a pleasantly surprised squeak from Tooley, before she pulled away from him.

    ¡°What was that?¡±

    ¡°Just something us humans do,¡± Corey gasped. Even as he started to assert himself more, it became clear that he could not physically keep up with Tooley¡¯s raw predatory stamina.

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t get it,¡± Tooley said. Corey found it hard to believe that nobody else in the universe had invented kissing, but he wasn¡¯t thinking much about that sort of thing right now. ¡°But it seems to get you excited, so-¡±

    Tooley returned the favor, and kissed him back. It was an awkward imitation, but it did get Corey excited. More so than he was already.

    <hr>

    The deed was long since done, but neither participant had moved yet. Corey was on his back, still catching his breath, an effort made all the harder by Tooley lying on top of him. It wasn¡¯t cuddling, though. Tooley was unwilling to move, and Corey was unable.

    ¡°So,¡± Corey finally gasped, hoping conversation might make Tooley move. ¡°That your usual ¡®barely-survived¡¯ routine?¡±

    ¡°I do it other times, Corvash,¡± Tooley said. ¡°If I only fucked after I almost got killed I¡¯d start conditioning myself. Get turned on every time someone pointed a gun at me.¡±

    ¡°I figured, I was just, you know, wondering¡­¡±

    ¡°Wondering when we¡¯re going to do it again?¡±

    ¡°Maybe.¡±

    Tooley cracked a smile and let out a low, devious chuckle.

    ¡°We¡¯ve got three swaps to kill and not much better to do,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Unless you¡¯d rather go back to your game show.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I really want to see how that episode ends,¡± Corey said. Tooley laughed at him again and swiped his discarded tablet off the floor, then dropped it on his face. They needed a breather anyway.

 Chapter 24: The Spine Fine

    Corey limped out of his bedroom and headed right for the common area of the ship. The central room had the most free space of any part of the ship, and therefore more room to stretch out sore muscles. Farsus already occupied one of the couches, but there was plenty of room for Corey to stretch out on the other. Farsus watched the sore Corey gingerly lower himself into place and shook his head disapprovingly.

    ¡°Resting weary muscles is tempting, Corey Vash, but only continued activity will build your endurance,¡± he said. ¡°I would advise training your body if you intend to continue mating with Tooley Keeber Obeltas.¡±

    ¡°Fuck, I- god,¡± Corey said. He was hit by an initial wave of embarrassment that quickly faded. Considering how Tooley acted, people were probably a lot more casual when it came to sex up here in space. ¡°Sorry. Could you hear that?¡±

    ¡°No. The vessel¡¯s walls are soundproofed. However, I have known Tooley long enough to recognize her moods,¡± Farsus said. Tooley had recovered and gotten back to business as usual much faster than Corey, giving Farsus plenty of time to notice she was in a good mood. ¡°I knew she had slept with someone, but it was not me, Doprel has no compatible organs, and Tooley would sooner eject herself into the vacuum of space than have sexual contact with Kamak, so that leaves you.¡±

    ¡°Good deductions, I guess.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d advise taking proper precautions if you intend to continue,¡± Farsus advised. ¡°Carnivorous species tend to be violent in their habits.¡±

    ¡°So I¡¯ve noticed,¡± Corey said. He had the bruises on his hips to prove it.

    ¡°I would advise not bedding carnivores unless you can be assured of your dominance in the dynamic, be it physically or mentally,¡± Farsus said. ¡°Or communicate your relative fragility and hope they are sympathetic.¡±

    ¡°Ah, come on, it wasn¡¯t that bad,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°Not this time,¡± Farsus said.

    ¡°Speaking from experience there, big guy?¡±

    ¡°As I have said before, the pursuit of chaos obliges me to try many things,¡± Farsus said.

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    ¡°Right,¡± Corey said, before turning the subject away from their respective sex lives. ¡°So what¡¯s the weirdest thing you¡¯ve ever done, then?¡±

    ¡°The planet Woragg is home to a parasitic species of cephalopod that sedates a host body and then crawls inside its digestive tract to leech off it¡¯s meals.¡±

    ¡°Oh god,¡± Corey said, trying not to gag at the mental image. ¡°You didn¡¯t?¡±

    ¡°I did.¡±

    ¡°On purpose?¡±

    ¡°Enlightenment requires us to understand all things, Corey Vash, even those that are unpleasant.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not still inside you, is it?¡±

    ¡°Of course not,¡± Farsus said. ¡°Meals are expensive enough without eating for two.¡±

    After a very brief consideration, Corey decided to never, ever, ever ask how Farsus had gotten the parasite out of his body and changed the subject yet again.

    ¡°So why bounty hunting, then? If you¡¯re just out here to do weird things, why spend time hunting people down?¡±

    ¡°Primarily due to the fact that traveling the universe requires money,¡± Farsus said. ¡°Experiencing all the universe has to offer is made considerably more difficult if one starves to death in poverty.¡±

    ¡°Capitalism,¡± Corey scoffed.

    ¡°Quite so. The second reason is that aimlessly meandering the universe hoping for random opportunities is a slow and perilous way to advance one¡¯s understanding of chaos,¡± Farsus said. ¡°A scholar of my caliber must specialize, and my specialty heavily overlaps with the death-dealing skills of the bounty hunting profession.¡±

    ¡°Oh, okay, you¡¯re the weapons expert,¡± Corey said. That much should¡¯ve been obvious, in retrospect. There was a whole wall of guns hanging up in the common room, with a deployable tool bench for Farsus nearby. Farsus often tuned and maintained the weaponry in their downtime.

    ¡°That is my role aboard this ship, perhaps, but it is secondary to my true calling,¡± Farsus said. ¡°I am an expert in death, Corvash. Understanding the ways a life can be destroyed is key to understanding the structure of life itself. I have broken minds and bodies alike in a hundred different ways.¡±

    ¡°That sounds kind of fucked up,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°I have most often killed the guilty, if that eases your conscience,¡± Farsus said. ¡°And those few exceptions are found among warrior peoples, those who value and respect an honorable death against a worthy adversary.¡±

    ¡°This is just my culture speaking, but ritual bloodsport kind of upsets me too,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°I understand this inclination,¡± Farsus said. ¡°Personally I see no honor in having one¡¯s spine ritually removed by a complete stranger, but apparently there are those who would disagree.¡±

    ¡°A...spine?¡±

    ¡°It is customary for the winner of a Veth-Nul arena battle to take his opponent¡¯s spine as a trophy after dealing the killing blow,¡± Farsus said. ¡°It is considered a great insult to the deceased if it is not displayed. Would you like to see my collection?¡±

    In spite of the many aches and pains in his body, Corey stood up and went back to his room.

 Chapter 25: Some Actual Bounty Hunting For Once

    The mining outpost they¡¯d found themselves on apparently had very stringent security measures, so much so that they couldn¡¯t even land the Hard Luck Hermit directly on the planet¡¯s surface. They had landed on an exterior space station and then split up, with Tooley and Doprel staying on the ship (Tooley, for obvious reasons of laziness, and Doprel just in case another assassin snuck aboard), while Corey, Kamak, and Farsus pursued their bounty. A small shuttlecraft ferried the trio out of orbit and into the atmosphere, though it was far from a comfortable journey.

    Ever since they¡¯d entered the planet¡¯s exosphere, the ship had been rumbling slightly, occasionally pitching to the side at random intervals. Kamak and Farsus had the veteran spacefarer instincts to lean into every shake, but Corey was starting to get rattled.

    ¡°You¡¯d think they could get a better pilot,¡± Corey mumbled. The cockpit was separated from the passenger area, but Corey still didn¡¯t want to risk being overheard.

    ¡°Atmospheric entry is harder than it looks,¡± Kamak said, with an unexpectedly grim look in his eyes.

    ¡°And you have been unnecessarily spoiled by our own pilot,¡± Farsus said. ¡°You have only ever flown with Tooley, and so her skills are your only frame of reference.¡±

    ¡°Is she that good?¡±

    ¡°You think I¡¯d put up with that bitch if she was mediocre?¡± Kamak asked. ¡°She¡¯s fucking fantastic. Don¡¯t ever tell her that, though. Only thing bigger than her drinking problem is her ego.¡±

    The rattling flight of their apparently-average pilot came to an end as they landed at the mining facility. Kamak provided his bounty hunting credentials to the gate guard, to get their guns past the checkpoint, and then convened his fellow hunters in a short meeting.

    ¡°Split up and see if you can find this guy,¡± Kamak said. He tapped a button and sent an image of their bounty target to everyone¡¯s tablets. ¡°Corey, don¡¯t get lost.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± Corey said. He feigned indignation, but had made sure to download a map of the station when no one was looking.

    ¡°Good, because Farsus can¡¯t talk me into waiting for you that long.¡±

    ¡°Believe what you will,¡± Farsus said.

    ¡°Yeah yeah, you¡¯re very persuasive, shut up and get searching,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Anybody sees our guy, contact me, and don¡¯t do anything unless he tries to leave.¡±

    While any member of the crew could technically make an arrest, Kamak was the only officially registered bounty hunter, so the technicalities got ironed out whenever he was present. The end result would usually be the same, but there would be less paperwork for everyone involved along the way.

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    Corey picked a hallway at random and started heading down it, finding himself strolling along a seemingly endless parade of hallways. Corey picked a door at random and poked his head in. A quick scan of the room showed no immediate sign of their target, a humanoid with orange skin and thick rows of deep black hair. Corey briefly felt glad for the variety of skin tones in space, because he could tell at a glance everyone in this room was green, and that made the search very easy. He skipped this room and headed for the next.

    Having wandered his way into some kind of lunchroom, Corey tried to brush off the awkward stares of the occupants and take a seat in an unoccupied corner. The enforced silence and awkward sidelong glances made it very clear that Corey shouldn¡¯t be here, but he also couldn¡¯t leave. He¡¯d spotted their target.

    The young alien was sitting amid a small cluster of his species, on the far side of the room. Though they stole occasional glances at Corey, that probably had more to do with him being out of place than any real suspicions of him. With a coat covering his body armor and disguising the pistol strapped to his side, there wasn¡¯t much identifying Corey as a bounty hunter. He tried to keep it that way as he sent Kamak a message and transmitted his location.

    After enduring ten nightmarishly awkward minutes (or about ten point five awkward drops, Corey reminded himself) Kamak strutted into the room, took one look around, and locked on to their target. He nodded at Corey to follow him as he approached the target. Following Kamak¡¯s lead, Corey undid his coat, revealing the fact that he was armored, and more importantly, armed.

    ¡°Hey, kiddo,¡± Kamak said, as he strolled up to their target and forced his way into the circle of their conversation. ¡°You know there¡¯s a bounty on you?¡±

    Since he could see nobody here was armed, or all that fighting fit, Kamak took the matter much more casually than usual. This was a third-rate bounty, not the kind likely to get violent.

    ¡°Ugh, this shit,¡± the target. ¡°Devann isn¡¯t even illegal in most systems.¡±

    ¡°It was illegal in the system you sold it in,¡± Kamak said. ¡°And even in the places it¡¯s legal, selling three point eight tons of it will raise some eyebrows.¡±

    ¡°Come on, this can¡¯t be worth your time.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been paid less to do more, so unless you¡¯ve got thirteen swaps worth of whining in you, you¡¯re worth the paycheck in my book,¡± Kamak said. ¡°But in case you¡¯re getting any ideas about how to burn that much time, trust me, trying to drag it out will cost you more than it costs me.¡±

    Kamak emphasized his point by tactically placing his hands on his hips, at just the right angle to show off his holstered gun. Corey tried to not-too-obviously mimic Kamak¡¯s pose and managed to reveal a small portion of the butt of his pistol. He figured that was good enough.

    Much to both Corey and Kamak¡¯s relief, the gaggle of aliens surrounding their target backed away from him. Apparently he wasn¡¯t worth fighting for. With nobody at his back and two guns in front of him, the bounty target gave up on any ideas of resistance or escape. He stood up and compliantly allowed Kamak to latch his wrists behind his back with some solid metal handcuffs.

    ¡°Smart guy,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Play nice and stay quiet. Always goes over better with the people at your trial.¡±

    Kamak had heard that from other bounty hunters, but he had no way of knowing if it was true. He rarely followed up on the people he arrested unless he though their crimes were funny. He made regular checkups on an old guy who¡¯d got caught trying to smuggle a Thiddian Ringworm through customs in his anus, and never ended the search without having a good chuckle. This guy would offer no such amusement.

    ¡°So, this is all about the Devann smuggling, then?¡±

    ¡°You saying there¡¯s something else I should be hauling you in for?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± said the bounty, a little too swiftly. Kamak couldn¡¯t care less. He barely cared about the crimes someone was paying him to care about.

 Chapter 26: Low Tolerance

    The prisoner transport was much shorter than Corey had expected. Apparently their bounty hadn¡¯t fled far from the system he¡¯d committed the offense in. Their prisoner kept fairly calm and quiet the entire ride, only showing signs of nervousness when they made port and stepped onto the planet.

    The starport was lined with short, purple bushes, and the architecture was ornamented with murals of various historical moments of the native species -most of them military focused. The officers who came to greet them were adorned in ornate militaristic uniforms, complete with badges of rank and office. They managed to look surprisingly tough despite the tallest of them being about four feet tall. Corey figured they were probably impressively large by this planet¡¯s standards.

    ¡°Officers,¡± Kamak said, with a deferential nod. He didn¡¯t respect beat cops, but he liked anyone who was about to pay him. ¡°Captain Kamak of the Hard Luck Hermit, here to turn in Bounty 37-3B.¡±

    ¡°Noted. Lieutenant, DNA test the subject.¡±

    A less-decorated officer stepped up and latched a small, thimble-like device onto the bounty¡¯s finger. After a second of analysis and a quiet beep, the lieutenant nodded towards his superior.

    ¡°Excellent. Lieutenant, you may proceed.¡±

    The lieutenant stepped back, cleaned off his testing device, placed it in his pocket, and then withdrew a pistol and blew a hole in the bounty¡¯s chest.

    ¡°Whoa!¡±

    Corey, caught off guard by the sudden execution, took a few steps back, prompting the lieutenant to warily turn the pistol in his direction. A few of the officers put their hands near their firearm, but Kamak quickly stepped between the two and held his hands up.

    ¡°Hey, hey, easy, he¡¯s just a bit new,¡± Kamak said. Corey regained his composure and held up his hands to show he was no threat. ¡°Guy got spooked.¡±

    ¡°Apologies,¡± the lieutenant said, before holstering his pistol once again. He signaled another officer and they started to haul away the bounty¡¯s body, not even waiting for the hole in his chest to stop smoking first.

    ¡°And, admittedly, the bounty didn¡¯t say anything about the death penalty,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Caught us a little off guard, is all.¡±

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    Kamak was surprised too, but he¡¯d seen enough people got shot that it didn¡¯t faze him as much anymore. Especially not when there was a chance the next gun would be pointed at you if you panicked.

    ¡°Even simple smugglers must be held accountable for the consequences of their actions,¡± the officer in charge said. ¡°We apologize for the confusion. The case updated while you were in transit. Please accept your payment.¡±

    The officer wired the money into Kamak¡¯s account, and he nodded in acceptance. It was a meager sum, not the kind of job he¡¯d usually go for unless he was desperate, but it¡¯d keep them fed for a while as they dealt with the purple ship and assassination situation. Kamak bid a not-too-polite goodbye to the officer, as money had already changed hands, and then collected his crew to head back to the ship.

    ¡°That seems like a bit much,¡± Corey mumbled..

    ¡°I¡¯m sure he did something to deserve it,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Doprel, you know how to give a shit about things, search the case so Corey will feel better.¡±

    ¡°Been doing that for a while now, actually,¡± Doprel said. The planetary court records were a bit of a maze to navigate, but Doprel wanted to assuage his own guilt on top of Corey¡¯s. He took a seat in the common room of the ship and continued searching as Tooley wandered out of the cockpit.

    ¡°So, payday, what am I looking at?¡± Tooley said. ¡°Make this shitty road trip worth my while, Kamak.¡±

    ¡°Keep your shit leashed, pilot, I¡¯m running numbers,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Factoring in the cost of business we still have a half-decent surplus, give everyone a decent share. Minus whatever I end up spending on Devann, all this shit is making me crave a few hits.¡±

    ¡°We just watched a guy die over that stuff, Kamak.¡±

    ¡°So? I¡¯m not going to buy it where it¡¯s illegal to buy like that moron did,¡± Kamak scoffed. ¡°My species can handle it. Farsus too.¡±

    ¡°The varied biochemistries of the universe¡¯s many species means controlled substances in one system are often commonplace in another,¡± Farsus explained. ¡°In many cases even common foodstuffs can induce hallucinogenic or even toxic effects in species not native to their world of origin.¡±

    ¡°Devann doesn¡¯t even do anything for me,¡± Tooley sighed. Her metabolism processed the chemicals too quickly to experience any of the pleasant effects of the drug. ¡°Just gives me a nasty headache.¡±

    Kamak had a quick chuckle at her inability to get high on Devann before Doprel interrupted with some bad news.

    ¡°Apparently this species is particularly sensitive to it,¡± he moped. ¡°There are twenty-three fatal overdoses linked to the Devann our late friend smuggled into the system. So far.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Well fuck, now I feel bad about wanting some.¡±

    ¡°There is no shortage of narcotics in the universe, captain,¡± Farsus assured him.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to see Corey high on a chunk of Red Brick,¡± Tooley noted. ¡°Your species seems like the twitchy type.¡±

    Corey had no idea how to interpret that, so he chose to ignore it. He found himself wondering if their recently-deceased bounty target had known the product he was selling would be so deadly, or if he¡¯d simply spotted what he thought was an opportunity to make a quick buck. The effects of the drugs were relative, but the morality surrounding them was apparently far more complex.

 Chapter 27: Planetary Population: Six, and Dropping

    In spite of Tooley¡¯s protests, Kamak intended to continue stalling before their inevitable visit to Paga For. He took another job that would get them closer to their final destination, and get them paid along the way. Tooley complained slightly less about this one, since it had a higher payout. Unfortunately, it also came with higher stakes.

    ¡°Alright, Corvash, this is a bit more violent than the jobs we¡¯ve done so far,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Though, admittedly, much less violent than that time you shot the fuck out of a bunch of cannibals. So you ought to be fine.¡±

    Since the bounty¡¯s paycheck was so good, Kamak was trying to jump on it ASAP, and he was explaining the details as they traveled. Tooley was already taking them into the atmosphere of the planet their target was hiding on. The low groan of the Hermit¡¯s wings unfolding undercut the mission briefing as Kamak spoke.

    ¡°We¡¯re on a manhunt this time. Weapons hot, take no prisoners,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Some chucklefuck career criminal named Wagam finally crossed a line. Killed some people, including a few kids, and then iced a cop or two on his way off planet.¡±

    While Doprel¡¯s internal anatomy was still unclear, Corey was pretty sure he could hear the alien¡¯s jaw clench.

    ¡°Yeah, figured you¡¯d hate that, Doprel,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Anyway, cops chased him far enough to shoot him down over this unhab planet, and then those desk jockey fuckers gave up, figured Wagam would never escape the planet anyway. Families of his victims aren¡¯t so inclined to let the bastard live out the rest of his days on a peaceful vacation getaway.¡±

    A feeling Corey understood all too well. Sometimes he thought about the cult back home, all getting off scot-free after ruining his mothers life, and it made his blood boil. Some things demanded punishment.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a couple swaps since Wagam crashed, so we¡¯ve got a lot of ground to cover,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Doprel, Corey, you¡¯re doing a flatscan of the area around the crash site, in case he hasn¡¯t gone far, or just left behind some clues about where he went. Me and Farsus will stay on the ship while we sweep the landmass for any signs of him.¡±

    ¡°Why are you staying on board? Trade places with Doprel,¡± Tooley said.

    ¡°You know damn well Doprel¡¯s fingers are too fat to work the surface scanner,¡± Kamak said. Doprel held up some of his prodigiously thick digits for emphasis. ¡°And Corey doesn¡¯t know how it fucking works. So it is what it is.¡±

    ¡°Ugh, fine,¡± Tooley groaned. ¡°Speaking of scanning, get the thing booted up and then buckle your seatbelts. Atmosphere¡¯s a bit thick, so it¡¯ll be bumpy.¡±

    The ship started to rattle noticeably even as she spoke, so everyone hurried through their last preparations and then buckled up. The planets sky was choked with atmospheric haze and thick clouds, giving them zero visibility as they cut through the upper atmosphere.

    ¡°Swear to spirits if you crash us into the planet I¡¯ll make hell even worse for you,¡± Kamak mumbled. Tooley did not respond to his snide remark and focused on landing. The best rebuttal was to prove him wrong, after all. In spite of the rattling and rumbling that plagued the ship, Tooley kept it steady and brought it through the tempestuous skies. With one last ship-shaking bit of turbulence, Tooley pitched the controls upwards and brought them to a steady coast over the rocky surface of the lifeless world, unfolding the ship¡¯s wings to better coast through the atmosphere. Kamak ignored her smug look in his direction and unbuckled his seatbelt.

    ¡°Alright, ground team, grab your shit and get ready to go,¡± he ordered. ¡°I¡¯ll get the scanner going, Farsus, you go hand out the toys.¡±

    ¡°Gladly.¡±

    Farsus started with the boring ones, just to get them out of the way; scanning tools, climbing equipment, and inhalers to keep their blood oxygen at safe levels while traversing the oxygen-rich planetary surface. Once the technical stuff was out of the way, Farsus got to the fun part. With a swift, dramatic motion, Farsus cracked open his gun safe.

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    ¡°As we are the first hunters to visit this planet, and it possesses no live game, we must assume our target is still armed and stocked with ammunition,¡± Farsus said. He disregarded a shelf of small arms and focused on long guns. ¡°For a situation such as this, I would normal recommend an ambush tactic with the Larodam, but Corey is tragically untrained in sniper rifles.¡±

    ¡°Yep.¡±

    ¡°The Tan Dalan, then,¡± Farsus said, as he handed over a long-barreled rifle with a sizable scope and sturdy stock. It was almost distressingly large, but still light and easy to move. ¡°Ideal at mid to long range, but steady while firing automatically. Perfect for an ambush requiring less precision, or a conventional gunfight.¡±

    ¡°Okay, thanks.¡±

    ¡°And for Doprel: the special occasion,¡± Farsus said, as he hefted a weapon that looked more like a ship¡¯s cannon than a conventional firearm. Doprel hefted the titanic, multi-barreled gun with ease, and Corey made sure to take a quick step behind him. He didn¡¯t want to be anywhere in front of a weapon like that.

    ¡°This is your stop,¡± Kamak snapped. ¡°Let¡¯s get moving.¡±

    Tooley opened the hangar doors, and Doprel led the way onto the surface of the planet. Corey was glad he¡¯d invested in boots, because their deployment zone was coated in a layer of fetid, ankle-high water. It was thick with globs of what looked like algae, and Corey realized he was wading in the primordial soup that might one day spawn complex lifeforms on this planet. He really hoped he didn¡¯t have anything weird stuck to his boot that would muck up the process.

    He probably didn¡¯t have to worry about fucking up the planet¡¯s development too much, because the crash site ahead of them had well and truly fucked it already. The small, single-passenger vessel had practically broken in half on impact, and torn a large, jagged scar across the surface of the planet as it skidded to a halt. Even the cursory glance of an amateur could tell that the ship was never flying again, and a closer examination revealed that it had already been stripped for parts, and any storage spaces had been ransacked for supplies.

    ¡°Well, we know he¡¯s definitely not using his ship as a base,¡± Corey said. The rocky terrain and pools of stagnant water made it impossible to pick up a trail to where he¡¯d gone next, however.

    ¡°Given the cloud cover...and the abundance of puddles,¡± Doprel noted, as he sloshed massive feet through troughs of wet slop. ¡°I¡¯d want to go somewhere with rain cover.¡±

    He pointed to a nearby ridge with many rocky outcroppings and possible cavern openings. That seemed like a good idea to Corey, so he followed along. The hike across uneven terrain started to drag on, so Corey made some conversation to pass the time.

    ¡°So, that¡¯s a pretty big gun for our resident pacifist,¡± he began. He had seen Doprel wield firearms before, but usually of a more conventional size.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing,¡± Doprel said. ¡°And I¡¯m far from a pacifist. I do this for a living, you know.¡±

    ¡°Still. It seems uncharacteristically...destructive.¡±

    ¡°Like Farsus said, this is a special occasion,¡± Doprel said with a shrug. Shrugging didn¡¯t come naturally to his species, but he¡¯d picked up the habit from hanging around all the others.

    ¡°So what¡¯s the occasion, then? Why bring out the big guns for one dude?¡±

    ¡°You heard Kamak,¡± Doprel mumbled. ¡°He killed kids.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Sorry. Hope it¡¯s nothing personal.¡±

    ¡°You know, it¡¯s really not,¡± Doprel said. ¡°My species comes out of the egg sac mostly fully formed. Really, it¡¯s kind of weird to me that you guys spend so long being so tiny and stupid. But the fact kids are so helpless just makes me all that more mad when someone hurts them.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Well, I¡¯m glad somebody on this ship has principles,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°Only by comparison,¡± Doprel said. He then pointed to one of the peaks of the rocky ridge they were just beginning to climb. ¡°Keep an eye out from up there. Good vantage point in case me digging around spooks him.¡±

    ¡°Sounds like a plan.¡±

    While Corey went up, Doprel went around, swinging wide around the base of the rocky outcroppings. He poked his head, and his scanner, into every opening he saw, and found nothing. While he continued a fruitless search, Corey struggled up the jagged slopes to find his perch. The igneous rock usually had a smooth surface, and the pervasive moisture of the atmosphere meant every surface was slick. Eventually, Corey clambered to the peak and took a seat on a relatively stable rocky ledge.

    The difficult climb didn¡¯t even pay out with a good view. Everywhere Corey looked there were just more rocks, more puddles, and more weird goop in the puddles. There was also no sign of Wagam, so he didn¡¯t even get that. As Doprel¡¯s search started to drag on and swing wide, Corey began to feel like this was all wasted effort. Hopefully the other team would have more luck.

    As he started to feel a little light-headed, Corey took a quick hit from the inhaler Farsus had provided him. After everything he¡¯d been through, he¡¯d feel like a real idiot if he died from having too much oxygen in his blood. With his immediate survival assured, Corey tucked the inhaler back into his belt and made sure it was securely fastened. He took a quick glance down at his belt to be sure, and something caught his eye -another eye, looking right back up at him from a hole in the mountain.

    ¡°Fuck,¡± said Corey and Wagam in unison.

 Chapter 28: Brought a Knife to a Fist Fight

    Corey fired his gun straight down into the hollow space below, but Wagam had already fled his hiding space. The gunshot would warn Doprel about the situation, at least. Corey shouldered the gun again and looked around. He had no idea where or when Wagam might emerge from the hidden cavern. He hadn¡¯t seen any entrances on his way up, and he desperately scanned the environment to try and find the detail he¡¯d missed. If there was anything to see, he didn¡¯t see it in time.

    After emerging from his hiding place behind Corey¡¯s back, Wagam aimed the pistol he¡¯d been clutching, and fired. The blast of plasma hit Corey square between the shoulderblades, and made him very glad he¡¯d invested in good body armor. The intense bolt of energy got diffused into nothing more than a dull thud on his back, but perched as he was on a rocky slope, even that dull thud was a dangerous blow. His foot slipped on the slick rocks below him, and he barely caught his footing before tumbling down the hillside. His attempt to get his footing was another bit of wasted effort, as he was struck from behind once again, this time by Wagam himself.

    The convict tackled Corey and knocked the gun out of his hands before dragging him down the hillside. For a brief second, Corey felt the heated barrel of a pistol sizzle against his temple. Wagam was trying to take him hostage. Maybe he thought Corey would be his ticket off world. Corey didn¡¯t intend to be any fugitive¡¯s ride home.

    Corey braced his legs and pushed backwards, knocking himself and Wagam both off the ledge. The alien convict grabbed on tight, but he still hit the ground first. A torrent of harsh grunts and alien cursing rang out as Corey and Wagam both bounced down the hillside. At some point, Wagam lost his grip on his pistol, and when the two reached the bottom of the hill, both were unarmed, but neither was unwilling to fight.

    Wagam landed the first punch, but Corey landed the better one. This time when he punched an alien in the gut, it worked, and Wagam doubled over in pain. He followed up with a punch to the temple, and Wagam hit the ground hard. While the fugitive laid on the ground, he grabbed Corey¡¯s ankle and swept it out from under him.

    ¡°Stop fucking fighting,¡± Wagam rumbled. His voice was low and harsh, filled with the grating hoarseness of someone who hadn¡¯t had a decent nights sleep in days. Corey didn¡¯t even dignify his request with a response. Not a verbal one, at least. Some people might count a kick to the groin as a response. Wagam collapsed again, this time falling right on top of Corey.

    The adrenaline kept the alien convict coherent through the pain, and Wagam had barely hit the ground before he had his hands on Corey¡¯s throat. In spite of days spent in poor conditions, he still had an overpowering strength that was readily apparent in the crushing tightness of his grip. Corey grunted and strained against the choking grasp, but could not break it. Not on his own, at least.

    Corey stopped struggling and started grasping at his heel. Wagam had him pinned, but Corey still managed to contort himself just enough to reach the knife in his boot.

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    The blade he¡¯d ¡°borrowed¡± from Tooley¡¯s would-be killer slipped out of Corey¡¯s boot and slipped right into Wagam¡¯s rib. Bare purple skin tore open to reveal dark red blood and muscle beneath. Wagam let out a howl of pain that only redoubled when Corey withdrew the knife and plunged it into the crook of his elbow. With his tendons severed, Wagam¡¯s grip on Corey¡¯s neck loosened, and Corey slipped free. He got to his feet, still clutching the knife, as Wagam bent over, clutching the wound in his ribs with his only good arm.

    ¡°Don¡¯t do this,¡± Wagam mumbled through a mouthful of blood. ¡°I know people. I can pay you¡­¡±

    Though he had no intention of accepting the offer, Corey paused anyway.

    ¡°Tell you what,¡± he grunted, as his grip on the knife tightened. ¡°You just try and fucking make me an offer. Tell me how much money you think it¡¯ll take to get me to forgive you killing kids.¡±

    Wagam was malnourished, and now suffering from severe blood loss, but even his lightheaded state he knew there was no right answer to that question.

    ¡°You want to make me beg? Go fuck yourself,¡± he spat. ¡°You want to kill me, just kill me.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t want to kill you,¡± Corey said. ¡°I¡¯d rather see how he does it.¡±

    Corey nodded behind Wagam, and the convict turned to look over his shoulder just in time to see Doprel¡¯s foot bearing down on him like a meteor.

    Half a second later, Doprel made a ¡°blech¡± noise and then stuck his foot in a puddle to wipe the remnants of Wagam¡¯s torso off his heel. The fine red paste that had once been a person mixed into the brackish water to form a muddled gray slime.

    ¡°Should probably vaporize that before we leave,¡± Corey suggested. ¡°Don¡¯t want all life on this planet descended from that fucker¡¯s DNA.¡±

    ¡°Later. Are you alright?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t think anything¡¯s broken,¡± Corey grunted. ¡°Bruised, probably. Nope. Definitely bruised.¡±

    ¡°Take a seat, but don¡¯t lie down, and let me know if you start to feel lightheaded,¡± Doprel said. ¡°You guys can get head trauma surprisingly easily. I¡¯ll call the ship.¡±

    Corey gladly took a seat and rested sore muscles while Doprel called their ride. The Hard Luck Hermit came surging into view moments later, making a beeline for the site of the battle. As the boarding ramp descended, Kamak hopped off of it, took one glance at what was left of Wagam, and then turned his attention to Corey.

    ¡°You intact, Corvash?¡±

    ¡°Little scuffed, but I got all my parts in the right place,¡± Corey said. Once assured his employee was in one piece, Kamak turned his attention to finishing the job. While he scanned Wagam¡¯s corpse and forwarded the info to their client, Farsus stepped up and took out the medical kit.

    ¡°Hold still,¡± Farsus commanded, as he withdrew something that had a very sharp point to it. ¡°Hopefully this will hurt you.¡±

    ¡°Hopefully?¡±

    ¡°If it did not hurt, it would mean you are suffering nerve damage,¡± Farsus said. He jammed the sharp needle in Corey¡¯s arm and took a quick sample of something inside him. Thankfully, it hurt. ¡°You appear to be unharmed beyond your cosmetic injuries. I will take you aboard the ship for bed rest.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, just give me a hand-¡±

    Before Corey had time to finish his request for help, Farsus grabbed Corey and hefted him bodily off the ground, bridal-style, before carrying him up the ramp and into his room. Corey considered protesting, but Farsus turned out to have surprisingly comfortable arms.

 Chapter 29: He Knows a Lot of Guys

    ¡°Hey, you conscious yet?¡±

    Corey let out a very low, muffled groan.

    ¡°I am now,¡± he grumbled. Something he resented. The last thing he remembered was popping a few painkillers Farsus had given him. Judging from the way his body felt right now, it was probably good he didn¡¯t remember much else.

    ¡°Farsus would like to apologize,¡± Tooley said. She leaned a little closer to Corey¡¯s ear as he laid in bed. ¡°Apparently your species is a little more sensitive to panthetelomal than most.¡±

    ¡°Cool. Lesson learned.¡±

    ¡°I was going to ask if you were...available,¡± Tooley said, with a sly twist in her voice. ¡°But you look like you could still use a lie-down.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, going to have to pass on the ¡®almost died¡¯ tradition,¡± Corey groaned. Tooley sat on the floor next to Corey¡¯s bed and looked up at him.

    ¡°And you¡¯re the one who almost died, even,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Huh. I might even have to let you be on top next time.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, sure, great,¡± Corey groaned. ¡°Could you get me a glass of water or something?¡±

    ¡°Just use the panel,¡± Tooley said.

    ¡°The what?¡±

    Tooley reached up and over Corey¡¯s chest, and pressed her finger against a narrow section of the bedroom wall. A small niche in the wall near Corey¡¯s head opened up, revealing what looked like a small spigot and drain. There was also a slightly dusty plastic cup.

    ¡°Huh...has that been here the whole time?¡±

    ¡°Duh.¡±

    ¡°Is there anything else in this room I should know about?¡±

    ¡°Maybe,¡± Tooley said.

    ¡°Can¡¯t you just tell me?¡±

    ¡°Where¡¯s the fun in that?¡± Tooley said. ¡°See you later, Corvash.¡±

    <hr>

    ¡°For the record, Doprel gave me the full tour,¡± Corey said, as he took a seat next to Tooley. His room had a whole suite of hidden features that were apparently bog-standard for spacefaring vessels. Tooley shrugged indifferently. She¡¯d never been interested in playing tour guide anyway.

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    ¡°Whatever you¡¯re talking about, shut up,¡± Kamak commanded. ¡°I got us another gig. Material transport.¡±

    ¡°More of this fucking stalling,¡± Tooley groaned. ¡°What is wrong with you?¡±

    They had exactly one lead on the forces that had been harassing them, and that was the far-off haven world of Paga For. They were now three jobs and several swaps deep in Kamak¡¯s ¡°tactical stalling¡± and they¡¯d actually gotten further away from the planet, not closer.

    ¡°You¡¯re half what¡¯s wrong with me, Toobertas,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Luckily I know just what¡¯ll shut you up. The job takes us to Malum Ves. From there it¡¯s a straight shot to Paga For. Plausible deniability, just like I planned.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, great, let¡¯s just hope every fucking lead hasn¡¯t gone cold by the time we get there,¡± Tooley grumbled. She hopped out of her seat and into the pilot¡¯s chair, not wanting to waste any more time than they already had.

    ¡°That shouldn¡¯t be a problem,¡± Kamak said. ¡°I know a guy.¡±

    ¡°Better be a good fucking guy,¡± Tooley grumbled. She had very little faith in Kamak or any of his hypothetical guys.

    ¡°Have a little trust, Tooley.¡±

    ¡°You got me stabbed!¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t know who¡¯s after us or why,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Could be your own damn fault, for all we know. You piss people off as much as I do.¡±

    ¡°I piss people off in a way that makes them shout insults at me, not send assassins,¡± Tooley said. ¡°You hunt people for a living. And you¡¯re an asshole about it.¡±

    ¡°Oh, people have gotten stabbed for less than a few snide comments,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°While we¡¯re considering options, somebody could be after me,¡± Doprel said, in a blatant attempt to defuse the argument.

    ¡°Shut the fuck up, Doprel, everyone loves you,¡± Tooley said.

    ¡°Not everybody loves my species,¡± Doprel said. Tooley bit her tongue. She¡¯d forgotten about that particular bit of bias. Corey, who hadn¡¯t known about it in the first place, was just confused.

    ¡°We were galaxies away from Doccan space when these incidents occurred,¡± Farsus said. ¡°Few who have not been immediately affected have reason to be aggressive towards the species, and those who have are usually more focused on working with the Anti-Doccan Front than on attacking random individuals.¡±

    Tooley shrugged. That was a fair assessment of a problem they¡¯d only brought up about five seconds ago. Corey was just confused. He considered asking why Doprel¡¯s species had an entire Anti-them Front, but wondered if that might be offensive to Doprel.

    ¡°There is the distinct possibility that Corey Vash is being pursued, however.¡±

    ¡°What? Me?¡± Corey sputtered. ¡°I haven¡¯t even been in space that long.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but you have killed like fifteen people in that time,¡± Tooley added. ¡°Could be some buddies of those cannibal guys you shot.¡±

    ¡°Or somebody mad you escaped that slave ship we found you on,¡± Kamak added.

    ¡°Or maybe that weirdo cop back on Centerpoint is really interested in getting you to register with her,¡± Tooley said with a chuckle.

    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough of that,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Point is it¡¯s too early to point fingers. I¡¯m still working things out with my guy on Paga For, but he¡¯s probably on board. He can get us some good info, then we can start pointing fingers.¡±

    ¡°Who is this guy of yours anyway?¡±

    ¡°The kind of guy you don¡¯t talk about behind his back,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Relax. Odds are you¡¯ll get to know him soon. He¡¯s interested in meeting you guys.¡±

    Kamak scanned the stars ahead of them, and then cast a sideways glance at Corey.

    ¡°Some of you more than others.¡±

 Chapter 30: Paga For

    ¡°Is it like, safe down there? Didn¡¯t Theddis mention some radiation stuff?¡±

    As the Hard Luck Hermit sat in low orbit above the Paga For, Corey had a good view of the planet¡¯s utterly barren surface, and of the dying stars that formed the center of the system. The twinned stars gave off a brilliantly white glow that hurt to look at, so Corey tried not to get too caught up in the celestial radiance. He felt like he¡¯d probably damage his eyes if he stared, no matter how pretty it was.

    ¡°If you mean safe as in ¡®is it habitable¡¯, yes, it¡¯s perfectly fine,¡± Kamak said. ¡°At least in the radiation shielded area we¡¯ll be visiting. Anywhere else on the planet would give you sixteen new and exciting kinds of cancer in about half a swap.¡±

    ¡°The shielding works, though,¡± Doprel said. ¡°You¡¯re getting exposed to more radiation right now than you will be under the dome.¡±

    ¡°Not helping.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll be fine either way, we got pills for that kind of stuff,¡± Tooley said.

    ¡°The last pills you gave me had me flat on my ass for seven swaps,¡± Corey protested.

    ¡°For which I again apologize, but your alien biology makes certain treatments harder to properly prescribe,¡± Farsus said. ¡°Captain Kamak. Do we have a plan of action once we¡¯re on the ground?¡±

    ¡°Vaguely,¡± Kamak said. ¡°My contact¡¯s agreed to meet us. From there it kind of depends on what they tell us.¡±

    ¡°Who is this fucking guy anyway, do we get any clues now that we¡¯re closer?¡±

    ¡°No. You¡¯ll meet him soon enough and it¡¯ll all make sense,¡± Kamak assured them. ¡°Now Tooley, you¡¯ve been here before, right?¡±

    ¡°And I got the scars and the tattoo to prove it,¡± Tooley said. Corey¡¯d been wondering where that tattoo had come from. She had some kind of alien predator¡¯s skull on her left shoulder.

    ¡°Right, so you know what to do,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Corvash, guess this intro speech is for you, then. Paga For ain¡¯t exactly the most inviting place, so be on your best behavior.¡±

    Once a scientific outpost meant to study the two collapsing stars, Paga For had long since served its purpose, and been reinvented as a haven for the living detritus of the galaxy. Far outside the jurisdiction or even reasonable interest of any galactic authority, Paga For had established itself as a hotspot for those who wanted to act outside anyone¡¯s laws. Though it had, of course, developed a few unspoken laws of its own.

    ¡°Keep your gun on you and visible at all times,¡± Kamak said. ¡°But don¡¯t ever draw it unless you¡¯re about to die or someone else draws first. You don¡¯t want to look like an easy mark, but you don¡¯t want to look like a problem either.¡±

    While the Paga For community had little need for laws, most of them liked not getting shot, so a tense truce existed among everyone who came through town. Whenever one person started a fight, fifteen to twenty ¡°concerned citizens¡± ended said fight by shooting the instigator dead on the spot. The violent gentleman¡¯s agreement wasn¡¯t a clean method of keeping the peace, but it was highly effective.

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    ¡°Beyond that, keep your head down, and don¡¯t listen to any sales pitches,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Don¡¯t go anywhere with any strangers, either.¡±

    ¡°Maybe you should just hire a babysitter for me,¡± Corey snorted.

    ¡°I¡¯m not fucking kidding, Corvash, be careful. I¡¯ve been here like twenty times and I end up stabbed on every third visit or so,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°Hmm, interesting,¡± Farsus said, as he stroked his hairy chin. ¡®This will be our third visit in the time we have known each other, and you have not been stabbed the prior two times.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you put that on me,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Tooley, take us down.¡±

    ¡°Got it, cap,¡± Tooley said, as she eagerly began the slow ride through the scorched atmosphere of Paga For.

    <hr>

    ¡°Huh. Almost looks like something out of a western.¡±

    ¡°Out of a what?¡±

    ¡°Never mind,¡± Corey mumbled. The dusty streets and unevenly spaced, rusted buildings shared some aesthetics with an old west town, but the influence of alien technology -and alien bodies- overwhelmed any old-timey aesthetics. Heavily armed aliens shambled the streets and lurked in alleyways of former research stations that had been converted into black markets, bars, and brothels. A few of the more observant aliens kept an eye on Kamak and his crew as they descended, but most were too wrapped up in their own dealings to care about the new arrivals.

    ¡°Meeting first,¡± Kamak said, as Tooley eyed a bar. ¡°Follow me.¡±

    She reluctantly peeled her eyes away from the house of alcohol and followed in Kamak¡¯s dusty footsteps. The building he led them to didn¡¯t have any signage, but the crowd of attractive, half-dressed aliens lingering around every entrance made it pretty clear what one might find inside. Corey suppressed a cough as he stepped inside and nearly got overwhelmed by a miasma of extraterrestrial perfume.

    ¡°Take shallow breaths, Corey,¡± Farsus advised. ¡°There are aphrodisiacs in the perfume.¡±

    Corey couldn¡¯t suppress the cough after hearing that. As he cleared his throat, he attracted the attention of some of the local ¡°employees¡±, and a menagerie of overly flirtatious aliens wormed their way through the crew. Corey felt a little offended that most of their toying touches and alluring whispers were focused on Farsus.

    The torrent of temptation passed, and a much older man, his years of alluring attractiveness clearly far behind him, stepped up to face Kamak.

    ¡°You again,¡± he said, trying to keep up an inviting facade while faced with Kamak. ¡°Business or pleasure?¡±

    ¡°Business,¡± Kamak said, to no small relief on the brothel owner¡¯s part.

    ¡°You¡¯re the one they¡¯d been waiting for, then,¡± he said. ¡°You know the way.¡±

    The owner waved them away, and Kamak cut his way through the crowded brothel, followed closely thereafter by his crew. A back hallway contained several smaller rooms, from which a variety of very interesting noises could be heard, and Kamak stopped when he came to the eighth door on the right. He scanned the palm of his hand on a keypad by the door, and then waited.

    ¡°Better places for a meeting,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Can we at least grab some ¡®friends¡¯ first, since we¡¯re here?¡±

    ¡°You can do whatever the hell you want on your time with your money,¡± Kamak said. ¡°This is business.¡±

    The door opened. Corey had been expecting, perhaps, a gaudy bed and some cheap champagne in an ice bucket, but instead he got a staircase. A long one, leading down into a cold darkness.

    ¡°Single file,¡± Kamak said. ¡°I¡¯ll go first.¡±

    Kamak removed a coin-shaped device from his belt, and it began to shed a surprisingly bright light, illuminating their path down the staircase. It was shorter than Corey had initially expected, and they soon reached the bottom, finding themselves in a long, earthy tunnel. Thick, oddly textured tendrils, like the roots of a tree, stretched out on either wall of the tunnel and weaved across the ceilings, branching out into thin strands that then burst into strange, almost fleshy-looking blossoms. The red growths at the end of the tendrils swayed slightly as Corey approached, as if they were following the motions of everyone who walked past.

    ¡°What is this?¡± Corey said, reaching out a hand to touch the strange petals.

    ¡°Don¡¯t touch,¡± Kamak snapped. Corey quickly drew his hand back.

    ¡°Question stands, Kamak,¡± Tooley said. ¡°What the fuck is this?¡±

    ¡°This,¡± Kamak said, gesturing to the massive network of roots and strange flowers. ¡°Is my contact.¡±

 Chapter 31: Thoth

    Corey stepped a little further away from the fleshy petals at the end of the tendrils. They swayed to follow him as he moved. It was hard to believe that these odd, plant-like tendrils were the ¡°contact¡± Kamak had been leading them to.

    ¡°What the fuck are you talking about?¡± Tooley said aloud. She examined the petals a little closer, and they examined her right back. ¡°Wait, is this one of those...what do you call them, the worm thingies?¡±

    ¡°A Hakkidian Worm,¡± Kamak said, gesturing to the nearest extremity of the creature. ¡°They¡¯re effectively immortal, eighty percent nervous system, never forget anything, and these sensory flowers can pick up just about everything. Light, sounds, gravity, magnetic fields, even a bunch of shit you and I don¡¯t even have words for.¡±

    ¡°They are living archives of nearly every facet of existence, even those we cannot perceive,¡± Farsus said. ¡°Ideal information brokers, if they are willing.¡±

    ¡°Come on. This one will want to make the rest of his introductions itself,¡± Kamak said. ¡°It¡¯s a little odd that way.¡±

    Sitting at a strange overlap between animal and plant, the Worms were effectively immobile creatures under normal circumstances, surviving by spreading out their extremities like roots and feeding from the soil. Transplanting one off of it¡¯s homeworld was an arduous process, and almost certainly fatal if the Worm was not willing, which most were not. The occasional oddball example of the species found its way offworld, where they often served as administrators or information dealers due to their natural mental acuity.

    As the crew went deeper into the tunnels, the roots started to grow thicker, as did the concentration of the sensory blossoms on every exposed surface. Soon enough the walls were completely coated in the red, fleshy blooms, all of them swaying towards the living things that walked amid their entangled tunnels. The wall of red was broken only by a small square of machinery that appeared to be grafted into the bark-like skin of the Worm¡¯s body.

    ¡°Kamak D-V-Y-B,¡± it said, in a droning mechanical voice. ¡°You live still. Your concentration of antam particles once again overcomes your belligerent nature.¡±

    ¡°Yep, still kicking, against all odds,¡± Kamak said. Apparently among the hundreds of things the Worms could sense there was something called ¡°Antam¡±, an energy particulate that corresponded to what regular folks usually called ¡°luck¡±. Kamak didn¡¯t buy it, but the Worm insisted it was true.

    ¡°I will address your concerns for your survival in time,¡± the Worm said. It could sense his hidden fears and anxieties as easily as one could read the words on a page. However, just because it could see the fear did not mean it cared. ¡°There are two of you I am sensing for the first time. Please step forward.¡±

    Corey and Tooley shared a quick glance before stepping forward. Doprel seemed to be chill about meeting the Worm, and if he wasn¡¯t worried, they probably had no reason to be worried either. Tooley stepped forward, and the sensory blossoms tracked her movement. The red petals of the ¡°flowers¡± unwound into long, threaded filaments, further expanding the Worm¡¯s sensory capabilities.

    ¡°Hi, nice to meet you,¡± Tooley said. ¡°You got questions or something?¡±

    ¡°Not for you,¡± the Worm said. ¡°I merely observe. I have had very few chances to catalog the Sturit species...though you are hardly a typical example, are you?¡±

    The Worm could perceive every facet of Tooley¡¯s existence -the neuron pathways in her brain that showed a resistance to authority, the alcohol damage to the cells of her liver, even the wear and tear on the joints on her wrist and hands that marked her as a pilot. All qualities very rarely found in the average member of her species. The Worm was smart enough to acknowledge the value of outlying variables, however.

    ¡°Your name,¡± the Worm said, before hesitating slightly. At the mention of a name, synaptic patterns in Tooley¡¯s brain started to fire up, and the Worm perceived every neuron spark, and every associated motor instinct, to reassemble the word out of nothing but the thoughts in her head. ¡°Tooley Keebur Obeltas.¡±

    ¡°That- Eugh, you¡¯re weird,¡± Tooley said. ¡°No offense.¡±

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    ¡°I know,¡± the Worm said. It could not read most thoughts so easily, but names made especially strong mental impressions. It was a good way to establish the Worm¡¯s power early on. It turned its attention to its other guest, and its sensory blooms swayed in Corey¡¯s direction. ¡°And your name. Corey...interesting.¡±

    Just like Tooley, Corey formed the words of his name in his mind unwittingly when prompted. Unlike Tooley, however, his thoughts had an anomaly. Where there should have been a middle name, there was instead an instinctive reaction of disgust and anger.

    ¡°The structure of your name,¡± the Worm said. ¡°It comes in three parts, but the second part...conflicts you. Why is that?¡±

    ¡°Oh. I, uh, legally, my middle name is...I¡¯m named after my grandfather, technically. And I don¡¯t like that. I don¡¯t like him. There¡¯s a reason we changed it.¡±

    His maternal grandfather had insisted on having his grandson carry his name, if only in part. Just one of many ways he¡¯d forced his will onto Corey¡¯s mother in her all-too-brief life. The simmering rage he felt in the moment was apparent to everyone, much less the hyper-perceptive Worm.

    ¡°Very well.¡±

    ¡°So...do you have a name, or something? I get the feeling you¡¯ve got a lot of questions for me,¡± Corey said. Considering he was probably the first human this Worm had ever seen, he could imagine the creature being curious. ¡°This¡¯ll be easier if I know what to call you. Sorry if I¡¯m offending you by asking, I just don¡¯t really know how this stuff works.¡±

    ¡°You do not offend,¡± the Worm said. ¡°I possess something akin to a name, but you do not possess the capacity to intone it. However...I invite you to give me a name you feel appropriate. I am curious to see how you would define me.¡±

    Very aware that he was being put on the spot, Corey racked his brain to come up with something appropriate for the strange alien tree-worm. The Worm did not particularly care what the end result was, it simply enjoyed watching Corey¡¯s brain twist and accelerate in myriad ways Corey himself would never truly be aware of. Though the end result proved interesting as well.

    ¡°Thoth,¡± Corey said. He knew enough about egyptian myths to know the god of knowledge, which seemed like a fitting moniker for a creature like the Worm. It sensed the deific reverence and the ancient mystique Corey imparted on the name, and approved.

    ¡°Excellent,¡± said the newly-christened Thoth. ¡°Now, I have more questions for you, Corey Vash, but my arrangement with your employer compels me to attend to his curiosity.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, ¡®Thoth¡¯,¡± Kamak said. The Worm¡¯s enhanced senses stretch far beyond his lair, and gave him a general idea of almost everything that happened within the Paga For outpost. Hopefully that included details on the incidents that had been plaguing them. ¡°On that note, we¡¯ve had some unpleasant run-ins lately, including an assassin that apparently came from here. What do you know about that?¡±

    ¡°It is apparent his mission was fatally unsuccessful,¡± Thoth observed. He could sense the essence of the dead assassin lingering on the knife in Corey¡¯s boot. ¡°He was one of a dozen, all offered the same job. To hunt down your vessel and damage it in any way possible.¡±

    ¡°When did the deal go down?¡±

    ¡°Over several swaps, beginning twenty-nine swaps ago and ending eight later,¡± Thoth said. Kamak nodded. That put the deal beginning shortly after their encounter with the purple ship.

    ¡°Why are they after us?¡±

    ¡°I cannot say. There were curious but nonviolent inquiries into the nature of your ship. The aggressive actions began only after learning the composition of your crew.¡±

    Kamak¡¯s brow furrowed. That implied their initial encounter had been less premeditated than he had assumed. The campaign to kill Kamak and his crew had only escalated later.

    ¡°What were they offered?¡±

    ¡°Ah, that is a curious detail,¡± Thoth said. ¡°Some were offered money. Others, an opportunity. It would seem there are those whose motivations for killing you run deeper than money.¡±

    Disappointing, but not exactly surprising. Kamak knew very well he¡¯d given a lot of people a lot of reasons to kill him.

    ¡°Among those hired, I would note one standout: a male Sturit.¡±

    ¡°Oh, so it is your fault,¡± Kamak said to Tooley.

    ¡°It¡¯s a big universe, I¡¯m not the only blue bitch in space,¡± Tooley snapped back. ¡°Could be anything.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I know,¡± Kamak said. He¡¯d met other rogue Sturit in his time, he knew it was plenty likely this was unrelated to Tooley. He just wanted to annoy her for a moment. ¡°What about the employer? Who was the one hiring?¡±

    ¡°Communications were made via proxy,¡± Thoth said. ¡°The employer was never physically present. The courier acting on his behalf was a Gentanian, however.¡±

    Considering Gentanians were the most prolific species in the universe, that particular bit of information was less than useless.

    ¡°Got anything else for me, bud?¡±

    ¡°Part information, part advice,¡± Thoth droned. ¡°The neurological responses of the hunters implies the monetary offers were particularly generous, and the non-monetary offers equally motivating. Those who seek to kill you are particularly rich and particularly determined.¡±

    ¡°Fantastic, thanks for that,¡± Kamak sighed. ¡°Corey, you mind answering a few questions for the Worm? If I don¡¯t trade information I¡¯m going to have to pay it with money.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I got it,¡± Corey said. Three cycles and several hundred questions later, Corey began to regret agreeing.

 Chapter 32: Run Away With Me

    ¡°You ever been asked that many questions about your excretory system before?¡±

    ¡°Nope,¡± Corey said, before taking another drink. After Thoth¡¯s interrogation, he wanted as much alcohol in his system as possible as fast as possible. Luckily, Kamak had opted to have them stay a few days on Paga For while he figured out their next move, giving Corey plenty of time to get drunk.

    ¡°Hey, hey, hey,¡± Tooley said, as an idea struck. ¡°What¡¯s the weirdest question it asked you?¡±

    ¡°Whether my heightened emotional response to questions about my mother meant my society had normalized romantic relationships between family members,¡± Corey said, trying not to vomit even just thinking about it. Being drunk did not help coping with nauseating thoughts.

    ¡°Oh. Is it not?¡±

    ¡°No!¡±

    ¡°Huh. Then why are you so into kissing me?¡±

    ¡°Wait, you know what kissing is?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Corvash, people up here invented a nanobot that makes you immune to disease, somebody came up with the idea to make lips touch,¡± Tooley said.

    ¡°Then why¡¯d it surprise you?¡±

    ¡°Well, for most cultures, it¡¯s how you greet family,¡± Tooley said. Corey had another close call with retching. ¡°I just thought that was your thing, you know? I¡¯m not, uh, I¡¯m not judging, it¡¯s totally normal for some cultures-¡±

    ¡°Well not mine,¡± Corey said, loudly. ¡°Very much not mine. Ugh. Please change the subject. It is too early in the night for me to hurl.¡±

    ¡°Okay okay. On that note, we should think about packing up,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Buy a bottle for the road maybe and go back to the Hermit. Getting too drunk in public on Paga For is a good way to get dead.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t get you stabbed again that soon, can we,¡± Corey mused.

    ¡°Yeah, I like to go at least a few solars between getting stabbed, sliced, or impaled,¡± Tooley said. ¡°And you got your ass beat by Wagam not too long ago too.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t get my ass beat,¡± Corey said. ¡°I won that fight.¡±

    ¡°Sure sure sure sure,¡± Tooley hummed. She slammed down the rest of her drink and then pushed the glass away from herself. ¡°Come on, back to the ship while I can still walk mostly straight.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m coming,¡± Corey grumbled. He wasn¡¯t quite as drunk as Tooley yet, and he was enjoying the bar, but he didn¡¯t want to drink alone. If she was done, so was he.

    The dusty streets of Paga For were busier today. Some trading convoy had landed, apparently, and the city was choked with a sudden influx of ill-gotten goods. Most of it had gone into the established stores, but a few people had set up roadside stalls and were hocking various goods for sale at cheap prices. Tooley drifted towards a few stripped out bits of cockpit tech, but ultimately stayed the course and bought nothing. Corey found the market much less tempting, since he still didn¡¯t know what half of this stuff was.

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    ¡°Absolute mess of a planet,¡± Tooley said, as they finally escaped the impromptu market.

    ¡°Who would¡¯ve thought that an outlaw planet underneath the light of two dying suns would be so gross,¡± Corey said. He scanned the horizon and found out the hard way that looking at dying stars hurt his eyes even worse when drunk. ¡°Ugh. Do you think there¡¯s an actual practical reason for their to be an outpost here, or did the smuggler guys just think it looked like a cool place to hang out?¡±

    ¡°Probee- Probably the second thingy,¡± Tooley mumbled. ¡°All these tough guy types, they just do random shit because they think it looks cool. Is half the reason I put up with Kamak, yeah? Because he flies around in a regular fucking ship with a regular fucking name instead of some space hot-rod named Deathbound Repartee or some bullshit.¡±

    ¡°You made that up,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t! I did not. Real fucking ship. One of the first jobs I worked,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Some Velltor asshole. Never learned what his deal was. Got himself shot to death on the third job he worked.¡±

    ¡°Christ.¡±

    ¡°He was a jackass anyway,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Kamak¡¯s also a jackass, but least he¡¯s good at his job, yeah?¡±

    Corey shrugged. He¡¯d only been on board for a few somewhat messy jobs, but everybody was alive. That was apparently more than could be said of some crews. Tooley stumbled for a moment, caught herself, and stood upright, appraising the array of ships on the Paga For landing field. The Hard Luck Hermit was one of the smaller vessels out there, hidden among massive shipping vessels and long distance freighters.

    ¡°So so so...speaking of hanging out with Kamak.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Do you, like, still want to? At all?¡± Tooley asked. ¡°Apparently some rich, angry fucker has it out for the Hermit. We can get off this rock easy enough. I got potential gigs all over the place, probably won¡¯t be too hard to find a job for you too.¡±

    Corey was too drunk to think that analytically about anything, but the question seemed simple enough to him.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯d go well for me,¡± he said. ¡°You could probably go, not me though. And there¡¯s also, like, what if the guys are right, and it¡¯s your fault or my fault or the whole ship¡¯s fault, and then we¡¯re just out there wandering space and still being hunted. Except there¡¯s no Doprel or Farsus to help us not get killed.¡±

    ¡°That- is a very very very good point,¡± Tooley mumbled. ¡°I forgot how good at killing dudes those two are.¡±

    ¡°Right?¡±

    ¡°Okay okay okay, that¡¯s that,¡± Tooley said. ¡°I¡¯m sticking around if you are. And let¡¯s not ever tell anyone else we had this conversation.¡±

    ¡°Agreed,¡± Corey said. ¡°I think it¡¯s cute you wanted to run away with me, though.¡±

    Anything cute about the conversation got killed with a swift strike to Corey¡¯s ribs. As he staggered backwards, Tooley caught him by the sleeve of his coat and helped him stay upright.

    ¡°Sorry, whacked you a little bit harder than I meant to,¡± she said. She¡¯d been aiming for a light tap and gotten something closer to a haymaker. ¡°I¡¯m drunker than I thought.¡±

    ¡°Now I¡¯m worried about getting you even drunker,¡± Corey said, as he rubbed a bruised chest.

    ¡°Ah, you know me, I get all noodly the drunker I get. Pretty soon I wouldn¡¯t be able to hit you if I tried.¡±

    ¡°Alright, but you¡¯re staying arms length away from me until you sober up.¡±

    ¡°You sure about that?¡± Tooley mewled, in a way that made it very clear she had something in mind that involved being much closer than arms length.

    ¡°Well, maybe not.¡±

 Chapter 33: Full Speed Ahead

    No trip to Paga For would be complete without some indulgence in hedonism, and the crew of the Hard Luck Hermit had found their vice for the visit: gambling. The cracking chasms of the dying planet of Paga For were home to one of the universe¡¯s more spectacular races, the Canyon Crash. The name was literal more often than not. Most of the pilots survived, at least.

    Ancient, rusted shuttles, stripped bare of almost everything but engines and a few basic safety features like ejector seats, raced through the canyons one by one, each trying to score the best time through the chasm circuit. Corey found competitive head to head racing a little more interesting, but the canyons here were actually too narrow for the shuttles to go more than one at a time.

    The most recent racer crashed into a wall, utterly destroying his shuttle and very likely himself in the process. Corey felt some minor relief when the rescue team recovered them and announced they¡¯d only fractured eighteen of the three-hundred and seven bones their species had. Kamak, who¡¯d been betting on a fatality, was far more disappointed in the announcement. He was gambling relatively small amounts, but winning was winning.

    For an evening that was supposedly about gambling, the entire crew had kept it fairly low stakes. Doprel and Kamak were both betting low, Corey had only tried a few before losing three bets in a row and calling it quits, and Farsus had been banned from making new bets after making ten correct bets in a row. Most surprisingly, Tooley, their resident hedonist, wasn¡¯t betting at all. She wasn¡¯t even drinking.

    As soon as the racers took flight, Tooley¡¯s eyes were locked on the shuttles. She tapped blue fingertips against her thighs and scanned every aspect of the flight, every sweeping curve and pitch of the wings, never looking away until the pilot either made it through the course or crashed. Sometimes she even mumbled something to herself under breath, usually sequences of numbers Corey didn¡¯t understand. He assumed it was a pilot thing, and though he tried to ask Tooley to explain what she was doing, she never answered him.

    Another racer took their turn on the course, and this time it seemed like they might make it all the way to the end. Like every racer before him, he decelerated through a series of hairpin turns and swung his ship through the sharply veering canyon, just barely avoiding an impact with the walls on either side. Tooley¡¯s fanatical focus redoubled as the pilot took the final turn, and her finger-tapping motions redoubled in speed.

    The cheers of the crowd exploded as the racer made it across the finish line, and the MC offered a final appraisal of their performance.

    ¡°A dashing performance by an experienced racer,¡± the alien host said. ¡°But let¡¯s take it to the board to see how good they really did!¡±

    A floating billboard of sorts shifted from displaying a close-up to the racer to displaying a list of names and what Corey assumed were times. The crowd cheered as the board updated, displaying the latest racer¡¯s name and a time of four point one drops, which apparently made it into the top ten. Tooley just seemed outraged as she looked at the top spot, a whopping three point seven six drops.

    ¡°Three point seven six? That¡¯s it?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s pretty fast, right?¡±

    Corey knew that a drop was roughly a minute, so taking a course like this that fast was pretty impressive. The canyon racetrack stretched on for a few miles, so conquering it that quickly in a junker ship was pretty impressive, even discounting the hairpin turns and tight spaces that threatened to kill any pilot who flew through.

    ¡°It¡¯s fucking pathetic,¡± Tooley said. Then she stood and, without any further explanation, stormed off in the direction of the shuttle launch area.

    ¡°Should we-¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Just give it a bit.¡±

    After waiting a moment, Kamak found exactly what he¡¯d expected, as the name Tooley Keeber Obeltas appeared on the docket of upcoming racers. Her status was listed as ¡°amateur¡± and her odds of surviving the race listed as seven hundred and eighty-seven to one. Kamak went ahead and put ten-thousand cece¡¯s on her surviving, and another ten-thousand on her breaking a record. Corey just stared nervously at the screen until her turn got closer and closer. Meanwhile, in the garage, Tooley felt nothing even approaching nervousness, though she did feel irritation.

    ¡°I told you, I want shuttle number four.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t get to pick,¡± the hangar attendant said.

    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

    ¡°It didn¡¯t say anywhere in the rules I don¡¯t get to pick,¡± Tooley said.

    ¡°Well- you-¡± the attendant stammered. He wasn¡¯t actually sure what the rules were. ¡°What do you care? They¡¯re all the same model anyway. We buy them in bulk from mining outpost surplus.¡±

    ¡°It shows,¡± Tooley grunted. ¡°Give me number four. It¡¯s the only one with ailerons that aren¡¯t busted to shit.¡±

    The hangar clerk looked at their collection of rusty shuttles, all of which were on the opposite side of the hangar. Tooley hadn¡¯t been within fifty yards of any of them, yet she claimed to know their interior mechanisms already. The clerk chalked her up as a lunatic and put a large bet on Tooley dying in a fiery crash.

    ¡°Okay, sure, take whatever one you want, lady,¡± the clerk said. He threw a shuttle keycard in her direction and waved his hand at the collected shuttle craft. Tooley tried to catch the thrown card, failed, and picked it up off the floor before heading for the shuttles.

    Number four was in even worse condition than Tooley had thought, but the small holes in the chassis wouldn¡¯t affect aerodynamics enough to screw up her flying. She checked the frame and the engine for any significant defects, found none, and moved on to the next stage of her inspection.

    Tooley popped the cockpit open and hopped inside the shuttle. As she¡¯d expected, almost all of the internal monitors had been stripped out, leaving just the controls. Tooley dug out her own datapad and wedged it into a loose panel, setting it to display Paga For¡¯s atmospheric and gravitational conditions. She already knew it, but there was enough going through her head while she was flying that she wanted the data on hand quickly.

    For her final step, Tooley grabbed on to the controls, analyzed how they felt in her grip, and ran her hands along every switch and lever that controlled the ship. Then she repeated that process a few more times. After the fifth go around, she started doing it with her eyes closed, mentally repeating the names and functions of every control she touched as she did so. Every time she made a mistake, she repeated the process a few more times, until she had repeated every function of the shuttle without flaw eleven times in a row.

    Once that was done, Tooley was still waiting in queue, so she did the memorization process a few more times just to have something to do. Her name was called mid-routine, and she stopped in her tracks to activate the shuttle¡¯s engines and get it moving. She turned slightly and waved out the cockpit window at the hangar clerk before she went to the gate. The racetrack MC gave her a countdown, and Tooley gunned it as soon as she heard ¡°go¡±.

    ¡°Oh, full acceleration right out the gate,¡± the announcer said. ¡°Hope nobody¡¯s sitting in the blast radius around that first corner!¡±

    Tooley gripped the controls a little tighter.

    ¡°Laugh while you can, fucker,¡± she mumbled to herself. The first hairpin turn was coming up fast, and Tooley was approaching it at speeds that could best be described as suicidal. If it were anyone else behind the wheel, it would be, but Tooley had a plan. An even more potentially suicidal plan, but still a plan.

    As the lethal turn approached, Tooley cut the engines completely and pulled hard on the steering controls. The rusty shuttle pitched hard to the side, and Tooley carefully adjusted the aileron controls to keep it on track. She had to keep the ship¡¯s profile wide, maximize atmospheric resistance, and keep the shuttle at the right angle to make the upcoming turn. The confused crowd watched her seemingly nonsensical maneuvers with breathless anticipation of the explosion they thought she was about to become.

    Tooley disappointed them like she¡¯d disappointed a lot of other people in her life. Unlike those prior disappointments, the broken hopes turned to new excitement as Tooley fired her engines back to full speed right in the middle of the hairpin turn. She surged back to full powered flight, barely skimming the canyon wall as she executed a perfect flying drift. The crowd roared with excitement as the MC struggled to describe what he¡¯d just watched. Tooley just held her controls tight and kept flying. Still a few more turns to go.

    <hr>

    A few more turns later, Tooley was at the finish line, collecting her winnings for a successful race, and Kamak was collecting on a few well-placed bets.

    ¡°I want ten percent of that,¡± Tooley said.

    ¡°Fuck yourself sideways,¡± Kamak said. Tooley didn¡¯t press the issue. She had more than enough money already, and a nice shiny medal for taking the number one spot. A full course completion at two point nine eight drops, almost a full drop faster than the previous record.

    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s enough shenanigans for one day,¡± Kamak said. ¡°We should get a move on before Tooley tries to beat her own record.¡±

    ¡°Yeah yeah, even I¡¯m not that stupid,¡± Tooley said. She¡¯d made a few small errors, but nothing that cost her more than a few milliticks. She was confident her record would stand the test of time. ¡°But hold on one second.¡±

    Another racer was taking the gate. Tooley couldn¡¯t see the racetrack, but she could hear the engine roar and the MC start to narrate.

    ¡°Full acceleration into a sudden brake and drift,¡± the MC said. ¡°Looks like we have a copy cat on our hands!¡±

    The next thing Tooley heard was a very sudden and very loud explosion.

    ¡°Well, not for long we didn¡¯t,¡± the MC said. Tooley chuckled to herself and polished her new medal as she returned to the ship with the crew. They¡¯d be taking off tomorrow morning, giving Tooley plenty of time to count her winnings and admire her own reflection in the shiny medal.

    It was proof she was one of the best. A shining mark that she could fly better than some of the biggest would-be hotshots in the galaxy. Proof that somewhere out there in the galaxy her name was up in lights as the best of the best when it came to flying.

    The smile Tooley saw in her reflection lasted about ten seconds before fading. The next time she saw her own reflection, it was at the bottom of a glass.

 Chapter 34: Employment History

    ¡°It looked like a good gun to me,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°You don¡¯t buy anything on this planet,¡± Tooley snapped, as they stumbled back into the ship. Somebody had tried to sell Corey a new gun, and Corey had almost bought into it. ¡°Farsus! Farsus. You¡¯re smart and sober. Tell Corey about why the Vogshamamama...the Vogshan- fuck. You know what I mean.¡±

    ¡°The Vogshanamn,¡± Farsus corrected. He helped an unsteady Corey and Tooley onto the couch as he explained. ¡°A minor church of capital originating from the planet Yogskarr. To overly simplify a complex and multifaceted belief system, they believe that one must buy their position in the afterlife, and they live their entire mortal lives in pursuit of more money.¡±

    ¡°Fucking losers,¡± Corey mumbled. ¡°Funny though. What¡¯s the ticket price on heaven?¡±

    ¡°There are no specific price tags, but admission into various tiers of quality of eternal rest is based on relative wealth,¡± Farsus said. ¡°Their rites very specifically say that if one dies as the wealthiest being in the universe, they are admitted to a divine sanctum with pleasures unimaginable to the mortal mind.¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah,¡± Tooley said, as recollection struck. ¡°And they¡¯re all super fucking pissed that nobody can get into super heaven because they¡¯re all poorer than Morrakesh, right? Hah!¡±

    While Tooley laughed at their broken belief system, Corey briefly contemplated the word ¡°Morrakesh¡±. It sounded familiar, but he couldn¡¯t quite place it. He¡¯d been bombarded with a lot of weird words and phrases recently. He added Morrakesh to the very long list of things he¡¯d ask about eventually.

    After finishing her bout of laughter, Tooley kicked the table in the center of the room to summon a bottle of Shiiv. The meat-based booze had barely made it out of the aperture before Kamak snatched it away and put it back in the table.

    ¡°Hey! I was going to drink that.¡±

    ¡°And now you¡¯re not going to,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Sober up ASAP. We¡¯ve got a job.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s not even a fucking terminal here, how do we have a god damn job?¡±

    While bounty hunters often used Paga For as an information hub and supply stop, the nature of the outpost meant it wasn¡¯t too keen on having any permanent law enforcement presence. Even from enforcers as lax as the bounty hunters could be, as the half-drunk crew of the Hard Luck Hermit was currently demonstrating.

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    ¡°It¡¯s a personal call, not a Guild gig,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Somebody wants me to take care of something for them.¡±

    ¡°Ooh, I didn¡¯t know we did house calls,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Is it urgent? Because I really don¡¯t want to take a fucking pill right now.¡±

    The same nanomachine pills that could cure a hangover could also cure drunkenness, but it was a much greater shock to the system, and only partially effective. It was more like being a quarter drunk and three-quarters electrocuted than being sober.

    ¡°It¡¯s not urgent, but as soon as possible,¡± Kamak said. ¡°This one¡¯s important.¡±

    ¡°How important?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a Timeka job.¡±

    It was an incredibly short sentence, but Tooley still couldn¡¯t help but scoff before Kamak had even finished.

    ¡°You did not get a personal call from Timeka,¡± Tooley snorted. Corey leaned over to Farsus.

    ¡°What¡¯s Timeka?¡± he whispered. He¡¯d heard the name spoken before, and seen the label on several products and billboards, but had stowed it in his ¡°ask about later¡± section. The conversation had just bumped it up the list.

    ¡°Biggest mining company in the universe, produces most of the starship-grade metal,¡± Farsus whispered back quickly.

    ¡°I used to work for them,¡± Kamak said, addressing Tooley and Corey at the same time. ¡°We have a standing professional relationship.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a long story,¡± Kamak said, in a way that made it very clear he would not be telling it. ¡°The important part of the story is that they¡¯re the reason I own this ship, so every one of you bastards who¡¯s along for the ride owes them a favor by proxy anyway.¡±

    ¡°Huh. Well, this ship isn¡¯t complete shit, so I¡¯m in,¡± Tooley said. ¡°And if they hand out ships to people like you, I should be able to score one for my own pretty easy.¡±

    ¡°Feel free to ask,¡± Kamak said with a chuckle.

    ¡°Did our old friends give any indication what type of job this was?¡± Doprel asked. He sounded skeptical, which was a bad sign.

    ¡°Something a bit more typical than our last job,¡± Kamak assured his partner. Some of their past jobs for Kamak¡¯s old employer had been on the messy side. ¡°Standard gig, Apall promised.¡±

    The reassurances settled Doprel¡¯s nerves, and he then settled his massive ass into the couch, next to a still-tipsy Corey.

    ¡°So, old bosses, huh,¡± Corey said. ¡°What¡¯s that about?¡±

    ¡°Not my place to say,¡± Doprel said. ¡°Mostly because I wasn¡¯t there for it. Kamak and I met later. I¡¯ve met most of the people he used to work with, though, and they¡¯re...well they¡¯re not ¡®nice¡¯, but they¡¯re trustworthy. As long as you¡¯re on their side, they¡¯re on your side.¡±

    ¡°And if you¡¯re not on their side?¡±

    ¡°Well, that depends,¡± Doprel said. ¡°If you¡¯re just not on their side, they mostly ignore people. If you¡¯re actively against them, though¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s when they call me,¡± Kamak said.

 Chapter 35: The Bosss Boss

    The space station in front of them had the same hexagonal construction as Centerpoint, but nothing else in common with the cosmopolitan masterpiece. Every square inch of the interlocked platforms were piled high with manufacturing facilities and hangars, through which a constant tide of shipping vessels flowed in and out. The orbiting industry platform was constantly tailed by a hazy ribbon of black industrial pollution, spewing out of the facility and pulled by gravity into the burning furnace of the nearby sun. It was equal parts impressive and disgusting. To be visible from such a distance, the black torrent had to have been billions of tons of waste and toxic gases. At least it was getting vented harmlessly into a far-off sun, instead of choking some unfortunate inhabited planet¡¯s atmosphere.

    Tooley handled the docking procedures as usual, with a begrudging interlude allowing Kamak to input a set of docking codes. Apparently he had some sort of special access. After allowing him to do that, Tooley shoved him out of the way and got back to her usual sequence. Until the proximity sensor started beeping.

    ¡°Any chance that¡¯s a shipment of metal?¡±

    Kamak grunted and pointed a hand out towards the long line of massive freighters.

    ¡°They come in at a distance, and queue up under tower control,¡± Kamak said. The proximity sensor stopped beeping as the mystery vessel emerged from FTL. ¡°Maybe the Timeka¡¯s just have another guest.¡±

    ¡°If I were hiring you, I¡¯d want a backup too,¡± Tooley snipped. She tried to make it sound like a joke, but it faltered. She was thinking about the last time their proximity sensor had been tripped, just like everybody else.

    ¡°Keep it steady,¡± Kamak said. ¡°We¡¯re in Timeka space. Anyone who fucks with us is going to get fucked with.¡±

    ¡°Great, they can fire one missile at us and the chunks of me that are left will get to watch your friends blow up the bad guy too,¡± Tooley grumbled. She scanned the sensors just to see what they were working with. A small vessel, a pretty standard model stellar skiff, good for maybe two or three people at most. ¡°Doesn¡¯t look like they¡¯re packing that kind of firepower, though.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll be fine,¡± Kamak said. They were already about halfway through their approach. The drifting security vessels that constantly orbited the hangars were already in view. Nobody would try anything this close to that much firepower.

    Though it didn¡¯t do anything aggressive, the mystery vessel did get closer to them over time. Kamak kept a careful eye on the ship, but by all accounts it was simply drifting through the docking procedures, same as them. Eventually the Hard Luck Hermit slipped into its hangar, as did the mystery skiff, blocking their view of each other.

    ¡°Alright, now we grab the guns?¡±

    ¡°Just me,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Nobody else goes in armed. And-¡±

    Tooley shut her mouth as Kamak preempted her comment.

    ¡°Same¡¯ll apply to our guest. Only Timeka staff get to stay armed on board.¡±

    In spite of his assurances, Kamak made sure to grab an especially good pistol before he disembarked. He took the lead and proceeded out of the hangar, under the watchful eye of a Timeka-branded security drone. The hangar complex had no living occupants, only an army of mechanical drones patrolling the halls -and interrogating another visitor. The apparent pilot of their mystery vessel. Corey caught quick glimpses of a squat, broad-shouldered alien standing behind a wall of mechanical bodies, calmly conversing with the machines. He didn¡¯t have any time to get a better look, or overhear any of the conversation, before their own set of security drones put the crew on a forced march into an elevator.

    ¡°If you¡¯re their friend, hate to see how they welcome their enemies,¡± Tooley said, as she eyed the cold steel walls of the elevator, and the cold steel bodies of their escort.

    ¡°It¡¯s a procedure,¡± Kamak said. He maintained a cold silence through the entire ride, and didn¡¯t break it as they stepped out into a new hallway. There were actually organic guards in this section of the facility, not machines, and Kamak acknowledged them only with a curt nod.

    Along with the first sign of life, this hallway also came with the first splash of color. The gunmetal grey surfaces were occasionally cut with blood red paneling, laid out at eye-level (for most species at least, Doprel¡¯s six eyes were two feet above it). The bright crimson bands made the chilling atmosphere of the long halls that much more sinister. Corey was starting to wonder what kind of ¡°friends¡± Kamak had.

    Their escort stopped in front of a door, identical to dozens of others in the long hallway, and pointed them towards it. Kamak let himself in.

    The contrast between the chillingly austere hallway and the office they walked into was like night and day. The flowering houseplants lining the entry were enough of a twist from the cold metal exterior to make Corey¡¯s head spin. The bright white paneling and multiple colorful paintings on the wall just kept it spinning, as did the warm, pleasant smile of the older man sitting behind the desk.

    ¡°Kamak D-V-Y-B,¡± he said. ¡°Been a long time, old friend.¡±

    ¡°Apall F-X-A-C,¡± Kamak said, putting a hand to his shoulder in a gesture of respect. The man at the desk was a Gentanian, just like Kamak, though judging by the coarser ridges on his head and the wrinkles on his face, he was much older. Considering what Corey knew about the species¡¯ long lifespans, he could be hundreds of years old. ¡°Good to see you again.¡±

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    ¡°Have a seat,¡± he said. Apall pressed a button. and several panels in the walls opened up to deploy furniture for his guests. Chairs hovered into place and settled into various spots around the room. They even had one in Doprel¡¯s size. ¡°Can I get you anything? Drinks?¡±

    ¡°Maybe later,¡± Kamak said. He had the chair closest to Apall, and he leaned forward to be even closer. ¡°Before we talk shop, you should know. Me and my crew have been getting tailed lately. Attacked, even. We¡¯re looking into it, but we don¡¯t have a lot of leads. Could complicate whatever you want to hire us for.¡±

    ¡°I appreciate your forthrightness,¡± Apall said. ¡°Let me see if we can help.¡±

    Apall touched a few buttons on a computer at his desk, and looked up at Doprel.

    ¡°Apologies in advance, Doprel.¡±

    ¡°For what?¡±

    The door to the office opened again, and was entirely filled by the hulking shadow of a colossal alien. A Doccan, the same species as Doprel, and the only other one that Corey had ever seen. Doprel didn¡¯t express emotions in any human way, but Corey could tell that his mandibles twitching couldn¡¯t mean anything good.

    The other Doccan was completely impassive when faced with another example of his species, and pushed a more human-looking companion forward. The pilot of the ship that had tailed them earlier, looking battered but not bruised, stumbled into the room at the urging of the massive alien.

    ¡°You actually gave me the idea to use Doccan muscle, you know,¡± Apall said. ¡°Though mine are more...typical examples of the species. You¡¯re very charming, Doprel, but emotions aren¡¯t a necessity in my line of work.¡±

    The other Doccan continued to stand impassively in the center of the room, while Doprel twitched nervously by its side. The Doccan had a very simple brain structure compared to most species, bereft of any hormonal systems or complex neurons that would enable them to act on anything but animalistic logic, though they were still as ¡°intelligent¡± as any other sapient species. Doprel was a genetically-engineered exception to that emotionless standard, which allowed him to be very uncomfortable about the other Doccan in the room. The last Doccan he¡¯d met had tried to eat him.

    ¡°Hard to convince them to work, sometimes...but I digress,¡± Apall said. He gestured to the diminutive alien that had been tailing them. ¡°This man fed my security a series of very flimsy excuses as to why he was here. Under a bit of pressure, he claims he was hired to follow you.¡±

    ¡°And nothing else,¡± the tail insisted. ¡°Follow, report on movements of your ship, get paid, done. I- I¡¯m not even armed.¡±

    ¡°Keep talking,¡± Apall said calmly.

    ¡°N-not much to say,¡± the man said. That was received coldly, so he continued with what little he had. ¡°Just, the guy wanted to know what you were doing in this part of space. How long you were staying. What direction you go when you leave, that kind of thing.¡±

    Kamak nodded. The story sounded legitimate, at least, and he had a few guesses as to why. Timeka had tight security, so anyone coming or going would have their name end up on visitor lists, their ship tagged in the hangar registry, and their face on security camera footage. For someone interested in keeping their identity hidden from a person they were tailing, it was a nightmare scenario. Better to send a scapegoat to do the scouting on your behalf.

    ¡°And your employer?¡±

    ¡°Details are light,¡± the tail stammered. ¡°Short, male, young looking, I assume, at least for his species. Had the same skin as that one.¡±

    He pointed at Tooley, who let out a long, deep sigh.

    ¡°Any chance he paid up front?¡± Kamak asked.

    ¡°A quarter.¡±

    ¡°Still too much, by the looks of things,¡± Apall said. ¡°How¡¯d he pay? Cece¡¯s?¡±

    ¡°No. Hard materia. Platinum, to be specific.¡±

    ¡°Do you still have it?¡±

    ¡°No, sir. Sold and banked.¡±

    ¡°Well, at least you¡¯re fiscally sensible,¡± Apall said. As a company dedicated to handling metals, Timeka had ways of analyzing materials, finding out where they¡¯d come from, and where they¡¯d been. But if the metal was already sold, it¡¯d be borderline impossible to track down now.

    ¡°Any other useful information for us, sir?¡±

    ¡°Nothing I can think of. Honestly, when I do this kind of thing it¡¯s usually cheating spouses or bad business partners, I don¡¯t ask a lot of questions,¡± the tail stammered. ¡°I have clearly stumbled into something bigger than that, and I apologize.¡±

    Apall nodded at the tail, and then towards Kamak.

    ¡°Your crew, your call,¡± he said.

    ¡°What, this chump? I don¡¯t care,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Just got caught up in someone else¡¯s mess.¡±

    ¡°You can go,¡± Apall said, with a wave of his hand. ¡°Leave your business info with our security team. I could use occasional scouting.¡±

    The quality of the man¡¯s work left much to be desired, but not every situation demanded the best. Also, after a scare like this, he¡¯d probably be easy to intimidate into a low price. The tail, not knowing how to handle receiving threats and job offers in the same day, nodded a few times and then allowed the hulking, emotionless Doccan to escort him out of the room.

    ¡°I hope that was useful,¡± Apall said, as the door slammed shut.

    ¡°Time will tell,¡± Kamak sighed. ¡°Least we got one tail shaken off.¡±

    ¡°Indeed. Now, Kamak, if I may get to the reason I called you here?¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re still on board,¡± Kamak said with a nod.

    ¡°I¡¯ve dealt with bigger messes, and I trust your ability to handle yourself,¡± Apall said. He folded his hands together and leaned back in his massive office chair. ¡°One of our shipments recently fell victim to piracy. An occasional risk that¡¯s naturally associated with the business, of course, but¡­¡±

    Kamak waited. He knew Apall well enough to know the pause might last a while.

    ¡°This one, perhaps, chafes a bit more,¡± Apall finally said. ¡°The captain of the crew has used his profits to fund a comfortable retirement. More comfortable, I think, than he deserves.¡±

    ¡°How do you want it done?¡±

    ¡°I trust your judgment. But I do want it done,¡± Apall said firmly. ¡°Crime doesn¡¯t pay, after all. Or at least it shouldn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Then it¡¯ll be done,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Forward me the details and we¡¯ll get on it as soon as possible.¡±

    ¡°Forwarding now,¡± Apall said. ¡°And no hurry. I¡¯d invite you to stay a while, even, but the station isn¡¯t exactly hospitable.¡±

    ¡°The offer¡¯s appreciated, but it¡¯s probably best we keep moving either way,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°At least take some time to have a drink with an old friend, Kamak,¡± Apall said. ¡°There¡¯s a few things we should discuss before you go.¡±

    Apall snapped his fingers again, and summoned a floating tray with a large bottle and exactly two glasses. Everyone else took the hint and left the office as Apall started pouring a drink for himself and Kamak.

 Chapter 36: Special Interest Group

    ¡°So, is chatta still your drink of choice?¡±

    ¡°When I can afford it,¡± Kamak said. Apall chuckled to himself and poured Kamak a generous glass of the dark liqueur.

    ¡°Well, this bottle¡¯s on me, so drink up,¡± Apall assured him. ¡°Mind your pace, though. Can¡¯t have you drunk just yet.¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡± Kamak asked. He hadn¡¯t been planning on it anyway, but he wanted to know.

    ¡°Because you have company.¡±

    Kamak didn¡¯t turn to look at the source of the voice, and focused on his drink. Their new guest made themselves known soon enough, just like he¡¯d expected.

    She was old, at least by her species standards, old enough that even expensive surgeries and prosthetics could not hide her age any longer. Probably still younger than Kamak, though. Certainly wealthier than him, given the quality of the suit she wore. She took a seat across from Apall, helped herself to a glass of chatta, and gave Kamak a long, piercing scan with her golden eyes.

    ¡°Pleasure to meet you, Kamak,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m Kiz Timeka. You killed my dad.¡±

    Kamak took a sip of his drink.

    ¡°Yep.¡±

    Kiz¡¯s golden eyes lingered on Kamak for a second. Then she started to laugh.

    ¡°You were right, Apall,¡± she said. ¡°Didn¡¯t even blink.¡±

    ¡°Kamak¡¯s a man who knows what he¡¯s about,¡± Apall said with a bemused smile.

    ¡°No hard feelings, of course,¡± Kiz assured Kamak. ¡°I know the story. He got what was coming to him.¡±

    Kamak gave a brief hum of acknowledgment. He wasn¡¯t one to rehash the past. Dezan Timeka had tried to sell family secrets to a rival company, and in response, Kamak and many other members of the Timeka security team had ¡°retired¡± and been given a ¡°retirement present¡± of a ship and all the materials needed to begin a bounty hunting career. Their first target being, entirely coincidentally, Dezan Timeka, before any major media outlet had a chance to catch on to his defection.

    ¡°So, Kamak, as you¡¯ve guessed by now, this isn¡¯t entirely about our one retired pirate,¡± Apall said.

    ¡°Though we still expect you to carry out the job,¡± Kiz clarified.

    ¡°Naturally,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Let me guess. The Tigan graverobber?¡±

    Apall pursed his lips and said nothing. Somebody had been stealing the corpses of dead Timeka employees, by means and for reasons unknown. They¡¯d been trying to keep a lid on the situation, but it had apparently gotten out enough for Kamak to know.

    ¡°That is a¡­separate situation,¡± Apall said. ¡°Timeka has found itself short on trust in recent times. It¡¯s high time we kept our friends closer than our enemies.¡±

    ¡°What Apall is trying to say, Kamak, is that we hope this bounty will be the first step in re-establishing a long term business relationship,¡± Kiz said.

    ¡°I¡¯m a bounty hunter,¡± Kamak said. ¡°As long as you¡¯re paying, I¡¯m working.¡±

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    There had been a very different kind of job offer hidden in the words of Kiz¡¯s sentence, but Kamak wasn¡¯t on board. Not yet, at least. Though he didn¡¯t want to completely shut the door on returning to Timeka, bounty hunting had a unique set of perks that kept him on board for now. That, and Kamak was smart enough to know when he wasn¡¯t being told the whole story.

    ¡°Good to hear,¡± Kiz said. ¡°We¡¯ll be in touch. On the note of friends, have you been in touch with Catay?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Kamak said. ¡°And you know she¡¯s not fit to work.¡±

    The Hard Luck Hermit¡¯s original pilot had been critically injured after only a few jobs, beginning Kamak¡¯s long string of bad luck with pilots.

    ¡°There are roles that could suit a woman in her condition,¡± Kiz said.

    ¡°Last I heard from her she was calling me a lot of unpleasant things. I doubt she¡¯d be open to a re-hire. By either of us.¡±

    ¡°Mm. No point trying to cross burned bridges,¡± Apall said. ¡°And how would you appraise your current crew?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve met Doprel enough times to know he¡¯s about the best you can hope for. As long as he gets to keep his hands mostly clean,¡± Kamak said. Doprel wasn¡¯t afraid to fight and kill when he felt it was justified, but his standards of ¡°justified¡± were a lot higher than Timeka¡¯s. ¡°And Farsus, he¡¯s got all the skills you could want, and a whole bunch of other bullshit skills you¡¯d never even think of, but he¡¯s flighty. Got the wanderlust in him. Good if you keep him moving, but he¡¯ll ditch you eventually if you don¡¯t.¡±

    Both of the Timeka executives in the room seemed to be taking different sets of mental notes on this conversation. Kamak wasn¡¯t sure how he felt about delivering secondhand resumes.

    ¡°That Corey kid, he knows his way around a fight, but nothing else,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Uncontacted, doesn¡¯t know fuck about shit. I think if he survives a few years he¡¯ll be half decent, but he¡¯s got to survive the years first. Which I don¡¯t think¡¯ll happen.¡±

    ¡°Noted. And the pilot?¡±

    ¡°You got any pilots to spare, because I¡¯ve been looking to ditch her since the day we hired her,¡± Kamak said. ¡°We can trade if you want. No take backs.¡±

    ¡°I take it that¡¯s a negative assessment,¡± Kiz said. ¡°If not a detailed one.¡±

    ¡°You haven¡¯t got the swaps to hear a detailed assessment of everything wrong with Tooley Keebur Obeltas,¡± Kamak scoffed.

    ¡°Then why keep her on your crew?¡±

    ¡°Because she hates me and she hasn¡¯t quit yet,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Most people quit when they start to hate me. You go through sixteen pilots, you learn to stop being picky.¡±

    She was also the best pilot that Kamak had ever seen, but he deliberately left that part out. If Timeka knew that Tooley had skills, they might get interested. That interest would inevitably end badly for everyone involved, especially Tooley.

    All three people in the room decided to take a drink at the same time, giving rise to a brief pause in the conversation. The disruption provided an excellent opportunity for Kiz to empty her glass and set it on Apall¡¯s desk. Apall took the empty glass and placed it on a coaster as Kiz grabbed the arms of her chair and stood.

    ¡°Wonderful finally meeting you, Kamak, but I should get going,¡± she said. ¡°Work to be done, always.¡±

    ¡°Understood. You take care of yourself, Kiz.¡±

    ¡°You take care of yourself,¡± Kiz countered. ¡°You¡¯re the one dodging the actual bullets.¡±

    Kamak shrugged, and Kiz excused herself. Apall refilled both their glasses once she was gone.

    ¡°So, was that meeting your idea or hers?¡±

    ¡°Hers. We meant what we said about needing trustworthy help,¡± Apall said. ¡°Why? You think she might be connected to your pursuit?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been decades and she¡¯s got Timeka money,¡± Kamak said. ¡°If she held a grudge over me mercing her daddy, I¡¯d be long dead by now. Just curious, is all.¡±

    Kamak emptied his refilled glass of chatta in a single swig, and set it down on a coaster on Apall¡¯s desk.

    ¡°So what the fuck is this really about?¡± Kamak asked. ¡°All the shit Timeka¡¯s endured the past few decades, scandals, planetary wars, pirate campaigns, I never get more than some menial manhunts, what¡¯s going on now that you need ¡®trustworthy friends¡¯?¡±

    The bottle of chatta trembled ever so slightly as Apall refilled his own glass.

    ¡°I¡¯m not at liberty to say,¡± Apall said. ¡°For many reasons.¡±

    After topping off his glass, Apall pushed the bottle across the desk, into Kamak¡¯s hands.

    ¡°Keep it,¡± Apall said. ¡°Raise a glass to a changing universe.¡±

    The synthetic glass bottle strained as Kamak¡¯s grip tightened, but did not break. With a quick, grateful nod to Apall, Kamak stood up and left the office, hurrying back to his ship. He didn¡¯t know what the hell was going on, but he knew he wanted to get off this station. Now.

 Chapter 37: Lesser and Greater Evils

    The Hard Luck Hermit didn¡¯t exactly feel like ¡°home¡± to Corey yet, but it was still a welcome respite after the cold halls of the Timeka space station. Walking back to the ship, Corey had realized that the hallways were slightly slanted, making it easier to walk out than in. He didn¡¯t even know why they had guest hangars if they were going to be so openly hostile to visitors, right down to the architecture.

    ¡°Hey, Farsus, do you know a lot about Timeka?¡±

    ¡°I am far from an expert, but I am knowledgeable,¡± Farsus said. ¡°This is not the first time we have worked with them during my time alongside Kamak.¡±

    ¡°Cool. On a scale of one to ten-¡±

    ¡°How evil is Timeka?¡±

    ¡°How evil is Timeka,¡± Corey repeated.

    ¡°To the extent of my knowledge, a six,¡± Farsus said. ¡°Which, given the extent of my ignorance, almost certainly places their actual evil at a seven or eight.¡±

    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s...not actually helpful at all, I have no idea what your standards of evil are,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°They have a comparatively low number of corporate assassinations to their name,¡± Farsus said. ¡°And almost no child and or slave labor.¡±

    ¡°Almost?¡±

    ¡°Different systems have different laws in regards to child labor,¡± Farsus said. ¡°Timeka only practices it in systems where it is already legal.¡±

    ¡°And the slavery?¡±

    ¡°None that I am aware of. They do not actively trade with the Morrakesh Collective, where slavery is legal.¡±

    ¡°Huh. Not a fan of that,¡± Corey said. ¡°I think Morrakesh is the guy those slavers were going to sell me to.¡±

    ¡°That tracks,¡± Tooley said. ¡°The Collective buys a lot of slaves.¡±

    ¡°Good to know I dodged a bullet.¡±

    ¡°Yes, several of them,¡± Farsus said. ¡°Unlike your companion HobridHee.¡±

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    ¡°It was a figure of speech,¡± Corey said. ¡°What¡¯s up with that Collective, anyway? What do they need slaves for?¡±

    ¡°For the same reason anyone needs slaves: cheap labor,¡± Tooley said. ¡°The Collective is its own little alliance of civilized galaxies, like the Galactic Council on a smaller scale. And also evil. It¡¯s like forty percent actual government, sixty percent crime syndicate. As opposed to the Council, which is the other way around.¡±

    ¡°I was going to say, sounds like most governments,¡± Corey said with a chuckle.

    ¡°In my experience, most cultures have a similar joke,¡± Farsus said. ¡°I am uncertain whether I consider the ubiquity of corruption to be depressing or amusing.¡±

    ¡°Amusing,¡± said Tooley.

    ¡°Depressing,¡± said Corey.

    The difference of opinion never had a chance to become a discussion, as Kamak stomped his way back aboard the ship, in no mood for discussions of any sort.

    ¡°Tooley, we have a destination. Get it plugged in and get us moving.¡±

    ¡°Got it.¡±

    Her rebellious streak didn¡¯t extend to Timeka, who had a lot of money -and a lot of ways to kill Tooley if she fucked up their plans. She headed for the cockpit, and the rest of the crew followed, strapping in for takeoff.

    ¡°And before you get into anything that requires fine motor skills, I need to say something that might piss you off,¡± Kamak added.

    ¡°Most things you say piss me off.¡±

    ¡°I know. As soon as we¡¯re done with this Timeka job, we¡¯re going after that Sturit who¡¯s chasing us.¡±

    ¡°Ah, right, so you can try to prove this is all somehow my fault.¡±

    ¡°No, you predictable bitch,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Because he¡¯s the closest thing we have to an actual lead in the entire god damn universe. We¡¯ve got a description and a last known location. I¡¯ve done more with less.¡±

    ¡°As is the nature of bounty hunting,¡± Farsus agreed. He¡¯d seen a man traced across the galaxy by a single strand of hair, once upon a time.

    ¡°If we get any better leads, I promise you we¡¯ll follow them,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Believe me, the last thing I want in my life is another blue asshole who probably wants to kill me.¡±

    ¡°Whatever you say,¡± Tooley grunted.

    ¡°Chin up, Toobertas. We¡¯ll have plenty of time for other people to try and kill us while we¡¯re doing our job,¡± Kamak said. ¡°We¡¯ll have another lead before you know it.¡±

    ¡°If we survive,¡± Tooley muttered under her breath.

    ¡°Ah, fuck that,¡± Kamak said. ¡°You saw the little bastard they sent after us here. We¡¯re clearly not dealing with the cream of the crop here.¡±

    ¡°Last time you said something that, I got shot in the head,¡± Doprel said.

    ¡°You have a secondary endoskull, you were fine,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°It still hurt,¡± Doprel said.

    ¡°You get shot every other job we do anyway, Doprel, you stand in front of bullets on purpose,¡± Kamak said. Due to his more durable physiology, Doprel often intercepted bullets on behalf of his fragile teammates. ¡°Nine out of ten times I say someone¡¯s shit, they¡¯re just shit. Trust me.¡±

    The cockpit was silent after that, but for the sound of Tooley hitting buttons and pulling levers. Kamak couldn¡¯t argue with the silence. He wasn¡¯t entirely sure he trusted himself right now either.

 Chapter 38: Not Kidding

    ¡°Jesus, this place is fucking ugly,¡± Corey said.

    Even the rusted underbelly of Centerpoint¡¯s dirtiest districts hadn¡¯t been quite so upsetting as the soulless monotony he saw now. Every building in sight was an identical duplicate of every other building. Business were only differentiated from homes by the signs above the door. It was a suburban nightmare turned up to eleven.

    ¡°It¡¯s a corpo-colony,¡± Kamak said. ¡°They mass produce these things, drop them planetside, fill them up with their employees. Quick and easy way to settle a planet.¡±

    ¡°They do that often?¡±

    ¡°Pretty much every time they find a new habitable planet,¡± Kamak said. ¡°I grew up in a colony like this. Little rustier by the time I was born. And mine was Timeka brand, of course.¡±

    While Kamak had been born and raised under the banner of Timeka, this colony was owned by one of their foremost competitors, the Handac Mining Collective. Apparently their target was relying on that corporate rivalry to give him an extra layer of protection. That, or he¡¯d actually been on a privateer contract for Handac, and not just attacking Timeka ships randomly. Kamak didn¡¯t know and he didn¡¯t care. Timeka wanted the pirate dead, so he would die.

    ¡°Farsus, Doprel, you two take the roads, keep an eye on things in and out of town,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Corvash, you¡¯re with me.¡±

    ¡°Right. What¡¯s the first move?¡±

    Kamak pointed at one of the nearby cube-shaped buildings. There was a crudely made sign above the door that said ¡°Kog-Oqua¡¯s General Goods¡±.

    ¡°We¡¯re getting snacks.¡±

    ¡°Snacks?¡±

    ¡°When people make a pit stop on a long stellar trip, they go to the bathroom and get snacks,¡± Kamak said. ¡°We need to be inconspicuous. Also I want snacks. Come on.¡±

    <hr>

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how the fuck you eat those things,¡± Kamak said. He¡¯d had to scoot over just to avoid the smell of Corey¡¯s chosen snacks.

    ¡°Different tastebuds, I guess,¡± Corey said, as he popped another one of the dried seeds into his mouth. They were apparently the leftover seeds of a fruit used in some kind of mass-produced nutrient slurry, packaged and sold so the manufacturers could extract as much profit as possible from their product. Most species regarded them as distasteful but cheap snacks, with Kamak specifically referring to them as ¡°poverty poppers¡±, but Corey thought they were delicious. They tasted like a dried fruit and salted nut rolled into one.

    ¡°Maybe that¡¯s the reason the Council ignored you humans,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Shit taste.¡±

    ¡°Or they were afraid we¡¯d fuck up the snack economy,¡± Corey said, as he ate another of his ¡°poverty poppers¡±. Kamak gave a single snort of laughter and then turned his attention back to the horizon.

    The pirate who had attacked the Timeka shipment had retired to a comfortable lakeside cabin farm removed from the corpo-colony. A nearby copse of plant life provided good cover for Corey, Kamak, and two sniper rifles. Kamak was a firm believer in redundancy when it came to murder implements.

    Corey checked his scope, and saw nothing. As usual. A quick check with Farsus, who was situated further down the road, proved he¡¯d seen nothing either.

    ¡°This dude sure takes his sweet time doing errands,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°Maybe he¡¯s at an edgeball game. Meeting old friends, taking about the good old days of hijacking ships and murdering innocent people.¡±

    ¡°Cracking open a shiiv and talking about cracking open a skull.¡±

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    After waiting a few seconds, Corey realized that Kamak was not going to continue the gag and went back to focusing on the cabin.

    ¡°I wonder if we¡¯d have actually found the guy by now with a regular search,¡± Corey wondered aloud.

    ¡°Too conspicuous. Town¡¯s too small, and this guy¡¯s been retired too little time, for some strangers poking around to not be suspicious,¡± Kamak said. ¡°This guy hasn¡¯t been hiding long. He¡¯s going to be jumpy.¡±

    ¡°Okay, I get it. You got any tricks to get mud out of boots, though?¡±

    To avoid suspicion, they¡¯d gone the long way around. The very long way.

    ¡°We got cleaning supplies. And take your fucking boots off. Get your feet dry. Universal vaccine won¡¯t keep you from getting foot fungus.¡±

    Corey cringed and reached down to unstrap his boots. He¡¯d made it through one boot when Kamak bonked him on the head and pointed upwards.

    ¡°Boots on, incoming,¡± Kamak snapped. Corey cursed under his breath and shoved his boot back on. By the time he got back to his rifle¡¯s scope, their presumed target was clearly in view. A small vehicle was drifting down the road to the isolated cabin. Corey held his breath, stayed still, and waited for the vehicle to get closer. Two things became clear within moments; first, that this was definitely their target, and second, that he was not alone.

    ¡°Shit. Two of them.¡±

    ¡°We got two guns,¡± Kamak said. ¡°If it looks like trouble, I¡¯ll get the pirate, you get his buddy.¡±

    After a moment of adjustment, Corey¡¯s rifle focused more clearly on the additional target. The tightened view of the scope revealed nothing good.

    ¡°Shit. Kamak, look at the other guy. Is that just a very small person, or¡­?¡±

    Kamak refocused his own scope to look at the passenger. While some alien species came pint-sized, this was not one of them. He was the same species as their pirate target, just smaller. But otherwise very similar in appearance. Too similar, even.

    ¡°Haha, nope,¡± Kamak said. ¡°That¡¯s definitely a kid. Probably his kid, too.¡±

    ¡°Well fuck,¡± Corey said. ¡°What do we do?¡±

    ¡°The fuck do you mean? We shoot the guy and get our bounty.¡±

    ¡°You want to shoot the guy?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the whole reason we¡¯re here,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°In front of his kid?¡±

    ¡°We can wait until the kids back is turned if that makes you feel better.¡±

    ¡°This feels fucked up, Kamak,¡± Corey said. It was hard for him to estimate how any alien species aged, but that child couldn¡¯t be more than twelve, maybe thirteen years old. Not that there was any level of maturity that made it okay to watch one¡¯s father get shot.

    ¡°Ah, you sound like Doprel,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Think about it. You think the murderous ex-pirate is winning any father of the year awards? We¡¯re probably doing the kid a favor, long term.¡±

    ¡°I feel like there¡¯s a better way to do this,¡± Corey said. The vehicle was getting close to the cabin now, and gradually drifting to a stop. ¡°We can knock on the door, take him for a ¡®walk¡¯, or something.¡±

    ¡°Better parents have died for worse reasons,¡± Kamak mumbled.

    As the pirate¡¯s vehicle rolled to a halt, the pirate himself stepped out, stretched his legs, and turned to look at the lake, enjoying his ill-gotten view. Kamak took another look through his scope, centered on the pirate¡¯s chest, and sighed. Dozens of people had died so that this pirate could enjoy the view. And Corey wanted to use the kid gloves.

    ¡°Alright, Corey, look at me real quick,¡± Kamak said.

    Corey did so, giving the bounty hunter his full attention. Kamak locked eyes with Corey, unblinking, and pulled the trigger. Corey hadn¡¯t even finished gasping when the plasma-charged pellet of metal ripped a hole dead center through the pirate¡¯s chest. He was still playing catch-up with the gasp while Kamak stepped out of his hiding place and started walking towards the pirate¡¯s smoking corpse to acquire proof of termination.

    As Corey, and literally anyone else, might have guessed, the kid did not take it well. Kamak stepping out of cover just gave the young man something to focus that reactive energy on. Corey couldn¡¯t make out what was said in the incoherent screaming, but he knew a punch when he saw one. Or half a punch, anyway. Kamak caught the amateurish blow easily, and threw the kid aside with practiced force, then said something Corey couldn¡¯t hear and put a hand on his pistol. Whether because of the unheard warning, or just because of the gun, the kid stayed put while Kamak took a DNA sample and a photo of the corpse. Corey tried not to watch. The kid was starting to cry.

    ¡°Come on, Corey,¡± Kamak said. ¡°We got better things to do.¡±

    Corey forced himself to turn around, and to not look over his shoulder as they walked away, but some parts of his curiosity could not be contained.

    ¡°What¡¯d you say to the kid?¡±

    ¡°Told him how many people his dad killed,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Don¡¯t know if you read the case file, but it¡¯s a lot.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s going to make it any better.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t give a shit,¡± Kamak said. Then he turned slightly, leading them on a different path back to the Hard Luck Hermit. Hopefully this new path would be drier. Kamak didn¡¯t want Corey¡¯s boots getting soaked all over again.

 Chapter 39: Relative Speed

    The ocean of the world below rolled by in the cockpit window as Kamak sat alone. Somewhere on that planet, a child was mourning his father. Kamak didn¡¯t care.

    ¡°Apall. Your pirate¡¯s dead,¡± he said. He switched his personal tablet out of communication mode briefly, to send the proof to Apall. ¡°Transferring confirmation details now.¡±

    ¡°Wonderful,¡± Apall chimed, far too quickly for him to have actually checked the files. ¡°Efficient as always. Your payment is on the way. And I have a bonus, as well.¡±

    ¡°Take it from your tone you don¡¯t mean a little extra spending money,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°Not this time,¡± Apall said. ¡°We monitored that little stalker of yours as he was leaving the station. He sent a message saying he¡¯d failed the job. Transmission was supposed to be encrypted, but we traced it to Karzahd Station, far side of the galaxy our processing center is in.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. Thanks for the tip,¡± Kamak said. His first stop would¡¯ve been the nearest station to the Timeka processing center, lightyears away. Having a slightly more recent lead would be a big help.

    ¡°Happy to help. Hope this situation of yours gets resolved soon. Timeka has a lot of work to be done we could use your kind of help with.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll let you know as soon as we¡¯re done,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Thanks again for the tip. Keep your head on, pal.¡±

    ¡°Same to you,¡± Apall said. ¡°In a more literal sense.¡±

    <hr>

    There were a dozen different complications that could delay a manhunt, but by far the most infuriating was traffic.

    ¡°They got to set a limit on how many people can go through these fucking things,¡± Tooley complained. They were one of dozens of ships waiting to go through a Bang Gate, lining up to take their turn to hurtle through time and space.

    ¡°Even if they did so, we would likely be on the wrong side of the limit,¡± Farsus said. ¡°We are currently number eighty-hundred and thirty-seven in the queue.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t fucking tell me,¡± Tooley said. She¡¯d stopped keeping track a few swaps ago, in hopes it would make the time go by faster. It wasn¡¯t working.

    ¡°They really need to build more of these things,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°It¡¯s a hole in time and space, Corvash,¡± Kamak said. ¡°It takes like eighty solars to build. By the time they finish one that can fit another ten thousand ships a swap, thirty thousand new ships are trying to fly through it.¡±

    ¡°What really needs to happen is people got to stop having kids,¡± Tooley said. ¡°More people means more traffic. Farsus, what¡¯d be the best way to sterilize a lot of people?¡±

    ¡°Chemical agent dispersed in the Hokkton Comet Cluster,¡± Farsus said. ¡°The ice harvested there is spread among multiple systems as drinking water, and-¡±

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    ¡°Farsus, stop telling Toobertas how to commit bioterrorism,¡± Kamak snapped.

    ¡°What? She has no means to carry out such an act,¡± Farsus said. ¡°The Cluster has extensive security systems.¡±

    ¡°Still. We try to keep the ship terrorism free. Pick something else to talk about,¡± Kamak said. He wanted to kill time as much as the rest of them, but there were certain outlawed topics on his ship. ¡°Corvash, ask us a dumb question.¡±

    ¡°Uh, okay.¡±

    Corey had several dumb questions filed away, to be parceled out over time. Right now he was most curious about what was going on with Doprel¡¯s species, the Doccan, but Doprel had been in a bad mood lately and Corey didn¡¯t want to bring up anything unpleasant. He opted for a more innocuous question instead.

    ¡°What¡¯s with some of the nicknames people get around here? Corvash, Toobertas, what¡¯s with that.¡±

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s just a diminutive sort of thing. You mash some people¡¯s names together,¡± Kamak said. ¡°At least among cultures that actually have last names. So Corey Vash becomes Corvash, Tooley Keeber Obeltas becomes Toobertas, that kind of thing.¡±

    ¡°Alright, I get it, so you¡¯d be what, Kam-Y-B?¡±

    ¡°Ugh. No,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Our designations don¡¯t really work well.¡±

    With long life spans and relatively high breeding rates, Gentanians could not rely on family lineages for identification purposes so easily. An average Gentanian could have up to thirty-seven children during their lifetime, most of whom would then breed with other Gentanians and produce thirty-seven more offspring, so on and so forth until every family tree was more of a family spider-web. Gentanian children were assigned unique alpha-numeric identifiers rather than family names, to make them easier to track.

    ¡°The trend is also inapplicable to me and Doprel,¡± Farsus added. ¡°As neither of our cultures make use of last names.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not even sure Doccan¡¯s use names at all,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°Does Doprel not talk about it?¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t converse much about his emotionless murder-cousins, no.¡±

    Though he saw an opportunity to ask about the Doccan, Corey chose not to seize it. Both out of respect for Doprel, and because asking too many questions too quickly made him feel stupid.

    He had another question in mind that he was also sure would make him look stupid, but the benefits outweighed the risks.

    ¡°So, uh, on a completely different note,¡± Corey said. ¡°Do you guys have, you know, laser swords up here?¡±

    ¡°Laser swords?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Like an energy beam thingy,¡± Corey said. He mimed the action of stabbing someone. Kamak, Tooley, and Farsus all stared at him with equal levels of confusion and disdain.

    ¡°Why the fuck would we have those?¡±

    ¡°For stabbing and cutting shit?¡±

    ¡°We already have something for that, it¡¯s called a regular fucking knife,¡± Tooley said.

    ¡°How the hell would you make a laser blast into a sword shape anyway?¡± Kamak snorted.

    ¡°Does the human race understand some physical laws we do not?¡± Farsus asked. ¡°Using all known materials, such a blade would be impossible to create. On top of being wildly impractical.¡±

    ¡°If you want something lasered, you just shoot it,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°Forget I said anything,¡± Corey said. ¡°Fucking useless space tech.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry, is us bridging the gap between galaxies with space time anomalies not impressive enough for you, Mr. Science?¡± Tooley snarked, as she gestured to the massive Bang Gate in front of them.

    ¡°Don¡¯t have laser swords, don¡¯t have automatic doors-¡±

    ¡°We have automatic doors, idiot, we just don¡¯t have them on this ship,¡± Kamak said. ¡°On a space ship, you need to be efficient with your space. A sliding door means you have to give it room to slide into. When the door¡¯s on a regular hinge, it goes where empty space already is.¡±

    ¡°Fine, yeah, I get it.¡±

    ¡°If this is the kind of shit you humans are focused on, no wonder you haven¡¯t figured out space travel yet.¡±

    ¡°I said I get it,¡± Corey snapped. They made fun of him for ten more minutes anyway.

 Chapter 40: Defying Gravity

    ¡°Kamak! We got another tail!¡±

    ¡°Please tell me it¡¯s not that fucking purple thing again,¡± Kamak said, as he rushed to the cockpit. Tooley pointed to a display screen in front of the passenger seat.

    ¡°Good news, it¡¯s not, bad news, it is a fighter,¡± Tooley said. The vessel had been following them for their last few jumps on the way to Karzahd Station, but hadn¡¯t closed the gap until now.

    ¡°What kind? Have you started the scanner?¡±

    ¡°No need, it¡¯s a Shavek K-Class,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Modern make, lighter, faster, and better armed than us as a stock model, and that looks like a retrofit, so probably even faster and stronger than that.¡±

    Kamak double checked on their ship scanners anyway, and watched as it spat out the exact same thing Tooley had already told him. If Tooley knew anything, it was ships and flying.

    ¡°Maybe we¡¯re lucky and it¡¯s just another idiot sent to tail us,¡± Kamak said.

    Tooley¡¯s only response was to swerve hard to the side as the first volley of laser fire sailed past them.

    ¡°Had to try,¡± Kamak sighed. ¡°Farsus! Gun!¡±

    The shout was entirely unnecessary, since Farsus was already in his seat and starting to return fire. The Hermit¡¯s basic defense turret was more of a hypothetical deterrent than an actual weapon, and the inaccurate potshots it took did not scare off their current attacker. The fighter ship swung wide around the volley shot back its way and retaliated. This time at least one of the bolts struck true, and the Hard Luck Hermit veered hard to the side as one of its engines briefly flickered.

    ¡°Our attacker is aiming to cripple us, not to kill us,¡± Farsus noted.

    ¡°Fun! We can get executed later instead of dying in space,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Tooley, do we have a jump coordinate or what?¡±

    ¡°Hard to do that and evasive maneuver this shit at the same time, asshole!¡±

    An FTL jump required a very specifically calculated trajectory, to avoid any impacts with stellar bodies or debris. Even if Tooley had time to make the necessary calculations, she¡¯d never be able to line up the ship at a safe angle to make the jump while under heavy fire.

    ¡°Alright, I get it,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Corey, Doprel, you¡¯re not doing anything quintessential to our survival, help me out here.¡±

    ¡°Oh, uh, I don¡¯t know, can we evade around an asteroid belt or something?¡± Corey said. He pulled up a readout of the lifeless system they currently inhabited. ¡°Fuck, no asteroids. We¡¯ve got, what is this, two planets, a sun, one of the planets has a moon, can we hide on the dark side of the moon or something?¡±

    ¡°Unhelpful!¡± Tooley snapped.

    ¡°I disagree,¡± Farsus said. ¡°Quickly, Corey, where is the moon currently positioned?¡±

    ¡°Uh, between the two planets, sort of at an angle.¡±

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    ¡°Perfect! Doprel, take the guns, I have mathematics to do.¡±

    Farsus practically hopped out of his gunner¡¯s seat, leaving Doprel to kneel awkwardly next to a chair not designed for him and try to use controls that were also not designed for him. His giant, six-fingered hands could only paw at the gun controls, but they hadn¡¯t been hitting any shots anyway, so no one noticed the difference.

    ¡®Tooley, take us wide and away from the planets,¡± Farsus commanded. She wasn¡¯t hearing any better ideas, so she complied. ¡°Corey, tell me the mass of the planets and the moon!¡±

    The flurry of numbers Corey started reading off held absolutely no meaning to him, but Farsus apparently found some inspiration in them. He was madly plugging away at an equation on his datapad, using several kinds of mathematical notations Corey had never seen before.

    ¡°Excellent! Kamak, now the details of the vessel!¡±

    ¡°Where are you going with this?¡±

    ¡°A place both ludicrous and delightful,¡± Farsus said. In spite of the circumstances, he seemed to be delighted, barely restraining himself from laughter. ¡°Tell me!¡±

    ¡°Well, at least he¡¯ll die happy,¡± Kamak mumbled to himself, before giving Farsus the information he had asked for. The data got fed into the larger equation, and whatever the result was, Farsus sent it to Tooley¡¯s data readout in the cockpit.

    ¡°Tooley Keeber Obeltas, follow the specified trajectory exactly,¡± Farsus said. ¡°Doprel, I will retake my position as gunner now.¡±

    ¡°Oh thank god, my joints are starting to hurt.¡±

    After reclaiming his position on the turret, Farsus started firing the gun with an almost fanatical precision. Every single round fired still missed, but an expression of delight spreading on Farsus¡¯ face made it seem like his accuracy was perfect. The fighter pilot chasing them started to swerve in predictable patterns, causing Farsus to finally break into a low, almost malevolent chuckle.

    ¡°Classically trained evasive maneuvers,¡± Farsus said. ¡°Tooley, are we on course?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, on course to die,¡± Tooley said. He had drawn out a long, arcing path that took them on a shallow curve between the two planets, barely skimming the outer atmosphere of the one with the moon. Tooley could see what he was going for, but she wasn¡¯t sure his plan would work.

    ¡°Perfection!¡±

    He fired off another round to the right of the fighter ship, then fired far to its left. None of the shots connected, but they did cause the fighter to swerve in exactly the way Farsus intended. He repeated the process twice more, making the fighter dance to his whims, as Tooley¡¯s route approached a sudden, sharp dive, in a straight line.

    ¡°You sure about this?¡± Tooley said. A straight dive like that would make them a very easy target.

    ¡°If all is well, this dive will be our last maneuver,¡± Farsus assured them. ¡°Now!¡±

    Tooley bit her tongue, wished she was drunk, and then slammed down hard on the ship¡¯s controls. The Hard Luck Hermit barreled into a nose dive, and the fighter followed, veering sharply downwards -and then snapped in half.

    ¡°Woah!¡± Tooley screamed, as she grabbed the controls and swerved hard again to evade the wreckage that was now careening past them. Multiple fragments of the ship had burst into flames as their internal fuel cells broke apart and ignited, turning what had once been a fighter into several burning fireballs.

    ¡°How the fuck did that happen?¡±

    ¡°You got some psychic powers you been holding out on us, Fars?¡± Kamak asked. Farsus merely tapped his temple with one finger, chuckling all the while.

    ¡°My mental prowess lies only in my ability to calculate gravitational stress,¡± Farsus said. ¡°Too many assume that space is zero gravity, and ignore the risks it poses.¡±

    Caught between the dueling gravitational fields of the two planets and the moon, and forced into fast paced maneuvers by Farsus¡¯ gunfire, the smaller, weaker vessel had been unable to endure the physical stress and ultimately snapped in half under the g-forces at work.

    ¡°Man am I glad you¡¯re on our side,¡± Kamak sighed. ¡°Please tell us the plan next time, though.¡±

    ¡°My apologies, but my silence was not without reason. I didn¡¯t have time to calculate the Hermit¡¯s stress resistance, and there was significant risk the plan would kill us as well. I did not wish to cause further stress.¡±

    The cockpit went back to being dead silent.

    ¡°What?¡±

 Chapter 41: Whos Trying To Kill Us This Time

    ¡°Alright, fires are out, so this officially isn¡¯t fun to look at any more,¡± Tooley said. While Tooley had calculated their next course, the wreckage of the vessel Farsus had destroyed through clever mathematics had burned out and was now drifting idly through space. ¡°Back on track to whatever-it¡¯s-called station?¡±

    ¡°Not yet,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°¡®Not yet¡¯? You want to stick around and take the chance this guy¡¯s friends show up?¡±

    ¡°If he had friends they¡¯d be here by now,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Farsus. Up for a spacewalk?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been some time, but yes,¡± Farsus said. ¡°I assume you mean to salvage the flight computer?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Give us an idea of who this joker was, where he came from,¡± Kamak said. Farsus nodded and went to fetch his space suit while Tooley kept up her usual stream of complaints.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t we currently in the process of tracking down an entirely different joker?¡±

    ¡°Lot of jokers in the universe, we can track more than one at a time,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Especially if this joker gives us a lead a little closer to home.¡±

    The Sturit they were currently looking for was likely just an accessory to the larger hunt, but there was the chance, however slim, that this fighter had a more direct link to the central culprit. Depending on how intact their flight computer was, and how poorly they covered their tracks, this broken ship might give them a much better lead.

    The fantasy of a quick resolution to their problems would have to wait until Farsus got his space suit on, at least. The dusty suit had been shoved in a locker for quite some time, and he, quite understandably, wanted to make sure it was still airtight. Once he¡¯d double-checked the suit and squeezed his ample frame into it, Farsus began the long waddle towards the cargo bay, with Kamak following along to help him out of the ship.

    ¡°Hey, Farsus, before you go,¡± Kamak said. ¡°I¡¯m not expecting trouble, but with the way things have been going lately-¡±

    ¡°In the event of another attack, I will likely be abandoned,¡± Farsus said. ¡°I understand.¡±

    ¡°Can I get that understanding in writing, because I feel like Doprel¡¯s going to bitch at me anyway,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°And you¡¯ll deserve it,¡± Farsus said, before stepping backwards into the airlock and ejecting himself into space. Kamak shook his head and headed for the cockpit.

    ¡°Hell of a way to get the last word,¡± he mumbled to himself. Kamak just hoped they wouldn¡¯t be Farsus¡¯ actual last words.

    Back in the cockpit, the rest of the crew watched with bated breath as Farsus drifted into view and started to pick through the crumbling wreckage of the starfighter. The wrecked ship, and the way Farsus idly drifted through it, was a very tense reminder of what could have happened to them, had that starfighter been a better shot.

    ¡°Hey Corvash, you keep a knife on you, right?¡±

    ¡°Most times, yeah,¡± Corey said. Keeping himself armed had likely saved his life in the fight against Wagam, so he saw no reason to break the habit.

    ¡°If we ever get spaced, be sure to like, stab me or something,¡± Tooley said. ¡°I¡¯d rather just get it over with.¡±

    ¡°Uh. If I can. I guess.¡±

    The mass contemplation of their own mortality only got worse as Farsus began to work on the broken cockpit of the starfighter. He unlatched the thin plastic dome and unbuckled the dead pilot within. The body was burned past the point of recognizability, and Corey didn¡¯t know whether he was hoping or dreading that the fire might have killed them before the asphyxiation did.

    ¡°If we¡¯re at the point of mercy killing, please do me first,¡± Doprel said. ¡°I can survive without oxygen a lot longer than you guys. Way more time to suffer.¡±

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    ¡°Yeah, yeah, I¡¯ll kill you, don¡¯t worry about it. And then Tooley, because god knows I¡¯ve been waiting to,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°Not if I put you down first.¡±

    ¡°No need to make a fucking contest out of it. We can shoot each other at the same time, and Corey can mop up whoever¡¯s left.¡±

    ¡°Why do I have to be the cleanup crew in this morbid fantasy?¡±

    ¡°Well usually it¡¯d be Farsus¡¯ job, but he¡¯s not around to participate in this particular coping mechanism,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Speaking of Farsus.¡±

    Kamak leaned forward and put his hand down on a comms button.

    ¡°Farsus? Any luck?¡±

    ¡°The vessel¡¯s computer appears to be intact, now it is merely a matter of removing it,¡± Farsus said. He had a very limited selection of tools with him on this space walk, so it could be a long process to remove the computer from the rest of the ship.

    ¡°Good to hear. Also, you, uh, you got a former pilot headed your way,¡± Kamak warned. The corpse of the pilot had drifted back towards the cockpit, pulled by some shift of microgravity currents. Kamak was glad he didn¡¯t believe in ghosts, or that might have spooked him. Farsus, who was also skeptical of afterlives, looked over his shoulder and simply kicked the corpse away, sending it on an inevitable collision course with the nearby sun.

    ¡°This is starting to feel fucked up,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°Ah, he would¡¯ve done the same to us,¡± Tooley said.

    To Farsus, a corpse was merely a corpse, so he wasted no time on contemplation of morality and focused on removing the computer. The complex machinery of the fighter¡¯s cockpit yielded to his skill eventually, and Farsus deftly removed the ship¡¯s computer, tucked it under the bulky arm of his space suit, and began to drift back in the direction of the Hermit.

    ¡°You got the thing?¡± Kamak asked over the comms.

    ¡°I do possess the thing,¡± Farsus answered.

    ¡°Great, Tooley, get the ship going, we¡¯ve overstayed our welcome already,¡± Kamak said. ¡°And Farsus, hate to overwork you, but I want that thing cracked ASAP.¡±

    ¡°I will endeavor to do so, but I need not warn you that encryption can be a time-consuming obstacle.¡±

    ¡°I know, I know,¡± Kamak said. ¡°But Doprel¡¯s looking sad, so let¡¯s just find out what kind of animal we just put down so he can stop feeling bad.¡±

    <hr>

    As it turned out, there was no animal. Nor was there any encryption. The computer record aboard was purely civilian, detailing the almost mundane life of a military contractor from a far-flung region of space. There were months of logs detailing routine sorties, boring patrols -and then a disastrous, destructive mission through the Caro galaxy. The room got real quiet when that phrase came up. Corey knew he¡¯d regret asking, but he had to.

    ¡°What¡¯s the Caro galaxy?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s where I¡¯m from,¡± Doprel said flatly. ¡°Where all Doccan are from.¡±

    In an attempt to avoid lingering on the subject, Farsus scrolled through some of the remaining logs, mostly dealing with the fallout of the failed mission, tallying the destruction, and planning memorials for fallen friends. The grief took a hard turn into vengeance with a single message from an unknown sender, promising details on a ¡°Doccan infiltrator¡± running amok in Council space. Try as he might, Farsus could not extract any further information about who had sent the messages, but they contained disturbingly specific details about the Hermit, and about Doprel specifically.

    ¡°We¡¯ve seen enough, Farsus,¡± Kamak said, much too late to be of any help. Doprel was already sulking in the back of the room. The hulking alien ignored any expressions of concern leveled his way and lumbered off to his chambers to mope in peace.

    ¡°So this guy was just some random mercenary with a grudge against Doccan¡¯s?¡±

    ¡°Something like that,¡± Kamak said. Corey didn¡¯t like the sound of that, and the memory of the charred corpse drifting through space started to turn his stomach even more. That hadn¡¯t been some psychopath or career criminal. Just a regular guy working a job not so different from theirs.

    ¡°The Doccan are a species of logic,¡± Farsus said. ¡°And sometimes it is ¡®logical¡¯ to take what you need from others by force. That does not endear them to anyone who ships goods through the Caro galaxy.¡±

    ¡°And this particular guy decided to take his grudge out on Doprel for no reason,¡± Tooley snorted. She was not quite so perturbed by the situation as the rest of her crewmates.

    ¡°He had a reason.¡±

    ¡°Okay, let me clarify: he had a shitty reason,¡± Tooley said. ¡°He gets one fucking email and goes in guns blazing?¡±

    ¡°Doprel is an extreme outlier for his species,¡± Farsus said. He had emotions, which already set him lightyears apart.

    ¡°So what? A Gentanian stabbed me a few swaps ago, I don¡¯t want to kill every other Gentanian in the galaxy on principle,¡± Tooley said. ¡°I do want to kill Kamak, but that¡¯s for personal reasons, not some stupid bias.¡±

    ¡°The bitch has a point, somewhere underneath all that stupidity,¡± Kamak said. ¡°He started the fight. He¡¯s the only person responsible for what happened to him.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Farsus said. ¡°The one who sent him those lies is equally responsible.¡±

    ¡°Good point. On that note, Tools, get us a heading and get us back on track. The dead guy¡¯s a dead end, so let¡¯s follow our lead on that Sturit and hope it isn¡¯t just Tooley¡¯s ex-husband.¡±

    ¡°Her what?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not talking about this,¡± Tooley hissed, as she put in their heading and put them into FTL.

 Chapter 42: Feeling Blue

    As he walked through yet another corroded hallway, Corey started to wonder if the universe didn¡¯t need a higher standard for maintenance. These ironclad halls were the only thing standing between them and icy oblivion, but a leaky pipe was currently dripping water into a pool on the floor, filling a puddle that was obviously slowly corroding the metal. Corey kept his concerns to himself and kept walking at a brisk pace, following the rest of the crew.

    ¡°Bones, I hate shitholes like this,¡± Kamak said. ¡°How hard is it to label a god damn map?¡±

    Karzahd Station¡¯s maps left much to be desire, making it harder for them to find a space where people might congregate. The port records had already proven completely useless, so now they had to do the manhunt the old fashioned way: by asking around.

    Aimless meandering eventually led them to a canteen of sorts, where the stations various visitors and residents stopped to pay too much for a half-decent meal. Kamak took a seat, and the rest of his crew filed in around him as he carefully scanned the area. There were only a handful of workers on staff, and Kamak wanted to be sure he picked the one that was most in the know. It was easy enough to see who called the shots, once you knew what to look for. Every place like this, be it a bar, a canteen, a restaurant, all formed a similar social hierarchy. Something about food service just turned people into their own little clan, with a self-appointed ¡°chief¡±. The other workers in the area gravitated around them, running close circles around the one with the most experience, the most charisma, or simply the most attractive one.

    Luckily for Kamak, this one appeared to have been picked out for his experience. Kamak didn¡¯t know the species by name, but it was a big one. He stood nearly a head taller than Kamak, and twice as wide, with stripes on his rugged skin and a broad, powerful jaw. He also had what appeared to be a scar from a knife wound visible in his forearm. Kamak especially liked that.

    ¡°Tooley, we¡¯re up.¡±

    ¡°Ugh. I hate being an example.¡±

    Sturit were relatively uncommon on a universal scale, but their skin and hair colors were all nearly identical, so one Sturit made a good example of what any other Sturit might look like. A fact that made things easy for Kamak and very unpleasant for Tooley. The two walked up to the canteen boss and Tooley tried her best to look generic.

    ¡°Hey, can I bother you for a moment?¡±

    ¡°You already are, so you might as well keep going,¡± the boss grunted.

    ¡°Excellent. You seen a man around here that looks like her recently?¡±

    Kamak pointed at Tooley, and she waved at the boss.

    ¡°A Sturit, I know,¡± he grunted. ¡°Yeah. Keevah Battir Nunn. Hangs around Hanger 5C. Has been for a while.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Well, thanks.¡±

    That had been far easier than Kamak had expected. Too easy. He returned to his table with a relieved Tooley in tow and aired his suspicions.

    ¡°Nobody¡¯d be that obvious about who and what they are while on a hunt,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Either we got the wrong guy, or we¡¯re walking into a trap. I don¡¯t think I need to say which is more likely.¡±

    ¡°While the universe bends me towards cynicism, I must point out the hangars here are ill-suited to an ambush,¡± Farsus said. ¡°They have several wide, open entrances into the main walkway. A proper ambush would necessitate an easily sealed chokepoint.¡±

    ¡°And being the ones with advance warning. I haven¡¯t seen any signs of us being actively observed or reported on since we got here,¡± Doprel added. While there was always the possibility of hidden cameras or subtle forms of communication, Doprel had seen nothing suspicious so far.

    ¡°Well then, assuming we all want to check it out,¡± Kamak said, to a chorus of nods. ¡°We got two options. We go now and hope we got the element of surprise still, or we head back to the ship and try to outprepare the guy. All in favor of going in now?¡±

    No second vote was needed, as Doprel, Corey and Farsus all raised their hands, instantly winning out over Kamak and Tooley¡¯s desire to prepare.

    ¡°Alright, well you fuckers are walking in first, then,¡± Kamak said. He slapped the table and led the way back into the exterior ring of the space station, where all the hangars were located. The upside to their mission was that the hangars, at least, were plainly labeled, making their target easy to find. The downside was that the Hard Luck Hermit was docked on the far side of the station from their target. They¡¯d be in for a long retreat down a narrow, exposed hallway if things went wrong.

    ¡°This just keeps getting better and better,¡± Kamak mumbled to himself. There were no good places to walk into an ambush, but this was definitely one of the worst places possible.

    ¡°Just relax,¡± Doprel insisted. ¡°We¡¯ve handled worse.¡±

    ¡°Usually for much better reasons,¡± Kamak grunted. In spite of his protests, he kept a hand on his gun and an eye on every corner as he walked. They reached Hangar 5C without incident, but that didn¡¯t give Kamak even a spark of optimism. He gestured to the Hangar¡¯s open doorways. ¡°You¡¯re up, boys.¡±

    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

    Farsus, Doprel, and Corey all shared a nod, and mutually pretended that none of them were having second thoughts. They each picked a door, braced themselves, and readied their guns. As usual, Doprel went first. He took two steps in and immediately froze in place.

    Then the crying started.

    ¡°Oh, he- sorry, sorry!¡±

    Kamak groaned heavily and took his hand off his gun. He¡¯d been expecting an ambush, but found the only thing in the universe worse than a mercenary out to kill him. A crying baby.

    ¡°Our apologies for the misunderstanding, folks, just a simple case of mistaken identity,¡± Kamak said. Not that mistaken. There was, in fact, a Sturit male here, presumably the Keevah guy who¡¯d been mentioned earlier, but he was likely not their assassin given that he was unarmed, out of shape, and currently preoccupied trying to shelter a cowering wife and crying child. Given that they still looked absolutely terrified, Kamak did a quick check to make sure everyone had put their guns away. Every gun in the room was safely holstered, but the quick scan did make something else clear for Kamak. The terror the couple felt wasn¡¯t aimed at any gun, or even at the hulking Doprel -it was all focused on Tooley.

    ¡°Tooley, do you know these nice people?¡±

    ¡°You think I know every blue-skinned son of a bitch in space?¡±

    ¡°Well if you don¡¯t recognize them, and they don¡¯t recognize you, why are they looking at you like you¡¯re the Void itself?¡±

    The terrified duo were looking slightly less scared as time passed, but Kamak¡¯s point stood.

    ¡°Well they¡¯re scared as shit and got to be looking at something,¡± Tooley said.

    ¡°You¡¯re not here for us?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, we just said that,¡± Kamak said. ¡°We were looking for another Sturit, you got caught up in the search.¡±

    That statement seemed to rekindle some of the fear in Keevah¡¯s heart, and he took a step back. The baby had stopped crying, at least.

    ¡°Wh-why are you looking?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re pretty sure he¡¯s trying to kill us,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Any chance you¡¯ve been hanging out with another Sturit on this station?¡±

    ¡°No. I- we¡¯ve been keeping to ourselves. I don¡¯t know anything. I think you should leave.¡±

    As Keevah started to protested, his wife put a quick hand on his arm and whispered something in his ear. He grunted something back under his breath, and she whispered back more insistently.

    ¡°Fine, fine,¡± he said. He turned his attention back to Tooley. ¡°Are you trying to get away from Structuralists too?¡±

    Tooley¡¯s eyes narrowed, and she crossed her arms tight across her chest.

    ¡°In a general sense, I guess,¡± she grunted. Last she¡¯d heard, the ¡°Structuralists¡± were an extremist fringe group with a lot of loud voices but not much clout. ¡°I¡¯m not much of a ¡®homeworlder¡¯, I don¡¯t really know or care what the hell¡¯s going on in local politics.¡±

    ¡°You haven¡¯t heard about the coup?¡±

    ¡°The fucking what?¡±

    ¡°The Structuralists took control of the military and executed everyone in the previous government,¡± Keevah said. ¡°They¡¯ve got Turitha and every other Sturit system under their control now. Everyone has to submit to Structuralism or they treat you like a violet. Re-education, imprisonment-¡±

    ¡°Or worse,¡± the wife said bitterly. There was a tension in her voice Kamak had seen plenty of times before. This was personal. She¡¯d lost someone.

    ¡°Huh. Well, glad I got out while the getting was good,¡± Tooley said, without the slightest bit of tension in her voice. Corey was actually angrier about the takeover than she was. He had a more personal problem with fanatics.

    ¡°It¡¯s not enough to just get off-world,¡± Keevah said. ¡°They¡¯re zealots, and they want the Sturit to be one people, with one ideology. They¡¯ve been sending soldiers offworld to hunt down people like you. Like us.¡±

    Now the edge of concern slipped onto Tooley¡¯s face. Kamak and Farsus shared a quick, knowing look. A possible motivation for at least one of their pursuers.

    ¡°That¡¯s horrible,¡± Doprel said. ¡°Haven¡¯t you been to Council space? You should be able to claim refugee status.¡±

    ¡°They turned us away,¡± Keevah said bitterly. His wife looked at the ground. ¡°Ever since we¡¯ve just been trying to get as far as possible as fast as possible.¡±

    ¡°Well, good luck with that,¡± Kamak said. ¡°You might want to move fast, there¡¯s probably one of those Structuralist hunters on this station.¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t go anywhere,¡± the wife moaned. ¡°Our ship¡¯s broken.¡±

    This time it was Doprel¡¯s turn to get a knowing look from Kamak. This one went unreturned, since Doprel was busy looking at the tiny blue baby held in the wife¡¯s arms.

    ¡°I know that look,¡± Kamak sighed. ¡°Remember to keep enough that you can feed yourself, Doprel, your food¡¯s expensive.¡±

    While Doprel made a handout, everyone else started to walk away. Corey glanced over his shoulder once, and had some second thoughts, but Tooley grabbed him by the elbow and kept him moving.

    ¡°If anyone in this universe needs a savings account, Corvash, it¡¯s you,¡± she said. ¡°Keep yourself safe before you worry about them.¡±

    Even thinking as charitably as possible, Corey had to agree. In the grand scheme of things, he didn¡¯t have much money, given that he was an orphan adrift in space with no idea how to get around or how to make a living beyond doing what Kamak told him to do. If worst came to worst¡ªand things were rapidly getting worse all around him¡ªCorey would need every bit of money he had.

    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right,¡± Corey said. Then, to avoid any lingering guilt about not helping the refugees, he changed the subject. ¡°So. You don¡¯t seem bothered by what¡¯s going on back home.¡±

    ¡°Closest thing I got to home is the Hard Luck Hermit, and ain¡¯t shit going on there,¡± Tooley snorted. ¡°Least I sure hope not. Could be another assassin waiting there, now that I think about it. Anyway. Fuck the Sturit and fuck Turitha. I left for a reason and I got no plans to go back.¡±

    Tooley then made it very clear that she was done talking about by walking away from Corey and following Kamak out into the hallway.

    ¡°Alright, captain, what do you want to do next, take- Well fuck me running.¡±

    Kamak said nothing, and kept his gun trained on the other Sturit in the hallway. Unlike the father in the hangar, this one was young, in shape, and most importantly, armed, though the rifle was currently strapped to his back and not held in his raised hands. Kamak had been quicker on the draw, but the Sturit had enough sense to surrender. He also had a military badge on his chest that Kamak didn¡¯t recognize, but knew could only be bad.

    ¡°Any chance you recognize this one, Tooley?¡± Kamak asked, without taking his eyes, or his gun, away from the held-up Sturit.

    ¡°Fuck no.¡±

    ¡°Any chance you recognize that badge on his chest?¡±

    Tooley took a good look at it for the first time.

    ¡°It¡¯s exactly what you think it is,¡± Tooley sighed.

    Kamak¡¯s finger shifted a little closer to the trigger. They¡¯d found their Structuralist.

 Chapter 43: The Bad Kind of Cleansing

    ¡°Little professional advice, kid, if you want to hunt people for living, you got to work on your draw,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t need your lectures, degenerate,¡± the Structuralist hunter said.

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re real deep in it, aren¡¯t you,¡± Kamak said. Unironically saying the word ¡®degenerate¡¯ was a clue on its own, but the glassy-eyed, unfocused rage was the real giveaway. Authoritarian indoctrination was all about sheer disdain for everything and everyone outside the fascist structure. ¡°What¡¯s your name, kid?¡±

    ¡°I am Vansis Korrid Kantam, agent of the Turitha-¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t really care what your goose-step goon clubhouse is called, I just needed your name,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Farsus, run it.¡±

    After a quick run through a database shared by the entire bounty hunting guild, Farsus came up empty-handed.

    ¡°He has no record in our systems,¡± Farsus said. Kamak grit his teeth. With no outstanding warrants or bounties, Kamak legally couldn¡¯t even interrogate the guy, much less shoot him. At least not yet.

    ¡°Hey buddy, what exactly were you planning on doing in that hangar?¡±

    ¡°Executing rebel dissidents.¡±

    ¡°Cool, thanks for being so gung-ho about it,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Sounds like intent to kill to me. Farsus, cuff him and let¡¯s haul him down to the nearest cop stop.¡±

    While they couldn¡¯t take him into custody as Bounty Hunters, his stated intent to harm someone else meant they had free reign to make an arrest as ¡°concerned citizens¡±. Farsus took his restraints out and got to work. As soon as Vansis¡¯ hands were bound, Kamak let his arm drop and slid the pistol back into its holster. Holding someone at gunpoint for that long was hell on the shoulder.

    ¡°Come on, buddy, let¡¯s get you in a cell and out of our hair,¡± Kamak said. He had no faith that the police would hold him for long, but it¡¯d at least interrupt his ability to chase them. And he could ask a few questions in the meantime. Kamak grabbed Vansis by the chains and started walking. Doprel, who was still in the hangar talking to the refugees, got left behind for now. ¡°So, Vansis, who do you-¡±

    ¡°I am Vansis Korrid Kantam, and you will refer to me as such,¡± the restrained hunter protested.

    ¡°Oh, yeah, for Sturit it¡¯s considered super offensive to not use all three parts of the name,¡± Tooley said.

    ¡°We call you Tooley all the time, though,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°What about the past cycle makes you think I give a shit what those people like?¡± Tooley snapped. ¡°If it weren¡¯t on my pilot¡¯s license, I¡¯d change my fucking name.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re even more lost than I thought,¡± Vansis grunted back. ¡°Keeber Obel Tassim is one of our people¡¯s paragons. Bearing a fraction of his name should be an honor for you.¡±

    ¡°Oh shut the fuck up, Keebs was a psychopath and so are you,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Kamak, ask some questions so he won¡¯t talk to me.¡±

    ¡°Gladly. Who are you working for?¡±

    ¡°I serve the Ardeth and no one else.¡±

    ¡°You have a fucking Ardeth?¡± Tooley said. Kamak rolled his eyes. For someone who wanted Vansis to shut up, Tooley was sure doing a lot of provoking. ¡°The Sturit haven¡¯t had an Ardeth since before they invented electricity.¡±

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    ¡°And that lack of respect for our traditions is what leads us to failures like you,¡± Vansis spat back.

    ¡°Cool, great, we both think Tooley¡¯s a disaster, there¡¯s some common ground,¡± Kamak said. ¡°So, to commemorate our new friendship, answer the fucking question. Is the Ardeth the only one who wanted you to chase us? Did someone else give you information that lead you to us?¡±

    ¡°We were provided information on the whereabouts of your degenerate pilot by an ally of the Ardethry.¡±

    ¡°Does that ally have a name?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t question my orders,¡± Vansis said.

    ¡°Cool, he¡¯s useless, can we kill him, Kamak?¡± Tooley said.

    ¡°No,¡± Kamak said. ¡°We¡¯re on camera.¡±

    ¡°Fuck.¡±

    ¡°You know anything else you want to brag about, Vansis? There¡¯s a lot of other guys hunting us, you met up with any of them?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t collaborate with lesser races,¡± Vansis said. ¡°You¡¯re worse than violets, all of you.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯ve never even met a violet, you dramatic bitch,¡± Tooley said.

    ¡°What is a violet, exactly?¡± Corey said. ¡°I¡¯ve kind of picked up that it¡¯s offensive, but why?¡±

    Tooley sighed and rolled her eyes. She really hated having to talk about the Sturit this much.

    ¡°You notice how most species have a lot of different skin colors but Sturit don¡¯t?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve only seen five so far, but apparently, yes, you¡¯re all that same kind of blue.¡±

    ¡°Well they used to have the same variety as anyone else. Violet, greenish, I think I saw some teal-looking ones in a history book once.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t like where this is going,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°Good instinct! Because it¡¯s going to genocide.¡±

    ¡°Jesus fucking christ,¡± Corey gasped. ¡°Genocide?¡±

    ¡°Yup,¡± Tooley said. The Sturit had always been a xenophobic people, even among themselves, and that absence of interbreeding had made it easy for the dominant blue group to entirely wipe out all the others. There wasn¡¯t a single drop of non-blue DNA left in the entire Sturit species. ¡°You starting to see why I left yet? This isn¡¯t even some shameful incident buried in their history. The day the last violet got killed is a planetwide holiday. They have guys in purple face paint go to schools, the kids get to hit ¡®em with plastic bats.¡±

    ¡°What the fuck?¡±

    ¡°I make an effort not to judge cultural differences,¡± Farsus said. ¡°But I even I find that Sturit practices are reprehensible.¡±

    While most known species had struggled, or were still struggling, with internal racial conflict, the Sturit were one of only three known species to have successfully completed a total ethnic cleansing. Of the three, they were unique in the fact that most Sturit regarded this fact as a point of pride rather than abject shame. Even moderates like Keevah still used terms like ¡°violet¡± as a derisive insult.

    ¡°We have pride and purity,¡± Vansis hissed, repeating a mantra Tooley had heard too many times.

    ¡°Hate to break it to you, kid, but any race that produced Tooley can¡¯t be all that superior,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°She¡¯s an aberration that will be excised,¡± Vansis said. ¡°High Ones willing, the rest of you genetic mistakes will soon follow.¡±

    ¡°God I wish I could shoot you,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Farsus, are we almost to the cops?¡±

    ¡°Almost.¡±

    ¡°Good. Check the roster and see if you can find an officer with a lot of excessive force citations, I want to hand him off to someone who¡¯ll really kick his ass.¡±

    Unfortunately for Kamak, there were no publicly available records on such things. He strolled into the police station and put his faith in the universal fact that most cops were abusers to some extent. After strolling past a dozen or so cops lazing idly, Kamak found someone who was actually paying attention and plopped Vansis down in front of his desk.

    ¡°This little blue bastard threatened to kill a nice couple just waiting around in their hangar,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Thought we¡¯d do you a favor and bring him in.¡±

    The cop sighed and began to scroll through his tablet, likely looking for footage of the inciting incident. Knowing the cops usually took a while to do their job, Kamak briefly returned his attention to Vansis.

    ¡°If you live through this, do yourself a favor and take an early retirement,¡± Kamak said. ¡°You¡¯re clearly not cut out for manhunts.¡±

    Vansis just nodded quietly. Kamak had been expecting some of his usual seething bitterness, some snide comment about Sturit superiority. He got stony silence instead.

    That was when Kamak knew something was wrong. He didn¡¯t move, but his eyes started to dart around the room, and saw all the lazing cops start to sit at attention -and keep their hands below their desks, out of sight.

    ¡°Farsus.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡±

    ¡°And you cops wonder why people like us better,¡± Kamak said. The first punch was already coming, but it hit a little harder because of that joke.

 Chapter 44: Theyre Easily Bribed

    A pair of the corrupt cops came from behind Kamak, and one of them managed to get the drop on him, striking him in the back of the head with a heavy blow. The sucker punch took him down, and the two cops might¡¯ve pinned him on the ground if not for a quick kick from Farsus. His faster reflexes kept him ahead of the ambush, and that was about the only thing the bounty hunters had going for them.

    Corey had taken a baton to the face within seconds, and never got a chance to recover before the cops had him pinned to a wall. They kept pummeling him in the face until he passed out, which, to Corey¡¯s credit (and severe bruising) took a while. He hit the ground hard, and his datapad fell out of his hands before he could finish calling for help. Tooley found herself swiftly tackled and pinned beneath three particularly heavy-set officers. No amount of struggling or cursing could free her, though that didn¡¯t stop her from doing either.

    While the one-sided struggle unfolded, Vansis stood and extended his cuffed hands to one of the officers he¡¯d paid off. As soon as the bonds were undone, he drew the rifle from his back and pointed it at the unconscious Corey.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough, red,¡± Vansis said, spitting the color as if it were a slur. ¡°Surrender or I¡¯ll kill this one.¡±

    Farsus kept his fists clenched, but the fighting stopped for now. The officers he had been raining blows upon were more than willing to take a step away.

    ¡°Go ahead, kill him,¡± Farsus said, which Corey luckily was not conscious to be offended by. ¡°You¡¯re only hurting the cop¡¯s share of the bounty.¡±

    The tense glares of the officers towards Vansis made it apparent this was an alliance of convenience, and more importantly, profit. They didn¡¯t like Vansis pointing a gun at a potential payday for them.

    ¡°Let me guess,¡± Kamak added, from the floor. ¡°You get to kill Tooley, and the cops keep the rest of us for the...what? There some underworld manhunt out for us?¡±

    It couldn¡¯t be a conventional bounty since Kamak, as a bounty hunter himself, would¡¯ve been immediately notified. There were still black market assassination contracts, though.

    ¡°What¡¯s the payday, by the way? I¡¯m curious what the going rate of a cop is nowadays,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°Judging by the weight of these fuckers sitting on me, got to be good,¡± Tooley grunted. ¡°What do you do, chug raw lard on your lunch breaks?¡±

    ¡°My species is naturally dense.¡±

    ¡°In the head, maybe,¡± Kamak said. He took a quick look at Farsus. His crimson ears were twitching. Good sign. ¡°You really think you¡¯re getting the better end of this deal?¡±

    ¡®These officers are, in fact, profiting from this exchange,¡± Vansis said. ¡°I pursue a higher cause than profit.¡±

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    ¡°I¡¯m sure that¡¯s what you¡¯ve told ¡®em,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t exactly be willing to admit the blue one is worth the rest of us put together.¡±

    ¡°Twice over,¡± Farsus added.

    A skeptical glance passed between Vansis and the cops, but not much else.

    ¡°What kind of gambit is this meant to be, exactly?¡±

    ¡°Come on, did you not tell them? Ol¡¯ Tooley¡¯s done got herself knocked up by the crown prince of Turitha,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°What part of ¡®secrecy¡¯ did you not understand, Kamak?¡± Tooley snapped back. She wasn¡¯t sure what gambit Kamak was going for, but she figured she could play along. Worst case scenario, she died doing something she loved: lying to cops.

    ¡°Listen, lady, you¡¯re not paying me to die,¡± Kamak said. ¡°By the way, Vans, you might want to tell those friends of yours to lighten up on Tools. You¡¯re squishing the baby.¡±

    Tooley was not unpinned, but she did feel the pressure lighten. It didn¡¯t free her, but it did give her enough wiggle room to feel the thumping in the floor. She smiled to herself.

    ¡°Your new blue friend here is trying to cover up the planetary political scandal of the century,¡± Kamak said. ¡°We¡¯re just the bodyguards. She¡¯s the prize. You¡¯re getting screwed.¡±

    The cops pinning Tooley looked down at her, and then back at Kamak.

    ¡°She reeks of alcohol.¡±

    ¡°We said she was an expectant mother,¡± Farsus said. He spoke louder than usual, to better muffle certain background noise. ¡°We never said she was a good mother.¡±

    ¡°Enough of this,¡± Vansis said. He pulled his rifle away from Corey and stepped up to face Farsus, sparing a derisive glance at Kamak as well. ¡°Do you think anyone is stupid enough to fall for this? Did you expect us to turn on each other and free you?¡±

    ¡°You know, I really didn¡¯t,¡± Kamak said, entirely honestly. ¡°But we weren¡¯t trying to get you to fight each other.¡±

    ¡°Our sole interest was in getting you to not fight us,¡± Farsus said. He nodded downwards, towards Corey. Vansis spared a glance, and saw the datapad still glowing -with Doprel¡¯s contact info active.

    The door to the station was blasted off its hinges by a single punch from a massive, blue-green fist. While the shock of Doprel¡¯s ballistic entrance still rippled through the room, Farsus sprang into action, tearing the rifle out of Vansis¡¯ hands and breaking it beyond usability. Instinct almost pulled Farsus¡¯ hands toward his own gun, but discipline kept them at bay.

    ¡°Doprel, don¡¯t squish anybody,¡± Kamak shouted. Somebody had already been punched hard enough to break a few ribs, but he¡¯d live. ¡°They¡¯re all cops.¡±

    While there was certainly no love lost between Kamak and the police, especially not with these corrupt sellouts, killing cops came with a whole host of problems Kamak really didn¡¯t want to deal with right now. But not everyone in the room was a cop.

    After Doprel came through swinging hard enough to dislodge even the boulderlike cops pinning Tooley, she immediately sprang for Vansis. She had her hands around his throat in an instant.

    ¡°Don¡¯t kill him either,¡± Kamak snapped. He kicked a cop in the gut while they were down and then pulled Tooley away from her prey. Or tried to, anyway. She had a surprisingly strong death grip. ¡°Tooley, you can kill him slowly and painfully later, we still have questions.¡±

    That did get Tooley¡¯s grip to loosen. Slightly. Enough so that the oxygen deprivation caused Vansis to pass out instead of dying outright.

    ¡°You¡¯re carrying him,¡± Tooley hissed. Kamak raised no objections, and slung the unconscious Sturit over his shoulder while Farsus cracked the temples of the last conscious cop. Once Doprel was done stepping on people and had the also unconscious Corey on his back, the crew ran for the Hermit as fast as they could and never looked back.

 Chapter 45: A Different Prisoner Dilemma

    ¡°Credit where credit is due, luring us right into your lair of crony cops was a good plan,¡± Kamak said. ¡°But not good enough.¡±

    Vansis just stared coldly back at Kamak. They had him tied up in the cargo bay, with his back to the doors, just to remind him how close he was to the cold void of space. It didn¡¯t seem to bother him much.

    ¡°Your abomination can¡¯t rescue you every time,¡± Vansis said. ¡°The next hunter will find their mark.¡±

    ¡°For starters, the only abomination on this ship is Tooley,¡± Kamak said. Tooley didn¡¯t even react to the jab, a clear sign that Vansis¡¯ presence on the ship had her in an especially bad mood. ¡°And secondly, Doprel isn¡¯t going anywhere, so that Arbestry or whatever you work for is just going to be sending a stream of idiots to their untimely deaths. You can keep yourself from being the first entry on that list by telling me what you know.¡±

    ¡°I have told you what I know,¡± Vansis said. ¡°An ally of the Ardeth contacted him with information on the whereabouts of your degenerate pilot. I was assigned to meet an intermediary, I received the information, and began a hunt on my own.¡±

    ¡°You took a job with no payment, no information, and no clue what the guy offering the job really wanted?¡±

    ¡°It is not a ¡®job¡¯, I¡¯m not some gunslinging whore selling my life to hunt pathetic criminals,¡± Vansis spat. ¡°I am on a mission to purify the Sturit race and lead it to a glorious future-¡±

    ¡°Can I fucking kill him now?¡± Tooley roared.

    ¡°Give me a minute,¡± Kamak said. He went to one of the storage lockers in the hangar and popped it open, to dig around. He found what he was looking for and tossed it to Tooley, who deftly caught the sharp, spiraling mechanism. ¡°You can do the honors.¡±

    ¡°Okay, hold on, I¡¯m not on board for torture,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°It¡¯s not fucking torture, it¡¯s a tissue sampler,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Like Theddis used on that corpse. If Vansis¡¯ mouth won¡¯t tell us anything, maybe his body will.¡±

    Corey and Kamak both looked sideways as Vansis screamed loudly. Tooley had jabbed the tissue sampler into his groin. Corey turned his gaze back to Kamak.

    ¡°Okay, it can be used torturously,¡± Kamak said. ¡°But so can a fork. Doesn¡¯t make a fork a torture implement.¡±

    Much to the relief of Vansis, and every hypothetical spectator, Tooley stopped herself with the one painful jab. She handed over the sampler to Farsus, who took it for storage, and then looked at Kamak.

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    ¡°Can I kill him now?¡±

    ¡°Do whatever you want with him,¡± Kamak said. ¡°There¡¯s an empty transport cell in the corner if you decide not to give into the bloodlust. Otherwise, you know where the guns are. You can even use Vansis¡¯ gun, that¡¯d be ironic.¡±

    Corey had snatched the Sturit-made gun, both to keep it away from Vansis and to have one more gun. Kamak focused back on Vansis himself.

    ¡°Do whatever you want, but keep in mind you¡¯re cleaning up whatever messes you make.¡±

    With no desire to see whatever was about to happen, Kamak headed back for the cockpit. He had some work to do planning their next destination. Doprel let his eyes linger on Tooley for a moment in a silent plea, but then he left as well. Tooley eyed Vansis for a moment, then looked at Corey.

    ¡°You got a look in your eyes like you aren¡¯t here to help,¡± Tooley said. ¡°You got something to say?¡±

    ¡°No. Just...want you to be sure you really want to do this.¡±

    ¡°Oh, the guy who didn¡¯t even blink gunning down cannibals wants to play nice with the genocide fanboy,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Get off your fucking high horse and give me your knife.¡±

    ¡°Okay, fine, I¡¯m not going to lecture you,¡± Corey said. ¡°But I¡¯m not giving you a knife. Use a gun, make it quick. Drawing it out is just fucked up.¡±

    ¡°Please do, I¡¯m sick of watching you animals argue,¡± Vansis said.

    ¡°Not really helping your case here, pal,¡± Corey said, as he rolled his eyes.

    ¡°I die an honorable death,¡± Vansis said. ¡°Better that than a single moment living your pathetic, corrupt lives! You¡¯re animals! Worse than animals! You had a chance to be among the greatest empire to ever exist, and you threw it away for degeneracy!¡±

    The rant showed no signs of stopping. Tooley looked at Corey and held out her hand.

    ¡°I meant what I said,¡± he insisted.

    ¡°Alright, come on, I¡¯ll get a fucking gun,¡± Tooley grunted. She headed out of the cargo bay, towards the gun rack, and groaned in frustration again when she saw Doprel¡¯s massive body blocking it off. He was standing stock still, staring at his datapad.

    ¡°Doprel, I know what I¡¯m doing, I-¡±

    She stopped herself mid-sentence. Doprel¡¯s emotions were displayed in odd flexes of mandibles and the dilation of spiracles along his neck, making him hard to read, but Tooley knew him well enough to know those spiracles were saying ¡°sad¡±.

    ¡°Doprel, what happened?¡±

    ¡°I got a refund,¡± Doprel said, holding up his datapad. Even his alien tone made it clear it was a bleak attempt to make a joke. ¡°All the money I donated to Keevah and his family.¡±

    That seemed innocuous at first, but the way Tooley¡¯s teeth started grinding told Corey it was anything but.

    ¡°What does that mean?¡±

    ¡°Automated banking systems. Donations get refunded,¡± Tooley said flatly. ¡°If the recipient dies.¡±

    Corey¡¯s thoughts went to the refugee Keevah, his wife, and their infant child.

    ¡°All of them?¡±

    ¡°All of them,¡± Doprel said. ¡°Vansis isn¡¯t the only hunter, apparently.¡±

    The datapad went cold and black as Doprel put it away. This time, Doprel didn¡¯t look at Tooley as he walked off. She took tacit approval where she got it, and looked to Corey. He was already holding his knife towards her.

 Chapter 46: Home Away From Home

    It took a long time for Tooley to get her hands clean after she was done with Vansis. As soon as the last drop of scarlet red was off her hands, Tooley stomped out of the washroom, breezed right past a waiting Corey, and went to the cockpit, slamming the door shut behind her. Unfortunately for Tooley, her attempt at self-isolation was thwarted by Kamak already being in the cockpit, idly browsing his datapad.

    ¡°Don¡¯t slam doors on my ship.¡±

    ¡°Fuck you, captain,¡± Tooley said. She slammed herself down into the pilot¡¯s seat with an exasperated sigh, and stared out the window.

    The dim light of a dying star dominated their view. They were just far enough from the great dwarf star to avoid frying the Hard Luck Hermit¡¯s system, and just close enough that the radiation hid their vessel¡¯s signature. Supposedly. Kamak claimed someone had taught him just the right spot, but refused to say who.

    ¡°So where to next, cap?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m still thinking,¡± Kamak said. Getting on the bad side of cops anywhere usually meant getting on the bad side of cops everywhere. They had to pick a good place to lie low for a while. Their analysis of Vansis¡¯ cells had turned up nothing useful, so they once again found themselves with no leads.

    ¡°Looking for a place to find a new pilot?¡±

    ¡°Why the hell would I do that?¡±

    ¡°I know a storm when I see it coming, Kamak,¡± Tooley said. ¡°You were looking to get rid of me before you knew psychopaths were after me.¡±

    ¡°I was, and frankly, I still am,¡± Kamak said. ¡°But right now I can¡¯t be picky. There¡¯s psychopaths after all of us, bad time to try and bring on a new hire. Least with you I know you¡¯re too scared of those fascist fuckboys on your tail to try and ditch me.¡±

    The Structuralist¡¯s chasing Tooley were just one piece of the puzzle. There were still other, unknown parties out for blood. Ditching Tooley would only lose them a fraction of the danger tailing the Hard Luck Hermit, and cost them a pilot they might not be able to replace in exchange. Kamak hated Tooley¡¯s guts, but he wasn¡¯t dumb enough to kick her out when he needed her most. After a few seconds of quiet contemplation, Tooley¡¯s throat let forth a disgusting noise as she tried to chuckle and grunt with disgust at the same time.

    ¡°I hope you hate this as much as I do,¡± she groaned.

    ¡°Yeah, I do,¡± Kamak said. ¡°But I got enough enemies already. I got your back if you have mine.¡±

    ¡°Yeah yeah, I¡¯m not letting anyone kill you if I can help it,¡± Tooley said. She got out of her seat and left the cockpit in a hurry. Now that she didn¡¯t need to worry about getting kicked off the ship, she could focus on other, more important things. She found Corey looking mopey in the common room and grabbed him by the collar, pulling him towards her room. He managed to stumble to his feet fast enough to follow along instead of getting dragged.

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    While Corey wished it were under better circumstances, it was nice to get a good look at Tooley¡¯s chambers. It might have offered some insights, were the room not entirely and exactly what he had expected. The already cramped space was further constrained by a pile of discarded trash in one corner and dirty clothes in the other. Corey very nearly tripped on an empty bottle as Tooley pushed him towards her bed.

    ¡°Tooley-¡±

    ¡°Come on, Corvash, you know how this works,¡± Tooley said, as she threw her shirt at him.

    ¡°Tooley, you still smell like blood,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°Is that a turn off for you?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    ¡°Pussy,¡± Tooley said. ¡°I can take another run through the cleanser if it bothers you that much.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s kind of a lot bothering me right now and a cleanse can¡¯t fix most of it,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°What¡¯s your problem, then?¡±

    ¡°All this shit with your homeworld and the Structuralists, and the genocide, I mean jesus christ,¡± Corey said. ¡°How are you not bothered?¡±

    ¡°Because it¡¯s not my fucking problem,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Not beyond the lunatic thought police trying to kill me, I mean. Homeworld¡¯s just a heap of rocks and water I happened to be born on. Why would I give a fuck what someone else thinks or does just because they were born on the same rock as me?¡±

    Tooley retrieved a half-full bottle of some form of liquor from a storage nook and sat down on her bed to take a big swig.

    ¡°All the ethnic cleansing and thought policing and the rest of the bullshit pisses me off, too, but I just get away from it and live my fucking life. Big universe, Corvash, there¡¯s always some fucker out there doing something,¡± she said. ¡°Everybody in existence picks their chunk of things to care about and ignores the ten trillion other problems that exist. I picked my chunk and it doesn¡¯t include Turitha or anyone on it.¡±

    She washed the name of her homeworld out of her mouth with liquor, and hoped she¡¯d never have to say it again any time soon. Corey watched the bottle get much emptier very quickly.

    ¡°So what¡¯s in your ¡®chunk¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Eh, fuck you fishing for compliments,¡± Tooley said. ¡°But yeah, you¡¯re in it. Doprel and Farsus, I guess. Got an old drinking buddy named Raguv I¡¯d be pretty sad to hear died too.¡±

    Tooley took a quick sip and then tapped the bottle against the wall of her room.

    ¡°Hermit¡¯s not half bad either,¡± she said. ¡°When I get my own ship it¡¯ll be a little more sleek, but he¡¯s got it where it counts.¡±

    The bottle moved in Corey¡¯s direction next, though he refused it. Tooley didn¡¯t bother offering twice.

    ¡°More for me,¡± she said. ¡°So. You satisfied, Corey?¡±

    ¡°Pretty much, yeah,¡± he said. He still had doubts, but he had neither the reason nor desire to try and draw Tooley into some long conversation about his own feelings.

    ¡°Good. So are you going to fuck me or what?¡±

    ¡°Not really in the mood, Tooley.¡±

    ¡°Good for you! Then get out of my room,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Not a lot of space in here and your ass is taking up too much of it.¡±

    ¡°You know, if you cleaned up-¡±

    ¡°Now you really need to get the hell out,¡± Tooley snapped. Corey obeyed.

 Chapter 47: Mostly Just Annoying

    The Hard Luck Hermit¡¯s cockpit had an emergency button that sent a low, droning siren through the entire ship. Kamak didn¡¯t use it often, but it was a good way to get the attention of everyone on board at once, which was why he was currently leaning on it.

    ¡°We fucking get it!¡± Tooley snapped, as she stormed towards the cockpit. Something about the drone¡¯s frequency aggravated her more than most members of the crew, especially Farsus, who could barely hear it. He took a while to realize the siren was even going off, and Kamak kept leaning on the button until he showed up. Doprel grabbed Tooley by the shoulders and gave her a quick massage to keep her from killing Kamak in the meantime.

    ¡°Alright, now that everyone¡¯s here,¡± Kamak said, finally releasing the button. Doprel felt a lethal amount of tension drop out of Tooley¡¯s shoulders. ¡°We¡¯ve been sitting around in the sun long enough. Time to figure out what the hell our next move is.¡±

    The ship had been idling in orbit around a distant sun for several swaps now, hopefully clearing their trail. They had enough fuel and supplies to idle even longer, if the crew deemed it necessary, but they had to at least start thinking about their next move.

    ¡°So, just for my sake, where do we not want to go?¡± Corey asked.

    ¡°Anywhere in the entire Galactic Council space,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Corrupt cops love to talk with other corrupt cops. Half the galactic PD probably knows we¡¯re worth something by now.¡±

    The people chasing them at least had to chase, but cops could be waiting for them wherever they went. To Corey, it sounded like the police were their biggest problem at the moment, which was food for thought.

    ¡°There¡¯s still some independent galaxies out there,¡± Doprel suggested. ¡°What was the one you mentioned when Corey first showed up, Katoomas? They¡¯re not friends with the Council.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but they¡¯re violent barbarians,¡± Kamak said. ¡°They¡¯ll try to rip our heads off.¡±

    ¡°Oh, Farsus will fit right in, then,¡± Tooley said.

    ¡°Decapitation is among my least preferred methods of execution, but I will do what is necessary,¡± Farsus said. ¡°That said, there are galaxies within the Council itself more concerned with law and order, where corruption is minimal. We may seek refuge on one of those myriad planets.¡±

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    ¡°Yeah, but they¡¯re no fucking fun,¡± Tooley said. ¡°You want to live the rest of your life on a planet of teetotalers and do-gooders?¡±

    ¡°It will not be the remainder of our lives,¡± Farsus said. ¡°But in some situations it is necessary to focus on living before living well.¡±

    ¡°Fuck that. But speaking of living, I say we get some cryopods, turn on the solar collectors, and put ourselves on ice for a solar year or two,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Wake up after everyone¡¯s stopped giving a fuck about us.¡±

    ¡°They don¡¯t make cryopods in Doprel¡¯s size,¡± Kamak said. Apparently that was objection enough, and the topic of cryopods was dropped. The ideas ended and the silence began as Corey tapped away on his datapad.

    ¡°Call me crazy, but maybe we should swing by Centerpoint real quick,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°Alright, you¡¯re crazy,¡± Kamak said. ¡°We want to get away from cops, why would we go to the place with the most cops in the known universe?¡±

    ¡°Well, I got this,¡± Corey said. He turned his datapad around. In his haste to make a call to Doprel during their clash with Vansis and the corrupt police, Corey had made a video call -a video call that had automatically been recorded. Even from its vantage point on the floor, the datapad had captured several very clear shots of faces, as well as audio of the police tacitly admitting their cooperation with Vansis.

    ¡°Okay, okay, we got that,¡± Kamak said. ¡°But that could only be any use if we get it to the right person.¡±

    ¡°I know exactly who to give it to,¡± Corey said. ¡°To Vo La Su.¡±

    ¡°Who?¡±

    ¡°That police officer who hassled me about registering, and then got suspicious about that dead body.¡±

    ¡°The hairy little pest?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Can you think of any cop in the galaxy less likely to be on the take?¡±

    Kamak thought about it for a second, and could not name even one. To Vo fell very squarely on the other end of the insufferable cop spectrum. While normally annoying, she might be useful, under the circumstances.

    ¡°She knows every page of the rulebook, and she can get these guys and anyone else thinking of harassing us tied up in a bureaucratic nightmare,¡± Corey said. ¡°Won¡¯t solve our problem, but it¡¯ll ease some pressure, at least.¡±

    ¡°Setting one¡¯s adversaries against themselves is a time-honored tactic,¡± Farsus said. ¡°Bringing this video to the attention of To Vo La Su and others could create pressure on the corrupt institution from within.¡±

    None of them were dumb enough to think they could bring the corrupt police state to its knees with a single video, but they could at least take some pressure off of themselves.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m a fan of any plan that doesn¡¯t involve us sitting on our asses forever,¡± Kamak said. ¡°We¡¯re going to Centerpoint first, hopefully we can beat the corrupt cop gossip train and buy some good shit before anything catches up to us.¡±

    Tooley cracked her knuckles -worryingly loudly- and headed for the pilot¡¯s seat to plot a course.

 Chapter 48: The Center of it All

    To Vo had told Corey to expect a lot of paperwork for their arranged meeting. He hadn¡¯t expected it to be literal -or for there to be so much of it.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t realize things were still physical,¡± Corey said, as he looked over the papers. ¡°Couldn¡¯t I just fill these out on a tablet, or something?¡±

    ¡°Please, Corey, documents like this are too important to not have physical backups,¡± To Vo La Su said. ¡°You¡¯re the first of a new species to make contact with the Galactic Council! This is a big deal.¡±

    To lure in the overly-earnest officer To Vo La Su, they had simply offered her what she had wanted in the first place: for Corey to register as an Uncontacted species. She had taken the bait almost too easily, and now it was time to spring the trap. Kamak swooped in from around the table and dropped a datapad on the table.

    ¡°Yeah, actually, before we get started, got something we wanted to show you,¡± Kamak said. He let Corey do the rest, and kept his eyes on the door. They were in a small, bureaucratic facility tucked away on the ass end of Centerpoint Station. The only gun in the entire building belonged to a security guard who had clearly not fired it in years, but Kamak didn¡¯t let that be a reason to relax. Even paper pusher cops were still cops, and even coverups took paperwork.

    While Kamak stayed vigilant, Corey played through the video he¡¯d taken of the corrupt cops collaborating with Vansis. Farsus had spent the trip to Centerpoint poring through police databases to match faces, names, and registration numbers. To Vo¡¯s leonine face slowly shifted through shades of disappointment and revulsion as the video proceeded, and Corey explained the larger details of the lethal manhunt that was apparently targeting them.

    ¡°Oh no.¡±

    ¡°Sorry about this,¡± Corey said, as he shifted the stacks of paperwork aside. ¡°We didn¡¯t know where else to go.¡±

    ¡°Sorry if this is bringing your world crashing down, but, surprise, the cops are the bad guys sometimes. Most of the time, even,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°I¡¯m not an idiot, Captain Kamak,¡± To Vo said. ¡°I¡¯m aware that institutions are vulnerable to corruption.¡±

    ¡°Okay, cool, want to help us un-corrupt one?¡± Kamak asked. ¡°At least enough to get us not shot.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll do what I can,¡± To Vo said. ¡°I know who to talk to.¡±

    ¡°You better fucking hope you do,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Genuine advice here: now is not the time to be naive. If you tell the wrong person about this at the wrong time, you will fucking die, and they¡¯ll shoot your body into a sun so your relatives will never know what happened to you.¡±

    ¡°I can handle myself,¡± To Vo insisted, unconvincingly. Kamak could see her fingers trembling. He was starting to wonder if this had been a good idea after all.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you can,¡± Corey said, also unconvincingly. ¡°But be careful. We¡¯ve barely made it out of some scrapes.¡±

    ¡°If you can survive, so can I,¡± To Vo said. ¡°But you should be moving on, shouldn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°You got that right,¡± Kamak said. At least To Vo La Su understood that the best way to stay alive was to stay moving.

    ¡°Sorry about tricking you,¡± Corey said, as he stood. ¡°Maybe someday I¡¯ll actually fill out that paperwork.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome to take it with you.¡±

    ¡°Oh, sure, let¡¯s enter a lot of highly detailed and specific information into a public database while someone is hunting us,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Great idea.¡±

    Seeing as To Vo had immediately wiped out any goodwill she¡¯d earned, Kamak started leaving even faster than before. To his surprise, To Vo was hot on his heels.

    ¡°I¡¯ll escort you to your ship,¡± she said. ¡°Hopefully the presence of an officer will dissuade any hostile intent.¡±

    Much to Corey¡¯s surprise, Kamak accepted that offer. He strongly doubted she could dissuade anything, but worst come to worst, she might be another body between Kamak and whoever was trying to kill him. Having spare bodies on hand was always useful. He¡¯d just recently started to like Corey enough to not consider him cannon fodder, which was affecting his logistics in these deadly scenarios.

    The walk back towards the hangar was entirely uneventful, though To Vo La Su played no part in that. If anything, she made it worse. The officer had her head on a constant swivel, checking every angle as often as possible, making it incredibly obvious she was worried about being followed or ambushed. Kamak was checking his corners as well, but he¡¯d developed a much subtler technique over the years. No amount of subtlety could compensate for To Vo, however.

    Vigilance was irrelevant in either event. Mokai, To Vo¡¯s immediate superior, was leaning on the hangar doorway looking at the ground. She had her dress uniform unbuttoned, exposing a ragged, sweat-stained shirt beneath, and she was loudly chewing on something that smelled strongly of cinnamon and peat.

    ¡°District Manager Mokai,¡± To Vo said, saluting sharply on instinct. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to presume, ma¡¯am, but savit usage is banned for-¡±

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    ¡°Active duty officers,¡± Mokai sighed. ¡°I¡¯m retired, To Vo.¡±

    ¡°What? Since when?¡±

    ¡°Since about thirty drops ago,¡± Mokai said. She swallowed whatever substance she had been chewing on and then unwrapped another small parcel of it to place in her mouth.

    ¡°Ma¡¯am, why?¡±

    ¡®To Vo,¡± Kamak said firmly. ¡°We need to go. Now.¡±

    Mokai looked up briefly and locked eyes with Kamak. He relaxed, but only slightly. Something in the district manager¡¯s eyes told him she wasn¡¯t a threat. She was too relaxed. Resigned.

    ¡°No, Kamak, I was hoping Mokai could help you,¡± To Vo said. ¡°Last time you were here, the district manager said she knew who hired that assassin that had attacked your pilot.¡±

    Kamak tensed all over again. Corey also put his hand near his gun, much to To Vo¡¯s bewilderment.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°To Vo,¡± Corey said. ¡°How did she know who that assassin worked for?¡±

    It took longer than it would for most people to come to the grim realization, but a look of dawning horror and heartbreak reached To Vo¡¯s face soon enough.

    ¡°District Manager Mokai?¡±

    ¡°I never signed off on a god damn thing,¡± Mokai said, mounting a final defense of her own actions. ¡°I just watched everyone else make decisions I couldn¡¯t stop.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have a lot of time for bullshit, cop, so say your piece, take your shot, or get the fuck out of my way,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t give a fuck what you want,¡± Mokai said plainly. ¡°I¡¯m not here for you. I¡¯m here for her. They were going to frame you for killing To Vo La Su, you know.¡±

    To Vo recoiled like she¡¯d been stabbed in the gut, while Corey and Kamak shared a nervous look. This was even worse than they thought.

    ¡°Figure if they want a cop body, I¡¯ll give them one that actually deserves it,¡± Mokai said, as she swapped out another packet of her drug of choice. Kamak had seen less elaborate suicides for better reasons, but he almost respected this one. ¡°Get the fuck out of here, To Vo. Fly away and find some garden world that needs an obnoxious pencil pusher.¡±

    ¡°Ma¡¯am, I won¡¯t leave until-¡±

    ¡°Then stay here and die too,¡± Mokai said. ¡°Gods, I always hoped I¡¯d have better company on my deathbed.¡±

    ¡°Listen lady, I respect what you¡¯re going for here, but if you really want to make this count, give me something to work with,¡± Kamak said. ¡°What the fuck is going on, and why are all these people after me?¡±

    ¡°Because it¡¯s convenient,¡± Mokai said. She seemed almost amused by Kamak¡¯s belief that he was the center of attention here. ¡°No one¡¯s after ¡®you¡¯, not really, your crew is just the perfect little powderkeg to make all the right noise and get all the right attention. The Structuralists, the police, everyone on the Doccan front, once they¡¯re looking at you, no one will notice-¡±

    A faint electric fizzle in the distance gave Kamak some advance warning he was never going to hear the end of that sentence. He¡¯d long since memorized the crackling charge of a railgun. If he was hearing that sound, it was already too late to dodge, or to warn anyone else.

    Mokai didn¡¯t even get time to blink before a lightning-fast projectile tore a hole the size of a human fist in her torso. In a small mercy, the devastatingly powerful projectile was also devastatingly efficient. Mokai was dead before she even started to bleed, her face frozen mid-sentence, with a look of resigned acceptance in her eyes and an unspoken secret still on her lips.

    The survivors got no such small mercies. It took To Vo a second to realize she had Mokai¡¯s blood splattered on her face. Then the screaming started.

    ¡°Fucking move,¡± Kamak shouted, still struggling to be heard over To Vo¡¯s high pitched shrieking. He went low and dashed into the hangar while Corey grabbed a stunned To Vo La Su and pulled her along.

    Tooley had been keeping the Hermit on idle the entire time, ready to blast off at a moment¡¯s notice, and she started the takeoff procedure as soon as she heard the railgun shot. By the time Kamak and Corey were aboard, it only took the press of a button to send them soaring out of the hangar, setting off several alarms on their way.

    The rogue exit got them going fast, but that didn¡¯t make anything easy. Tooley ignored the various calls to shut down her engine and comply while she weaved through the busy lanes of stellar traffic surrounding Centerpoint. Without the usual station authorities guiding her through the buzzing hive of vessels, she had to eyeball it, and that came with more than a few close calls. Tooley almost felt bad about the traffic jams she was no doubt causing, but she had bigger problems right now. She danced amid the crowded traffic surrounding Centerpoint with ease, never decelerating even as she navigated the most tangled mess of ships in the universe.

    ¡°Farsus,¡± Kamak snapped, as soon as he was aboard. ¡°Anyone take a shot at the ship?¡±

    It was a bit late to be asking the question, but Kamak wanted to be sure. A round from a railgun could blow a hole straight through even the Hard Luck Hermit¡¯s relatively thick hull. He didn¡¯t want to open his bedroom door and depressurize the entire ship.

    ¡°No damage,¡± Farsus said. ¡°What happened down there, Kamak?¡±

    ¡°Talk later, get on the guns,¡± Kamak ordered.

    ¡°Kamak, those pursuing us will be officers-¡±

    ¡°And as far as any of them are concerned, we already killed a cop, so might as well earn our reputation,¡± Kamak screamed back. Farsus sprang into action and joined Tooley in the cockpit, manning the guns, to point them towards an empty sky. Though a few concerned vessels were left swerving in their wake, nothing was pursuing them. Not yet at least.

    ¡°God damn it,¡± Kamak mumbled. He slammed his fist into the wall hard enough to make the room rattle. ¡°God fucking damn it!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Corey mumbled. ¡°This was my idea, I never should¡¯ve-¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re god damn right you shouldn¡¯t-¡±

    Kamak whipped around to face Corey, and found himself looking at a still hysterical To Vo La Su as well. Kamak¡¯s general fury at life followed the path of least resistance.

    ¡°What the fuck is she doing on my ship?¡±

    ¡°I- She was going to get shot,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°That¡¯s her fucking problem,¡± Kamak said, before channeling his anger to another easy target. ¡°Tooley! Can we make a jump yet?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t fucking talk to me!¡±

    Kamak took that as a ¡°no¡±. If they weren¡¯t ready to make an FTL jump yet, it was probably dangerous to distract Tooley, so Kamak swapped his anger right back to the crying To Vo.

    ¡°Get her to shut up and get her out of the way,¡± Kamak snapped. ¡°And keep yourself out of the way while you¡¯re at it.¡±

    There was already enough chaos aboard the ship, so Corey figured it¡¯d actually be a good idea to get To Vo tucked away somewhere. He gently led her to another room and managed to calm her down enough that she stopped crying. He also subtly wiped some of the blood off of her face. He figured that would help in the long run.

    ¡°Are you feeling better, To Vo?¡±

    To Vo La Su took a deep breath, held it, and stared at Corey for an uncomfortably long time.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to get fired.¡±

    Then she threw up.

 Chapter 49: Fight or Flight Path

    While Tooley was left to her own devices in the cockpit, to better speed their escape, the rest of the crew convened for a meeting. Now that they were a few jumps away from Centerpoint, they had the time -and level heads- necessary to discuss what the fuck had just happened.

    ¡°Corey. How¡¯s the pig?¡±

    ¡°Absolutely nonsensical,¡± Corey said. ¡°I think. She keeps going on and on about losing her job. I can¡¯t tell if it¡¯s a cultural thing or if she¡¯s just having some kind of psychotic episode.¡±

    All eyes turned to Farsus, who stared blankly right back.

    ¡°Am I expected to provide input here?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re usually the guy who knows about weird cultural stuff,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°The universe is too vast for even the wisest scholar to have all things memorized,¡± Farsus said. ¡°I am not even aware of her species, much less the intricacies of its culture.¡±

    ¡°Well, once we¡¯re done running for our lives, maybe you can play a ¡®get to know you¡¯ game with her,¡± Kamak said. ¡°If we¡¯re ever done running for our lives.¡±

    ¡°On that note, I believe we are owed explanations, Kamak,¡± Farsus said. ¡°It is apparent our plan went wrong, but how?¡±

    ¡°Whoever we¡¯re dealing with is even further ahead of the game than we thought,¡± Kamak said. ¡°In the time it took us to get in touch with that crying little shit, they had a whole plan set up to kill her and let us take the fall. Luckily for To Vo, her boss grew a conscience and decided to set herself up for an execution instead. Even managed to spit out half of a useful secret before her bosses blew a hole in her chest.¡±

    ¡°With us still taking the blame for her death, I assume,¡± Doprel sighed.

    ¡°Naturally, the universe wouldn¡¯t miss that chance to fuck us over,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Before she got blasted, the boss cop lady managed to squeak out that this is all some kind of smoke screen, though. Somebody wants people focused on us, to get focus off something else.¡±

    ¡°And so the question becomes who is trying to distract, and what they seek to distract from,¡± Farsus said.

    ¡°I look forward to finding out once we get back from our vacation,¡± Kamak said. ¡°We¡¯re going to an independent galaxy, and finding a nice quiet place to lie low until this all blows over. If it¡¯s not about us, it can happen without us. We¡¯re out of here.¡±

    When the matter had possibly been personal, Kamak had been far more interested in finding the source. Now that he knew he was merely an accessory to some larger scheme, all that interest was gone. If he could find a place to hide and ride out the storm, he would.

    ¡°Seriously, Kamak?¡±

    ¡°Seriously, Doprel,¡± Kamak snapped. ¡°This isn¡¯t our problem. Somebody wants to get us involved against our will, fuck them.¡±

    ¡°Where the water runs, even unmoving stones change its flow,¡± Farsus scolded.

    ¡°Fuck does that mean?¡±

    ¡°Choosing to do nothing is still choosing a side,¡± Corey said, to an approving nod from Farsus.

    ¡°The only thing I¡¯m choosing is not to dance for some mystery asshole,¡± Kamak said. ¡°What do you have planned, huh? The only thing we¡¯ve learned is that we knew even less than we thought. What do we do with that?¡±

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    ¡°That¡¯s not all we learned. Mokai said our crew was the perfect powder keg,¡± Corey said. He pointed to Doprel, then towards the cockpit. ¡°She called out the people fighting the Doccan and the Structuralists. Whatever¡¯s going on involves Doprel and Tooley¡¯s species specifically.¡±

    Kamak bit his lip. Corey had a point, as much as he hated to admit it. Before, he¡¯d simply assumed that the anti-Doccan faction and the Structuralist obsession with purity were just convenient ways to get more attack dogs on their tail, but if the two factions were specifically being distracted, there had to be a connecting factor. That gave them part of a lead, at least. But just a part.

    ¡°Sounds like all the more reason to not get involved,¡± Kamak snapped. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be involved in a bunch of bullshit species politics.¡±

    ¡°We are already involved,¡± Farsus said. ¡°The only question now is whether we take action or allow ourselves to be exploited.¡±

    ¡°The only ¡®actions¡¯ we¡¯ve taken so far have nearly got us killed,¡± Kamak said. ¡°And gotten a whole bunch of other people killed too. We¡¯re not superheroes, we¡¯re bounty hunters, we don¡¯t do shit we aren¡¯t getting paid to do.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d consider being able to get a good night¡¯s sleep again some pretty good payment,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°Get drunk like your blue bitch of a girlfriend,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°Kamak, that¡¯s uncalled for.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you lecture me, Doprel,¡± Kamak snapped back. ¡°You all want to go on some suicide mission to try and solve this thing, buy your own fucking ship and do it yourselves! This is my fucking ship, I¡¯m the fucking captain, and we¡¯re not going anywhere unless I say so!¡±

    With his commanding outburst finished, Kamak cut off any attempts at counter-argument by storming off into his quarters and slamming the door shut behind him. Doprel attempted to follow, but Farsus cut him off and shook his head.

    ¡°The recent violence has put him on edge,¡± Farsus said. ¡°Time will do a better job calming him than any words will.¡±

    Tempers rarely flared aboard the Hermit, but when they did, Farsus usually saw that patience was key. Among numerous other personality flaws, Kamak could be very stubborn, and only dug his heels in deeper the more one tried to convince him to move on. Thankfully, that stubbornness was nicely paired with a short attention span. Kamak would mostly lose interest in the hill he¡¯d decided to die on in short order, and it would be much easier to convince him later.

    ¡°Whatever our long-term bearing may be, a brief reprieve to hide and gather our thoughts benefits us,¡± Farsus said. ¡°We can take our time and decide on the right course of action after we have assured our own safety.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s got a point,¡± Corey said. Doprel acquiesced, and lumbered off to his own quarters.

    ¡°I will see to our guest,¡± Farsus said, indicating towards the room To Vo had bunkered down in. ¡°In spite of his sarcasm, Kamak had a point. We should get to know our new passenger.¡±

    If the former officer was going to have any future aboard the ship, they needed to know if she had any skills the crew could make use of. Or, if she didn¡¯t have a future aboard the ship, they needed to know where to drop her off. Farsus figured the latter was much more likely.

    ¡°Alright, sounds good. I¡¯ll...wait around, I guess.¡±

    A crisis was a bad time to be the new guy in the crew. Corey had yet to find his footing in the larger dynamic of the ship. The only person who seemed to really value his opinion so far was Tooley, and even that was to a very limited extent. Corey would take what he could get, so he headed for the cockpit.

    ¡°Hey, Tooley. Figure you heard the shouting?¡±

    ¡°Hard not to,¡± Tooley grumbled. She was done inputting coordinates and had lurched the ship into faster-than-light speeds, so she had nothing better to do than sit back and listen to Kamak yell. ¡°He¡¯s being an ass about it, as usual, but Kamak¡¯s got a point. This is not our problem on several levels.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re making it our problem.¡±

    ¡°So then let¡¯s not let them,¡± Tooley said. ¡°We can go hide out somewhere. Maybe wherever you¡¯re from, Borf, right? Take it over with our advanced tech, live like kings.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d sooner take the railgun shot than go back to Earth,¡± Corey said, emphasizing the word ¡°Earth¡±.

    ¡°Heard and understood,¡± Tooley said. She¡¯d take a bullet before a ticket back to Turitha too. ¡°So where do you want to hide out, then? Place with a beach? Some kind of mountain? I know a few places. Low population, not much space traffic, we¡¯d never be noticed.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think this is the kind of problem you can run from,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re still thinking in planetary terms,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Big universe, Corvash. There¡¯s always more places to run to.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s never enough places to run.¡±

    ¡°Was that supposed to sound deep?¡±

    ¡°Not...really?¡±

    ¡°Good. Because it didn¡¯t.¡±

 Chapter 50: Passing Notes

    The cosmic dust of the planetary ring the Hard Luck hermit had hidden in made for a beautiful backdrop to an ugly staredown. Dancing bands of cosmic debris rotated overhead as Kamak held his ground.

    ¡°We are not going to dig ourselves any deeper into this mess,¡± Kamak said. ¡°When you¡¯re in a hole, you need to stop digging.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not the ones digging,¡± Doprel said. ¡°But if we start, maybe we can actually control where this pit is going.¡±

    ¡°Or we dig ourselves right where this mystery asshole wants us to go,¡± Tooley countered. ¡°Some games you can¡¯t win, the only thing you can do is just not play.¡±

    ¡°You assume our flight would end the game,¡± Farsus said. ¡°The midst of a storm is not the time to take one¡¯s hands off the tiller.¡±

    ¡°The fuck is a tiller?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a component from an archaic waterborne vessel, pardon my metaphor,¡± Farsus said. ¡°When we have fled our enemies, Tooley, you have always kept your hands on the controls. Letting go of control can mean certain death in some situations.¡±

    A compelling argument that still failed to compel Tooley. Corey was getting kind of tired of watching the argument go in circles. At least he had company.

    To Vo was sitting and attentively observing every detail of the cockpit, as if this were some kind of workplace meeting and not a bitter feud. Her hands occasionally twitched in a way that made Corey think she wanted to be taking notes. The oddly clerical focus kept her calm, for some reason, and for the first time since Mokai¡¯s execution, To Vo seemed to be perfectly level headed. Considering that this meeting had begun with the entire crew agreeing the best thing to do with To Vo would be to drop her off somewhere safe(ish) and wish her good luck, her calm demeanor was almost worrying.

    It only got more worrying, however, when that calm demeanor broke.

    ¡°Excuse me,¡± she said, raising her hand, once again as if this were some kind of workplace roundtable.

    ¡°You don¡¯t get to talk,¡± Kamak snapped.

    ¡°I just-¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re one step up from a stowaway, cop, you don¡¯t get a vote-¡±

    ¡°But there¡¯s-¡±

    ¡°Look, I¡¯m sure you got some rule or bylaw about this shit you want to throw in,¡± Tooley said. ¡°But let the grown ups talk.¡±

    Since no one seemed to want to let To Vo get in more than two words, she settled on only using one, along with an emphatic point out the cockpit.

    ¡°Ship!¡±

    All eyes turned to the cockpit¡¯s glass, and looked up. Amid the dizzying colors of the planetary bands they drifted through, there was a single speck of purple.

    ¡°Fucking hell,¡± Kamak mumbled under his breath. ¡°When did that get there?¡±

    ¡°It appeared roughly seventeen point two ticks ago,¡± To Vo said.

    ¡®Thank you for your contribution, please go back to not talking now,¡± Kamak said.

    The sleek purple vessel was drifting a few miles away from the ring, motionless in space. Tooley tightened her grip on the controls and watched with bated breath as the purple ship did absolutely nothing.

    ¡°Tooley. The scanner,¡± Kamak reminded her. Tooley managed to pry her eyes away from the speck of purple in the distance and checked the readouts.

    ¡°It¡¯s the same fucking ship,¡± Tooley said, confirming what they already knew.

    ¡°How does it know we¡¯re here?¡± Corey snapped. ¡°You said this was foolproof!¡±

    Kamak¡¯s oft-boasted of techniques for hiding the ship hadn¡¯t failed them yet, but it appeared to be failing in a big way now.

    ¡°They don¡¯t know we¡¯re ¡®here¡¯ here or we¡¯d be dead already,¡± Kamak said, though he himself was uncertain. The heavy metal content and background radiation of the ring should¡¯ve kept them hidden from any scanners. They¡¯d even parked the Hermit on a chunk of rock roughly the same color, to make a visual ID harder.

    ¡°They¡¯re looking right fucking at us, Kamak,¡± Tooley said.

    ¡°They¡¯re looking in the direction of the ring,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Just keep cool and keep your hands on the controls. And don¡¯t say a word, Farsus.¡±

    ¡°I had no intention of doing so,¡± Farsus said. He was perfectly happy to sit back and let his metaphor prove itself right.

    ¡°It¡¯s moving,¡± Tooley snapped. The cockpit fell to breathless silence once again as they all watched the purple ship drift closer to the ring, then pause once more and hover in place.

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    ¡°The fuck are they doing?¡±

    If the ship¡¯s intention was to take a closer look, they had failed to get close enough. As Kamak recalled, the purple ship didn¡¯t have external windows like the Hermit did. The purple vessel didn¡¯t have a chance of making a visual confirmation, and getting closer wouldn¡¯t affect the scanners. They had to be up to something else.

    ¡°Tooley, start plugging in coordinates for a jump, now,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Any luck, whatever they¡¯re doing will take long enough for us to have that prepped.¡±

    The purple ship remained motionless as Tooley started to calculate a safe trajectory. She was well into her final calculations when a hatch on the ship opened and a small, square object started to drift towards the ring.

    ¡°Tooley!¡±

    ¡°Almost done,¡± she snapped.

    ¡°If that¡¯s a bomb, we¡¯re all going to die,¡± Kamak hissed. It didn¡¯t look like any explosive Kamak had ever seen, but he had no reason to believe it was anything else.

    ¡°If I don¡¯t have a clear shot out of here, we¡¯re going to die anyway,¡± Tooley said. The purple ship had them outgunned by an apocalyptic margin, and she doubted they could snap it in half with some trick of gravity the way they had the fighter.

    ¡°The device does not appear to be a weapon,¡± Farsus noted. ¡°At least not one capable of threatening us on it¡¯s current trajectory. The structure is too small to contain a sizable payload.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t we scan it, or something?¡± Corey pleaded. He really did not want to be in suspense any longer. He¡¯d almost rather the thing just explode right now and be done with it.

    ¡°If we had half a cycle, ma- fuck that, Tooley, it¡¯s moving,¡± Kamak said. The purple ship was slowly rotating in space, turning their direction.

    ¡°I see it, I see it,¡± Tooley said, as she redoubled her calculations for their FTL jump. ¡°Just a little more¡­¡±

    ¡°We may not have that much time, Tools, get it moving,¡± Kamak said. The purple ship had now turned to face them completely -and kept turning. ¡°Huh.¡±

    The far off vessel made a full rotation and then started to fly away from the planet at speed, before blinking out of existence as it made an FTL jump. The crew stared at the blank space where it had been for a while.

    ¡°Did it work?¡± Corey finally asked. ¡°Did we just...stay hidden?¡±

    ¡°They deployed the thingy,¡± Tooley said.

    ¡°Maybe that was some kind of short range probe,¡± Doprel said. ¡°And it didn¡¯t find anything either.¡±

    ¡°Farsus, scan the thing,¡± Kamak ordered. ¡°We¡¯re sitting right here and staying buckled in until we get answers.¡±

    The silence that followed was at least less tense, given the absence of the purple ship, but it was still uncomfortable. The Hard Luck Hermit didn¡¯t have very precise scanners, and it took Farsus a long time to glean any useful information about the strange object the purple ship had deployed.

    ¡°It appears to be a...container,¡± Farsus said. His confusion at the results was apparent. ¡°A standard issue shipping crate, in fact.¡±

    ¡°Well what the fuck is in it?¡±

    ¡°A very small amount of whatever this is,¡± Farsus said, indicating to his readout screen. Their scanner could only read general materials, not specific details. While iron was easy enough to identify, the chemical compounds that made up the small sheet of material inside the crate were entirely unfamiliar. To most people aboard, at least.

    ¡°Sir, that is paper,¡± To Vo said.

    ¡°Of course the pencil pusher can identify paper on sight,¡± Kamak said. ¡°What¡¯s paper made of again? Can it explode?¡±

    ¡°It can burn,¡± Corey said. ¡°But that looks like maybe a fraction of an ounce. I don¡¯t think it can hurt anything. Should we...go get it?¡±

    Kamak put a hand on the dashboard and leaned forward. The strange container was just an idle gray dot in the distance, slowly being drawn in with the rest of the ring¡¯s celestial debris.

    ¡°We¡¯re going to wait and see.¡±

    <hr>

    After one of the longest swaps of their lives, the crew finally resolved to collect the mysterious crate. It was scanned again, carefully brought aboard, scanned again, cleaned and inspected, and then scanned one more time just to be sure. Kamak hefted a crowbar, took a few cautious steps towards the crate, and then stepped back.

    ¡°Actually, To Vo, how about you do the honors,¡± Kamak said. ¡°You¡¯re the one who saw the ship and warned us, you should-¡±

    ¡°Kamak,¡± Doprel said.

    ¡°Okay, I will do it,¡± To Vo said. She took a step forward before being pulled back by Doprel.

    ¡°He¡¯s only asking because if there is a trap, he wants it to kill you instead of one of us,¡± Doprel said.

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    To Vo took a moment to look dejected, and then grit her fangs.

    ¡°I will still do it,¡± she said. ¡°You rescued me. I owe you this.¡±

    Since she was now volunteering, Doprel raised no further objections, and let Kamak hand the crowbar over to To Vo. Everyone else took cover while she stepped forward, pressed the crowbar¡¯s hook into the seam of a crate, and pulled.

    After about three seconds of waiting, it became clear that the crate was not going to explode, so everyone stepped out of their hiding spaces.

    ¡°Well, what is it?¡±

    ¡°Just paper,¡± To Vo said. She was already wearing gloves, so she¡¯d reached in to grab the small sheet. ¡°I don¡¯t understand anything written on it.¡±

    While digital displays and personal translation chips could synch up, there was no such functionality to automatically translate words on paper. To Vo turned around to display the lines of gibberish and the unrecognizable symbol to the rest of the crew. Corey froze in place on the spot.

    ¡°What is that? Farsus, how many languages do you know?¡±

    ¡°Two. My scholarship does not extend to languages.¡±

    ¡°Then how do we-¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s English,¡± Corey said. ¡°It¡¯s in fucking English. My language.¡±

    Silence returned for what felt like the hundredth time in the past few swaps. As far as anyone had been able to tell, Earth was completely unknown in the cosmic community, and the slavers who¡¯d taken Corey in the first place -almost all of whom were now presumably dead- had only found it by accident. If somebody had tracked it down again¡­

    ¡°Well what¡¯s it say?¡±

    ¡°It says ¡®There is nowhere you can run that we cannot find you.¡¯,¡± Corey said. ¡°And that symbol at the end...that¡¯s the logo of the cult that ruined my mom¡¯s life.¡±

    All this time and all these lightyears traveled later, the sight of it still made Corey sick to his stomach. Now that hated symbol had added an entirely new level of disgust. Someone was taunting him. Taunting all of them.

    ¡°Nowhere we can run,¡± Kamak mumbled to himself. Farsus said aloud what they were all thinking.

    ¡°If these people are capable of tracking down Corey¡¯s homeworld, learning Corey¡¯s language, the details of his personal life¡­¡±

    ¡°Then they can learn just about god damn anything, can¡¯t they?¡± Kamak said. ¡°Including wherever the fuck we run.¡±

    Kamak put his hands on his hips and let out a deep, rumbling sigh. Tooley restrained herself slightly better, but she wasn¡¯t any happier about being proven wrong than Kamak was.

    ¡°Any one of you fuckers says, ¡®I told you so¡¯, I¡¯ll kill you my damn self,¡± Kamak said.

 Chapter 51: Intelligence Networking

    Kamak slammed the cockpit door shut. He had to make some calls, and he really didn¡¯t want to deal with the peanut gallery right now. If that purple ship was so intent on drawing him into a fight, he¡¯d fight, but he wouldn¡¯t fight like an idiot. Kamak needed information. First, he needed more information on what exactly had happened on Centerpoint. He pulled out one of the blank datapads he kept just in case he ever needed a burner and made a call to an old acquaintance.

    ¡°You¡¯d better have a good god damn reason for calling me, Kamak,¡± Ghul spat. The half-faced head of the Centerpoint Bounty Hunter¡¯s Guild had answered the call, at least, but she wasn¡¯t happy about it.

    ¡°Because I think I just got framed for killing a cop and I need to know what the story they¡¯re trying to sell is,¡± Kamak said. ¡°If you believe me, that-¡±

    ¡°Of course I believe you, you fucking moron,¡± Ghul said. ¡°You¡¯re too lazy for all the trouble killing a cop would cause you.¡±

    Kamak didn¡¯t know that that was true, but as long as Ghul believed he wasn¡¯t a cop-killer, he didn¡¯t really want to argue about why.

    ¡°So then what are they trying to make you believe? What¡¯s the story?¡±

    ¡°Listen, Kam, just because I believe you doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re not a fugitive,¡± Ghul said. ¡°Why would I help you?¡±

    ¡°Because you owe me half a face and I¡¯m cashing in,¡± Kamak said. ¡°You¡¯re as sick of me as anyone else, so here¡¯s your chance to wash your hands of me. Answer a few questions and we¡¯re even.¡±

    The silence from the other end of the line was long enough that Kamak got worried she¡¯d hung up. Ghul spoke again eventually, however.

    ¡°You¡¯re lucky I don¡¯t want you getting Doprel killed,¡± she said. ¡°Look, it¡¯s a developing story, so I can¡¯t tell you much. Word is you went rogue, took an assassination contract from some underworld dealer. The cop had you in her sights, so you killed her and ran.¡±

    ¡°Complete fucking nonsense,¡± Kamak spat. ¡°Isn¡¯t there a video of the cop getting shot? Me and Corvash didn¡¯t shoot the bitch, and the rest of my crew was on the ship. How could I have killed her?¡±

    ¡°If there¡¯s a video, no one¡¯s seen it,¡± Ghul said. ¡°Just the corpse you supposedly put a hole in.¡±

    ¡°Shit.¡±

    There wasn¡¯t a video in the universe that could completely absolve Kamak and the crew of guilt, but the very obvious evidence would at least make it harder to sell the lie. Covering up the video entirely would make the cover story an easier sell -but erasing a Centerpoint security feed was no easy task.

    ¡°Guild¡¯s got you blacklisted, if you were wondering,¡± Ghul said. ¡°You and your crew.¡±

    ¡°I figured, but thanks for the confirmation. What about the cop? To Vo So La?¡±

    ¡°To Vo La Su,¡± Ghul corrected. ¡°She¡¯s on your ship, Kamak!¡±

    ¡°And I don¡¯t give a fuck about her,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°This attitude is why no one¡¯s standing up for you right now, you know,¡± Ghul said.

    ¡°I called you for info, not shitty therapy,¡± Kamak said. ¡°What¡¯s the story on the cop?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re saying you took her as a hostage,¡± Ghul said. Kamak nodded along with that perfectly sensible story. There was no universe, real or imagined, where To Vo La Su was a criminal.

    ¡°A hostage, okay, has this imaginary version of me made any demands, or am I just keeping the cop around as a hostage for the hell of it?¡±

    ¡°Come on, Kamak, you know this trick, you keep an innocent person on the ship so they¡¯re less likely to shoot you down,¡± Ghul said. ¡°That...the guy with three eyes you shot, he did that trick while we were chasing him, you remember?¡±

    ¡°Fuck, right,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Didn¡¯t work out very well for him, though.¡±

    ¡°You still waited until he was planetside to shoot him.¡±

    ¡°Barely,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Any other clues for me to work with here, Ghul?¡±

    ¡°Just one, and it could be very good news or very bad news for you,¡± Ghul said. ¡°Last reports had you heading to the Hekim galaxy.¡±

    Kamak took a quick glance at his star charts. The Hekim galaxy was millions of lightyears away, on the opposite end of the universe. Either somebody running this scam was very stupid or, more likely, they wanted to prolong the chase, keep their distraction going as long as possible.

    ¡°Pardon me if I don¡¯t tell you where I am right now,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Less material for you to sell me out with later.¡±

    ¡°Naturally. I am recording this call, though, and the minute anyone asks I¡¯m handing it over,¡± Ghul said.

    ¡°As you should. I wouldn¡¯t die for you, don¡¯t go dying for me.¡±

    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

    ¡°Don¡¯t plan on it. Anything else, Kamak?¡±

    ¡°Not much. Uh...Things are heating up, Ghul, and I don¡¯t think it¡¯s going to stop at me and mine. Keep what¡¯s left of your head down. Stay alive.¡±

    ¡°Same to you, bastard,¡± Ghul said. ¡°And if they do get you, I hope it¡¯s quick.¡±

    ¡°Gee, thanks.¡±

    The final dash of sarcasm went unanswered, as Ghul ended the call. Kamak might¡¯ve appreciated a slightly more heartfelt goodbye, but he wasn¡¯t picky about it. He had other calls to make anyway. Kamak double checked that the cockpit door was locked and sealed, and then called up Apall. The call lingered unanswered for a while, and every second that ticked away made Kamak more and more nervous.

    ¡°I was expecting you to call sooner,¡± Apall said. He sounded almost amused.

    ¡°Been a little busy trying not to die,¡± Kamak said. ¡°I assume you¡¯re up to speed?¡±

    ¡°As I can be,¡± Apall said. ¡°We¡¯ve been keeping an eye on your situation.¡±

    ¡°Great. Any chance you can tell me who¡¯s after me, where to find them, and how best to kill them?¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately no. That is, however, a clue in and of itself. There aren¡¯t many people with the skills and resources necessary to keep out of our sight.¡±

    That would have been a stupid boast coming from anyone but a Timeka executive. They had connections in every corner of the universe, from high society to the lowest of the low, and had such a menagerie of shell companies and false identities that many who worked as informants for Timeka didn¡¯t even know it. Anyone who could escape their notice had to be equally resourceful.

    ¡°Alright, so you¡¯re useless on the who what and where, maybe you can help me figure out the why,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Somebody¡¯s using this manhunt for my crew as a shell game. You got anything that might explain why someone wants to distract Council security, the Sturit, and a whole bunch of assholes who hate Doccans?¡±

    Yet again, Kamak found himself facing an uncomfortably long silence, but this time he was the one to break it.

    ¡°Come on, Apall. Last time we met you mentioned a ¡®changing universe¡¯. I know you know something.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s about what it¡¯s always about,¡± Apall said. ¡°Money. Commerce, in this case.¡±

    In his office, Apall toyed with his computer, and pulled up a holographic display of the universe.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how closely you¡¯ve looked at a map lately, Kamak, but you might find yourself noticing that Centerpoint is no longer the center point, so to speak.¡±

    Kamak pulled up a copy of his own map. The vast network of galaxies sprawled out in an uneven array, bordered on one edge by the supermassive black hole called the Maw. Sure enough, when Kamak measured from end to end, Centerpoint was slightly closer to the Maw than it was to the other edge of the known universe.

    ¡°So help me gods if this is all some cosmic real estate scheme...¡±

    When construction had started almost two centuries ago, Centerpoint had been intended to be the universal hub of trade. Scouts and explorers would search for new galaxies in every direction, ensuring that even as the known universe expanded, Centerpoint would stay in the middle. The Maw had shattered that plan like glass. With a gravitational influence spanning billions of lightyears in every direction, the Maw made the formation of nearby galaxies impossible, and formed a solid wall on one edge of the universe.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s what it comes down to, Kamak. The next round of Bang Gates are nearing completion. When they¡¯re done, Centerpoint will be that much further from the center of the universe.¡±

    ¡°And what the hell does any of that have to do with me?¡±

    ¡°Look at the map, Kamak, see the bigger picture. Look where the Sturit and Doccan are located.¡±

    Kamak double checked the map, focusing on the trade routes, and highlighting Turitha specifically. He already knew the Doccan homeworld was situated on what would otherwise be a useful trade route, so he could see the angle at work there. It was already a dangerous route, and if that danger escalated, it might be shut off to trade completely, dealing a crippling blow to an already weakened Centerpoint. Turitha, however, remained an unknown piece of the puzzle, until Kamak saw it light up at the edge of the map -near the new Bang Gates being built.

    ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s the play,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Someone wants Turitha to be the new Centerpoint.¡±

    While not perfect, Turitha was well situated to be on the forefront of galactic trade and commerce for the next few decades, if not centuries. A little infrastructure, and a few Bang Gates, and whoever controlled Turitha could become obscenely rich.

    ¡°It all comes back to money in the end,¡± Apall said. ¡°Timeka has been keeping a close eye on the situation of course.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Hey Apall, follow up question.¡±

    ¡°Ask away.¡±

    ¡°What happens if this new arrangement turns out to be the more profitable one,¡± Kamak began. ¡°And Timeka needs to make a deal with the same people who have a manhunt out for me?¡±

    Of all the long silences Kamak had endured recently, this one was by far his least favorite.

    ¡°Alternatives would be discussed, of course,¡± Apall said. Kamak knew the ¡°corporate bullshit¡± voice when he heard it. If it came down to his life versus company profits, Kamak would get a single half-hearted protest as a courtesy, at most. Timeka didn¡¯t get to be a universe-spanning corporation by putting people before profits.

    ¡°Thanks for the tip, Apall. If I survive this, I¡¯ll see you around. If I don¡¯t, I¡¯ll see you in hell.¡±

    ¡°Good luck, Kamak. We¡¯ll be in touch if we find out anything useful to you.¡±

    And you¡¯ll leave me in the dark if the info is more useful to your profits, Kamak thought to himself. The really sad part was that Timeka and Apall were still probably the best friends he had outside this ship.

    <hr>

    The friends Kamak had on the ship (and also Tooley) weren¡¯t very excited to hear they might be pawns in a universal scale real estate scheme.

    ¡°Of course it¡¯s got to be trade routes and shit,¡± Tooley snorted. ¡°The least sexy kind of universal intrigue.¡±

    ¡°At least it¡¯s not taxes.¡±

    ¡°It might not be anything,¡± Doprel said. ¡°Why would someone be trying to usurp Turitha as a trade route by putting a xenophobic regime in power? Seems counter-intuitive.¡±

    ¡°Because the endgame isn¡¯t to leave the Structuralists in power,¡± Corey said. ¡°It¡¯s an old school move. Instigate and fund a civil war, keep it running as long as possible, and when the two sides have torn each other to pieces, swoop in and take control of them when they¡¯re all too weak to resist.¡±

    ¡°You do that a lot back on Earth?¡±

    ¡°Well, in America, mainly.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s an America?¡±

    ¡°Not important right now,¡± Corey said. ¡°Point is, somebody wants to break the Sturit so they can pick up the pieces for themselves.¡±

    ¡°Cool, let¡¯s let them do it,¡± Tooley said.

    ¡°Tooley¡¯s right in the wrong way, as usual,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Much as I want to know what our mystery cunt is up to, the Sturit are going to be armed to the teeth and willing to kill us on sight. We should start somewhere they¡¯ll only kill us if they have a logical reason.¡±

    ¡°The Doccan,¡± Doprel said.

    ¡°Sorry buddy,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Time to visit the family.¡±

    ¡°They better not eat me.¡±

 Chapter 52: The Big Bang

    ¡°So, this is all, uh, great,¡± Corey began.

    ¡°Having sex is great?¡± Tooley said. ¡°Dang, wish somebody would¡¯ve told me.¡±

    Tooley was still naked and lying on top of him after their latest rendezvous. Corey was a big fan of the naked part, less so the lying on top of him.

    ¡°It¡¯s just, do you have to nap right on top of me every time?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t see anywhere else to nap,¡± Tooley said, poking the wall of the cramped quarters for emphasis. ¡°And I ain¡¯t letting you nap on top of me.¡±

    ¡°I feel like there are other options.¡±

    ¡°Like what, you want to finish inside me then tell me to hit the road? Not very gentlemanly of you.¡±

    That managed to get Corey to squirm, which was exactly what Tooley had intended. Unfortunately she only got a moment to savor the delight before the ship¡¯s intercom started buzzing.

    ¡°Tooley! Get off Corvash¡¯s dick and on the pilot seat,¡± Kamak snapped over the comms. Corey cringed. They tried to be at least a little discreet about it, but there were only six people on the ship. When two went missing, the other four noticed, and made some very reasonable assumptions. ¡°It¡¯s almost our turn in the queue.¡±

    ¡°Fucking captain,¡± Tooley mumbled, before throwing on her clothes and going to get cleaned up. Corey followed suit, and by the time he was done, Tooley was already firmly planted in the pilot¡¯s seat, watching the queue to get through the Bang Gate get shorter and shorter. Traffic into the Caro galaxy, home of the Doccan, was relatively sparse, but even the relatively short queue took a few dozen swaps of waiting.

    ¡°So what¡¯s our first move when we get there, cap,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Head straight for Doprel¡¯s old place and see if we can crash on his parent¡¯s couch?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have a home, and if my parents are still alive, they¡¯ll try to eat me on sight,¡± Doprel said.

    ¡°Fucking brick the mood there, Doprel,¡± Tooley said. ¡°It was a joke.¡±

    ¡°I think I should be pretty clear about this stuff. The Doprel are only slightly less deadly than anyone else we could be running towards right now.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll take that ¡®slightly¡¯, thanks,¡± Kamak said. ¡°We¡¯re up, Tools.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve got eyes,¡± Tooley snapped back. She gave their engines a light tap to send them lurching forward and through the Bang Gate. Corey took a deep breath as he they drifted into the gate of cosmic fire. He¡¯d been on a few trips through by now, but he still hadn¡¯t gotten used to it. The interior of the Bang Gate transit tubes were filled with an endless inferno in every direction. It reminded him a little too much of all the sermons about hell back in the Church.

    Unlike the promised hellfire the Church said awaited anyone who lived outside the Church, drank alcohol, or had sex outside of marriage (all things Corey had done within the past cycle), the fires of the Bang Gate were only temporary. The Hermit emerged from the other end of the gateway and began to drift into the open space of the Caro galaxy.

    ¡°Give us some distance and park us,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Let¡¯s watch the gate for a while. See if anything suspicious comes or goes.¡±

    ¡°Fine. But if I see anything purple, I¡¯m booking it,¡± Tooley said. She took the ship into the black abyss that surrounded the Bang Gate on all sides and set them to watch every ship that moved in and out of the gate, then got comfortable. Knowing Kamak, they might be here a while.

    Tooley¡¯s intuition proved correct, and two cycles later, they were still parked in the same spot, still watching the gate, and watching a security ship slowly drift their way.

    ¡°Kamak.¡±

    ¡°Easy,¡± the captain cautioned. ¡°Keep our comms open.¡±

    Tooley reluctantly flipped the switch, and after a short delay, the speaker in her dashboard crackled to life.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been idling there for a while now, folks,¡± the clearly bored security officer said. ¡°Mind explaining the hold up?¡±

    ¡°Sorry about that, Officer,¡± Kamak said, forcibly injecting his voice with false politeness. ¡°Just a debate with our employer. We want to take the long way around Doccan space, but he doesn¡¯t want to front the money for extra fuel.¡±

    ¡°Alright. Try to wrap it up,¡± the guard warned. ¡°Or at least move away from the gate. There¡¯s plenty of space to park your ship far away from here.¡±

    ¡°Will do, officer, just give us a minute to wrap this up.¡±

    ¡°Good. I¡¯ll be here until you-¡±

    The security guard cut himself off mid-sentence, and that momentary pause made Kamak start to sweat.

    ¡°Nevermind,¡± the guard said. ¡°Just get out of here. Soon.¡±

    Any relief they might have felt that the guard wasn¡¯t on to them vanished when they hear the tension in the guard¡¯s voice. The security ship drifted away, and started to join a formation with other patrolling security vessels.

    ¡°If they aren¡¯t worried about us,¡± Kamak said. ¡°What¡¯s the issue?¡±

    ¡°Probably that,¡± Tooley said. She tapped their long-range sensor screen. They had two dozen ships incoming, about to drop out of FTL.

    ¡°Oh good, the party¡¯s coming to us,¡± Kamak said. ¡°We still have a clear shot out of here?¡±

    ¡°Fuckers are jumping in from our exit route,¡± Tooley said. She started recalibrating right away. Trying to cross paths with someone flying at faster than light speeds would only end with both ships atomized.

    ¡°Get us ready to go,¡± Kamak said. ¡°But don¡¯t pull the trigger right away. I want to see what they¡¯re up to.¡±

    The incoming ships all dropped out of lightspeed at once, slipping into visible space on the far side of the Bang Gate. Each of the ships that appeared looked like a jury-rigged mishmash of spare parts and blocky construction, held together by crude welding and hope. They didn¡¯t look like any ship Kamak had ever seen, but he¡¯d heard plenty of rumors.

    ¡°Hey Doprel, come here,¡± Kamak shouted. ¡°I got a theory I want you to confirm.¡±

    The makeshift fleet started closing the gap with the security team¡¯s formation as Doprel lumbered his way into the cockpit.

    ¡°Oh no.¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Looks like the Doccan are on the move.¡±

    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    The first salvo of laser fire illuminated the cockpit in bright red. Kamak didn¡¯t blink.

    ¡°Scratch that. They¡¯re on the warpath. Tools?¡±

    ¡°Still working, please shut up.¡±

    ¡°Not in too much of a hurry,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Doccan aren¡¯t even trying to kill us, as far as we know.¡±

    If anything, the Doccan and the crew of the Hard Luck Hermit had a common enemy. It was too much to hope for an ¡°enemy of my enemy¡± situation, but Kamak knew Doccan logic well enough to know they wouldn¡¯t focus on a small problem while a much larger one presented itself.

    ¡°I¡¯d still rather get out of here,¡± Doprel said.

    ¡°We¡¯ll be alright,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Doccan focus on one thing at a time, and they¡¯re clearly here for the Bang Gate. Wouldn¡¯t be the first lunatics to try and seize a Bang Gate. Only question is what they want out of it. They don¡¯t do money, so no tolls¡­¡±

    Kamak let himself drift off as the makeshift Doccan fleet drifted closer to the security team. The security ships fired the first salvo, but the light weapons of their fighter ships barely scratched the pragmatically tough hides of the Doccan ships.

    The Doccan barely returned fire. They were drifting in a lazy cylinder, clearing a tunnel through the flock of security ships, but barely damaging them. All their laser fire amounted to little more than chaff on a cosmic wind.

    ¡°Huh.¡±

    Doprel¡¯s species didn¡¯t operate on the same wavelength as any other race in the galaxy, but even the dumbest Doccan couldn¡¯t possibly think they could lay claim to a Bang Gate just by parking a ship near it. There had to be some other logic to the ship¡¯s motions. Kamak glanced at their long-range scanners, and saw the tell-tale signs of another ship approaching at faster than light speed, bearing right for the Bang Gate. Kamak had no idea what the Doccan wanted to accomplish with one ship that they couldn¡¯t accomplish with the dozen they already had.

    Unless that one ship didn¡¯t plan on stopping.

    ¡°Tooley, move, now,¡± Kamak demanded.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have an FTL route, calm the fuck-¡±

    ¡°Fuck FTL! Get us as far from the Gate as possible, now!¡±

    Kamak grabbed Tooley by the hair and pulled her face up to look at the cockpit window, an act which might¡¯ve gotten him stabbed in most other circumstances. Then the long range scanner started to beep. It was not a simple notification, but a warning: the incoming ship was not slowing down.

    ¡°Oh fuck. Oh shit oh fuck fuck fuck,¡± Tooley said, any semblance of coherent thought replaced by a terrified stream of expletives. She dropped her calculations in favor of grabbing the steering controls and slamming them into a sharp turn. The ship maintained it¡¯s own gravity, but the sudden turn was still sharp enough to send things teetering to the side, passengers included. Farsus and To Vo stumbled into the unsteady cockpit as the ship rolled in place and started barreling into deep space.

    ¡°What¡¯s going-¡±

    ¡°Farsus! Pull up the rear cams.¡±

    The urgency in Kamak¡¯s voice compelled Farsus to obey the seemingly nonsensical order without question. The ship¡¯s rear camera¡¯s, usually reserved for pursuing vessels, focused in on the Doccan ships as they kept the approach vector clear for their light-speed battering ram. The security team had focused their fire and managed to destroy one ship, but there were a dozen more still keeping space clear, and giving their final vessel a clear shot at the Bang Gate. Farsus watched them travel, his hairy face curling into a look of extreme concern as he glanced towards the blaring proximity sensor.

    ¡°They can¡¯t possibly mean to destroy the Bang Gate?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t fucking know, Fars, but we¡¯re not sticking around to find out!¡±

    ¡°Just out of curiosity,¡± Corey mumbled, as he gripped the arms of his seat with white knuckles. ¡°What happens if a Bang Gate blows up?¡±

    ¡°Nobody fucking knows,¡± Kamak shot back. The Bang Gates cost trillions of cece¡¯s each, and contained complicated power systems that surged with all the energy of several dozen suns. Nobody had ever been desperate or dumb enough to blow one up. ¡°But I¡¯m willing to guess it¡¯s not going to be good!¡±

    The Hermit¡¯s long range sensor started to beep faster and faster, as the approaching vessel got closer to their position -and to the Bang Gate. Every ship in the vicinity had caught on to the same thread as the Hermit and it¡¯s crew, and streaks of starlight framed fleeing ships as they traveled in every direction. Even a good portion of the security team had bailed on the Bang Gate¡¯s defense, leaving just a few very brave or very stupid stragglers to try and fail to hold off the Doccan attack. Corey sure hoped somebody knew the names of all those defenders staying behind, because an honorable memory would soon be all that was left of them.

    The long range alarm let out one final beep, and the universe broke in half.

    Farsus only saw a flash of white on the rear cameras before their optics burnt out entirely in the storm of all-consuming fury. Even facing away from the explosion, the edges of the cockpit started to burn with a bright white intensity that was close to blinding. Tooley started screaming and leaned as hard as she could on the ship¡¯s controls, as if that could somehow compel it to go faster.

    As the furious light of the explosion grew brighter, the noise followed. There was no boom, not in the vacuum of space, but as the concussive force of the explosion caught up to them, the entire ship started to shake and rattle, until it was vibrating so hard Corey began to worry his teeth would shake right out of his skull. Not content with such violent rattling, the Hard Luck Hermit increased the volume with a bevy of sirens and alarms. Every sensor array and warning siren on the deck started to blare all at once, screaming at the crew about radiation levels, engine heat, and most distressingly of all, a proximity alarm. Something was right on their tail.

    ¡°Farsus! You got any tricks up your sleeve?¡±

    ¡°I know many gods, which one would you like to pray to?¡±

    Kamak took that as a resounding no. He grabbed on to his seat and tried to embrace what was, very literally, the ride of his life. Tooley, meanwhile, started to look at her FTL calculations. Any work she¡¯d done was completely useless now, and she cursed herself for not working faster. Even a short FTL jump could¡¯ve taken them lightyears away from this explosion in seconds.

    The proximity sensor started to beep a little louder.

    ¡°Oh, fuck this universe.¡±

    Tooley undid her restraints, and let go of the ship¡¯s controls. At this point, momentum was carrying them as fast as she could go, so leaning on the controls did nothing but make her feel better. She gripped the arm of her seat tight and tried to stand. She struggled to keep her footing in the shaking cockpit, but she managed to turn to Corey.

    ¡°Corey! Knife!¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Tooley said a few curses that got lost in the cacophony of sirens and dove at Corey. She had seen him undress enough times to know where he kept the knife in his boot, and she managed to slip it out of it¡¯s sheath. She held the knife in one hand, braced herself with the other, and spared a quick glance at Corey. He looked scared.

    The fact that he looked scared didn¡¯t bother her in the slightest. He should be scared. What bothered Tooley was the fact that all of a sudden she didn¡¯t want him to look scared. It had been a long time since someone else¡¯s suffering had made her feel anything but amused. She didn¡¯t know if she liked that.

    Since she had no idea what else to do, Tooley gave Corey a quick kiss. He seemed to like that sort of thing. She then took her knife back to the pilot¡¯s seat and pried open a panel near her controls.

    ¡°Hey! What the fuck are you doing?¡±

    Tooley ignored Kamak¡¯s cries of protest, reached into the exposed mechanisms of the ship, and cut a single wire. She threw the knife to the ground, grabbed her jump controls, wiped away all the useless calculations, and hit the button to fire the FTL thrusters.

    The ship lurched so hard the crew started to worry the explosion had caught up to them. The moment of terror passed as the light in the cockpit shifted from white to beige -the familiar blurred canvas of faster-than-light travel. The tan blur lasted only a moment before they shifted back into a blissfully black realspace. The ship was no longer shaking, and while a few notifications were still beeping, the blaring warning sirens had gone silent.

    It took a bit for everyone¡¯s brains to catch up to the fact that things had gone silent and still. To Vo¡¯s stomach lurched, and she unbuckled herself to go throw up. Her motion broke the spell that paralyzed the rest of them, and Kamak turned fully to Tooley.

    ¡°The fuck did you do to my ship?¡±

    ¡°Bypassed the FTL safeguards,¡± Tooley said. The mechanisms that kept them from making blind FTL jumps was easily bypassed by those who knew what they were doing. It came with the risk of immediate death by slamming into a celestial body at light speed, but Tooley had only needed to make a short jump. ¡°It¡¯s just one wire, so don¡¯t get your panties in a twist.¡±

    ¡°You are lucky we lived through that,¡± Kamak said accusingly.

    ¡°As opposed to staying in the explosion and definitely dying?¡±

    Kamak slumped back into his seat. He¡¯d walked into that one.

    ¡°Turn us around. I want eyes on the thing.¡±

    Tooley pulled the controls back and turned the ship around, to face the explosion they¡¯d only barely escaped.

    What had once been a Bang Gate had now collapsed into what appeared to be a small star. The celestial fireball rapidly flared and burst in lances of cosmic fire as it expanded. Nobody had any way of knowing where they had once been, relative to the current fireball, but everybody could agree they were glad to be far, far away from it now. Tooley stared at the core of the white-hot inferno and scratched her chin.

    ¡°Can we get drunk now?¡±

    ¡°I ain¡¯t stopping you,¡± Kamak mumbled.

 Chapter 53: Took Him Long Enough

    After trying to pour a few drinks with shaking hands, Kamak had given up and settled for just passing around the bottle. Current events called for something a little stronger than just a few shiivs and basic beers. Current events also called for literally any conversation topic other than current events.

    ¡°Any of you guys ever go to a planet called Shevik?¡±

    ¡°You know literally every planet I¡¯ve ever been to,¡± Corey said, before passing the bottle in Farsus¡¯ direction.

    ¡°Well then keep your mouth shut and let other people answer,¡± Kamak snapped.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t fucking been there either,¡± Tooley said. There was plenty of room on the couch next to Corey, but she had very deliberately chosen to sit across the room from him.

    ¡°Nor have I,¡± Farsus said. Doprel also shook his head.

    ¡°Fine then, I¡¯ll just rant on my own,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Shevik¡¯s the closest thing to a paradise I know of. Whole planet¡¯s got a temperate climate, and I¡¯d swear the place is fifty percent beach. Far off, too.¡±

    ¡°Is that where you intend to retire?¡±

    ¡°Maybe. If I was dumb enough to think I¡¯m going to get to retire,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Nah. I¡¯m just thinking about it. I visited decades ago, blowing all the money I made on a big score, sitting on the sand drinking and eating my money away. I think that was the last fucking time I ever actually relaxed.¡±

    Every day since then it had been one job to another, one problem to another. Even in the moments when he was flush with cash and had nothing to do, Kamak¡¯s mind raced, whether with complex plans for the future or even more complex thoughts about the past. At some point in his life he¡¯d crossed a threshold of having too many unfixable mistakes to ever really be at peace, and he wasn¡¯t sure when or where he¡¯d crossed that line, but he knew beyond any shadow of a doubt it was too late to go back.

    ¡°I know the feeling,¡± Corey said. ¡°I went to a beach once in my entire life before...something bad happened.¡±

    He kept the details to himself, but in those few short years between them escaping from the cult and his mother¡¯s cancer diagnosis, she had taken him down to Florida, to sit on white sand beaches and watch the waves roll in. The weekend trip had been one of the best times of Corey¡¯s young life.

    ¡°Take it from me. It¡¯s never as good going back.¡±

    He¡¯d tried, after she was gone. The sand was as good as ash.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never been fond of the water,¡± Farsus said. ¡°I fail to see the appeal in beaches either. Just a great deal of sand to make a mess of clothing, and cold water you struggle to move in.¡±

    ¡°I think for most of us it¡¯s just a good excuse to be half-naked,¡± Tooley said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like the water much either,¡± To Vo said. She was allowed to sit in the common room with the rest of them, though she had abstained from alcohol. She sat at Doprel¡¯s side and tried to blend herself into the conversation when she could. As time went on, To Vo La Su was slowly realizing that her old life was probably over, and that it might be a good idea to ingratiate herself with the people who¡¯d saved her life.

    ¡°Oh yeah, what¡¯s that about?¡± Tooley asked. ¡°Is it just the fur?¡±

    ¡°Oh no, nothing like that,¡± To Vo said. She idly scratched one of the leopard-like spots on her face. ¡°It¡¯s actually quite hydrodynamic.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s up with you, then?¡±

    ¡°I nearly drowned once when I was young,¡± To Vo said.

    ¡°Christ. What happened?¡±

    ¡°Oh, nothing in particular,¡± To Vo said. ¡°Just struggled a little to pass one of my exams.¡±

    ¡°Your exams were almost fatal?¡±

    Corey had struggled through some finals in college, but he¡¯d never come close to death.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s the point, sort of,¡± To Vo said, all too casually.

    ¡°The point is that you might die?¡±

    ¡°Well, yes,¡± To Vo said. ¡°My home planet wasn¡¯t very resource-rich, but my species breeds fast. You had to be capable of earning your keep if you wanted to survive.¡±

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    ¡°So they just threw you in the water to see if you drowned or not?¡±

    To Vo Nodded. Nobody in the room had had a particularly good childhood, but that was fucked up even by their warped standards. To Vo knew it was out of line with most cultures, but for her it had just been a fact of life. She still tried to act as upset as everyone else in the room, just to fit in.

    ¡°My generation should be the last to go through it, at least,¡± To Vo said. ¡°The Uplifting gave us enough resources and technology to take care of ourselves better.¡±

    ¡°I sure hope so, or what else is that Uplifting shit even about,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Glad all that nonsense at least did one good thing.¡±

    ¡°You know, I used to think Earth was kind of a shithole, but the more I learn, the more I think we might be closer to average,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°Probably,¡± Kamak said. ¡°The default state of the universe is bastard.¡±

    ¡°Careful captain, that is dangerously close to philosophy,¡± Farsus said.

    ¡°Fuck off and give that bottle back,¡± Kamak said. ¡°You sound drunker than me and I will not allow that. As captain, I set the threshold for drunkenness.¡±

    ¡°Then you better slam that shit, because too many of my brain cells are working for my comfort,¡± Tooley said.

    ¡°If you can still talk, it¡¯s too many for my comfort too,¡± Kamak said. He threw the bottle of liqour back and took an especially long swig before handing it off to Tooley. ¡°Fucking hell. Enough with the life stories. Farsus, you must know a good drinking game, right?¡±

    ¡°There is an old favorite of mine,¡± Farsus said. ¡°We take turns throwing a knife at one another. Catching it means no drinks, failing to catch it means one drink, and cutting yourself as you catch it is three drinks.¡±

    ¡°Sometimes I wonder how you still have all your fingers,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°Some of them have been severed, but only briefly.¡±

    ¡°Fantastic! Does literally anyone else have a game,¡± Kamak pleaded.

    ¡°Why are we even trying to game it?¡± Tooley asked. ¡°Drinking is already fun. It¡¯s drinking. We should do as much of it as possible.¡±

    ¡°Fuck!¡±

    Kamak jumped to his feet, immediately fell down, and then punched the floor where he landed.

    ¡°Kamak?¡±

    ¡°Everyone wants to kill us!¡± Kamak shouted from the floor. ¡°We can¡¯t go shopping! We can¡¯t buy more booze!¡±

    Silence fell. Kamak pried himself off the floor, and four inebriated eyes locked on the bottle that was held in Corey¡¯s hand. They were in no danger of an immediate shortage, and in fact they had a surplus by the standards of most sapient beings, but every drop brought them one step closer to the end of their supply of booze. Also fuel, basic supplies, food, and water, but the booze was their primary concern at the moment.

    ¡°Fuck.¡±

    ¡°We could go underground,¡± Farsus suggested. ¡®There has to be some group of criminals not caught up in this absurd conspiracy.¡±

    ¡°We could smuggle! Smuggling is sexy and victimless,¡± Tooley said. ¡°We could go to the...place. Planet. That had the old things. Steal more Kentath relics and sell them. Morrakesh loves Kentath bullshit, he¡¯d buy it.¡±

    Corey was contemplating whether to ration the bottle or chug the rest of it, a state of relatively high brain activity given his current state. Tooley¡¯s brief aside sparked a wire in his brain that crossed paths with his contemplation of their current alcohol-based predicament and surged through the frayed wires into the repressed part of his brain that dealt with their larger problems. Corey dropped the bottle.

    ¡°Hey! That could¡¯ve broken!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s him.¡±

    The bottle clattered to a halt by Corey¡¯s feet, creating a temporary lull in conversation.

    ¡°It¡¯s fucking him, it¡¯s Morrakesh, in the purple ship,¡± Corey said. ¡°I was supposed to be his slave, he came after me. He didn¡¯t kill us that first time we saw him because we had Kentath relics on our ship.¡±

    The puzzle pieces kept falling into place in Corey¡¯s slightly inebriated mind.

    ¡°He only realized we¡¯d make a good distraction later, after he learned more about us.¡±

    Kamak rolled over onto his back and stared up at the ceiling. The Worm on Paga For had let them know the manhunt for them hadn¡¯t begun in earnest until after their first encounter with the purple ship. The logic tracked, as did the means by which the hunt was carried out.

    ¡°He¡¯s got the coin to pull all this off,¡± Kamak mumbled. There weren¡¯t many groups in the galaxy with the power to go up against the Galactic Council and commit so many acts of subterfuge unnoticed.

    ¡°And the positioning to benefit from the reshaped universal trade,¡± Farsus said. The Morrakesh Collective was only a few galaxies away from Turitha. Not in prime position to be a hub of trade, but close enough to benefit greatly from the nearby hub.

    ¡°We have means and motive,¡± Kamak said. He peeled himself off the floor to sit upright. ¡°I¡¯ve started manhunts with less.¡±

    ¡°No no no no no no,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Even if this is right, and that¡¯s only a maybe, the fuck are we going to do? He¡¯s like an emperor slash crime lord slash slave buyer guy. We going to waltz up and put a bullet in him?¡±

    ¡°Fuck that,¡± Kamak said. He wasn¡¯t dumb enough to try and take down a massive criminal empire. ¡°But if we can find some fucking evidence or something, we can at least clear our name and maybe get him off ours asses.¡±

    ¡°Still got to know it¡¯s actually him or not first,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Otherwise we¡¯re just swinging at a whole new hornet¡¯s nest before the last swarm¡¯s even off our ass.¡±

    ¡°So let¡¯s do what we came here to do and get more information,¡± Kamak said. ¡°The Doccan blew up a whole fucking Bang Gate, there¡¯s got to be a lot going on here.¡±

    ¡°None of it good.¡±

    ¡°Nothing¡¯s ever good,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Alright, no more of this shit.¡±

    Kamak stood and snatched the bottle off the floor, returning it to its shelf where it belonged, much to Tooley¡¯s chagrin.

    ¡°Alright, get to your rooms and start sleeping this off, champs, soon as I turn the lights back on we¡¯re going to see if we¡¯ve pissed off the worst person in the galaxy.¡±

    With a loud groan, Corey rolled out of his seat and headed back to his room. Tooley glared at his back for a moment, and contemplated following him. Then she glanced at the bottle on the shelf, and her thoughts drifted to the bottles she had stashed in her own room. She went after those instead.

 Chapter 54: Biology, Breakups, and Big Guns

    Corey cleaned the barrel of the gun Farsus had given him, unsure if he was actually doing it right. He couldn¡¯t read the label on the bottle, but it was removing the plasma scorch marks along the interior of the gun just fine. He sure hoped that was what was supposed to happen. Nobody had corrected him yet.

    ¡°Do you actually know how to shoot a gun, Tovs?¡±

    While he generally regarded To Vo as a waste of precious time and resources, Kamak wasn¡¯t dumb enough to let an extra gun hand go to waste at a time like this. Providing she was an extra gun hand. If she was completely useless, Kamak would add a few notches to the already high count in favor of throwing To Vo La Su out the airlock when no one was looking.

    ¡°I passed my mandated yearly firearm handling tests.¡±

    ¡°Passed how?¡±

    ¡°I hit my target roughly sixty-eight percent of the time.¡±

    Kamak did a quick mental calculus, and relented.

    ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll call you covering fire,¡± he said. Under the pressure of an actual firefight, that sixty-eight percent would turn into twenty-percent real fast, but Kamak was not about to get picky. That, and they would likely be shooting at some very big targets very soon, which would help with accuracy.

    The crew needed more information on any possible connections to Morrakesh, and the Doccan were currently their best bet. They were creatures of pure, emotionless decision making, and would always take the most logical course of action that presented itself. Putting a gun to their head and asking a question almost always resulted in that question getting answered. The problem was getting a gun to the head of an eight foot tall mostly bulletproof colossus in the first place.

    Thankfully, that same logical nature meant they also had consistent behaviors that made them easy to exploit.

    ¡°Doccan always hit unknown threats with a small strike force first,¡± Doprel explained. ¡°We get some attention, we get a small group after us, we take out a few to prove we¡¯re a viable threat, and maybe we can get something out of the ones that remain.¡±

    To Vo raised her hand, once again acting like she was back in elementary school. If her species had elementary schools. Considering what Corey knew of her culture, they didn¡¯t seem like the classroom type.

    ¡°From what I¡¯ve gathered, Mr. Doprel, it seems like our opponent is exploiting those who already hate the Doccan,¡± To Vo said. ¡°Do your people not believe in the adage that your greatest friend is your enemy¡¯s enemy?¡±

    ¡°Doccan don¡¯t have friends,¡± Doprel said. ¡°Everything that¡¯s not a Doccan is either a resource or a threat -and they assume ¡®threat¡¯ first. We¡¯re going to need to get them at a disadvantage to get them to listen to us.¡±

    ¡°I see. That¡¯s unfortunate.¡±

    All things considered, To Vo seemed more upset by their violent approach to diplomacy than Doprel did. She brushed down some fur that was beginning to stand on end and asked another question.

    ¡°Mr. Doprel, would it be offensive of me to ask why you are an exception to your species standard of logical behavior?¡±

    Corey leaned in and paid attention. He¡¯d been wondering about this for a long time too.

    ¡°Not at all,¡± Doprel said. ¡°The short version of the story is that a while after the Doccan made first contact, they started to realize the brains of other creatures worked differently than theirs did. They genetically engineered me and a few other Doccan to have brains that had hormonal systems more like the other species -they gave us emotions, basically, and made us ambassadors, seeing if being more like them would make associating with other races more beneficial.¡±

    ¡°Then why would the Doccan not welcome you with open arms?¡±

    ¡°They decided the experiment was a failure and, to avoid wasting nutrients, ate all of my siblings,¡± Doprel said. ¡°I barely got away.¡±

    ¡°Oh, storms,¡± To Vo gasped. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡±

    ¡°I turned out fine,¡± Doprel said. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Can¡¯t say I¡¯m really excited to go back, but I¡¯m also excited to not get chased by a purple murder ship anymore.¡±

    The Doccan were only a small piece of the larger puzzle, but they were the piece most likely to yield information right now. Doprel could dislike that, thanks to his genetically modified brain, but the natural-born logic centers in his brain recognized it was the smartest choice.

    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

    ¡°Are you worried that the other Doccan will try to hurt you while we interact?¡±

    ¡°Not while we have the upper hand,¡± Doprel said. ¡°They might take a few nibbles on me while we fight, though.¡±

    ¡°Why are we back to cannibalism again?¡± Tooley shouted from the cockpit.

    ¡°You¡¯re the one who took a bite out of a dude,¡± Kamak shouted back.

    ¡°I did not swallow!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t try and pretend like you didn¡¯t get something in there,¡± Kamak said.

    The ship underwent the subtle but noticeable shift of deceleration, and Tooley exited the cockpit to slap Kamak in the shoulder. It wasn¡¯t a hard slap, but he rubbed his shoulder anyway.

    ¡°Did you bring us out of FTL just to slap me?¡±

    ¡°No, I brought us out of FTL because we¡¯re at our destination,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Seventy five point eight tachs outside the sensor radius of that monitoring station the Doccan took over, just like you asked. Slapping you was just convenient timing.¡±

    ¡°Okay, thanks. For getting us in place. Fuck you for slapping me.¡±

    ¡°Fuck you too, cap. Are we mission ready?¡±

    ¡°No, might be two swaps or so until we¡¯re ready,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°Cool, I¡¯ll be getting hammered, then,¡± Tooley said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t go digging into-¡±

    ¡°It is my personal stockpile, and I will chug it if I want to,¡± Tooley said, before going into her room and slamming the door behind her. Kamak rolled his eyes.

    ¡°You want to talk to your woman, Corvash?¡±

    ¡°I think I will, actually,¡± Corey said. She¡¯d been avoiding him lately, for reasons he didn¡¯t understand. Kamak turned his attention back to mission prep and ignored Corey as he headed to Tooley¡¯s room and knocked on the door.

    ¡°Tooley, it¡¯s Corvash. You got a minute?¡±

    ¡°Come in and talk fast,¡± Tooley grunted. Corey accepted the invitation and stepped inside, finding Tooley¡¯s room exactly as messy as he had last seen it, albeit in a different way. She seemed to clean up old messes and create new ones at a consistent rate. The architect of the messes herself was already lying on the bed, bottle in hand, with her shirt off and her pants unbuttoned for optimum relaxation. She did not get up, or make space for Corey to sit, as he entered.

    ¡°What do you want?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to be very blunt here, did I do something to piss you off?¡±

    ¡°Nope.¡±

    Tooley¡¯s facial expression did not change in the slightest as she took another swig.

    ¡°You¡¯re kind of acting like you¡¯re mad at me.¡±

    ¡°Nope. Just done with you.¡±

    ¡°Uh...done?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, done,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Not like, ¡®done¡¯ done, we can still drink and fuck together or whatever if you want.¡±

    ¡°So then what does ¡®done¡¯ mean?¡±

    ¡°Means I¡¯m not fucking kissing you again, for starters,¡± Tooley said. ¡°That¡¯s done. Not tying any strings between you and me, Corvash. Attachments between coworkers is always a bad idea, much less coworkers under imminent and constant threat of death.¡±

    Corey at least understood her meaning, though he was no closer to understanding her logic.

    ¡°So you¡¯re giving me the cold shoulder...because you like me too much?¡±

    ¡°Not at all,¡± Tooley said. ¡°If I liked you ¡®too much¡¯ it would overcome my desire to give you the cold shoulder, which it does not. You¡¯re kind of riding a middle-ground wave of me liking you enough that I¡¯d be upset if you died, but not so much that I wouldn¡¯t leave you to die to save my own ass. That¡¯s how it should be.¡±

    ¡°Seriously?¡±

    ¡°Hey, I said I¡¯d be upset about it,¡± Tooley protested. ¡°You know who I am. If you had higher expectations from me, that¡¯s your fault.¡±

    Corey didn¡¯t say anything, but Tooley knew the dumbstruck look on his face very well.

    ¡°What? You had aspirations of being husband number four?¡±

    ¡°Four?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, four. First husband, I married to get an offworld visa and then ditched as soon as we got off planet, second guy I think I was drunk the entire time, don¡¯t really know what his deal was, third guy...third guy was alright, but he got stabbed to death by some guys he owed money to.¡±

    ¡°Jesus christ!¡±

    ¡°And then there¡¯s wives! First one cheated on me, but the second one, she was fun, and then we went to a space port and then she wandered somewhere and I wandered somewhere and we just never found each other again, I guess. Think I¡¯m still married to her, technically.¡±

    ¡°Is this going somewhere?¡±

    ¡°Sort of. Still got one more spouse to go,¡± Tooley said. She scratched her stomach idly and pondered her marital history. ¡°They were from a species with five biological sexes so we could never really figure out what to call them husband slash wife wise. That one was mostly because I wanted to see what was in their pants, going to be honest.¡±

    ¡°Okay, again, is this going anywhere?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s going to make a point about why you should care as little as I do,¡± Tooley said. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re one of those types that wants to mate for life, but if you are, fuck off. If you just want a hole to stick your dick in, I¡¯m your girl. Make your choice and choose wisely.¡±

    Tooley was always at least casually caustic, even with Corey, but right now he could tell she was deliberately trying to piss him off. She wasn¡¯t even trying that hard, but it was working really well.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on with you, but I¡¯m not putting up with it right now,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°Okay, cool, close the door behind you,¡± Tooley said. Corey slammed it in a way he hoped would make a point. He wasn¡¯t sure what point it would make, but he had to at least try. Tooley had never turned the full power of her mood-ruining attitude on him before. He wondered how Kamak took it in stride so easily.

    ¡°How¡¯d your chat go? Rhetorical question, I don¡¯t care,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Hands up.¡±

    Corey put his hands up on instinct, and Kamak dropped a very, very large gun into them.

    ¡°Get a feel for it, see what you like,¡± Kamak said. ¡°You¡¯ve been granted temporary Big Ass Gun privileges. Don¡¯t fuck this up and you may get a provisional license.¡±

    It took a while to adjust to the weight, but Corey found a comfortable position to shoulder the gun. It didn¡¯t entirely fix his Tooley-induced bad mood, but it was hard not to feel a little bit better when wielding a gun the size of a guitar.

 Chapter 55: All Quiet on the Stellar Front

    ¡°Alright, sound off. Farsus, you got those disruption charges armed and ready?¡±

    The Hard Luck Hermit always kept a few ion projectiles aboard, to disable a ship and capture the targets aboard alive when possible. The ones they had on hand were out of date and a little sluggish, making them useless against anything too fast or too modern, but Doccan ships tended to run slow and simple, making them a perfect target. Farsus gave his approval and then moved to arm the warheads and load them into the Hard Luck Hermit¡¯s launch tubes.

    ¡°Next up, Tooley,¡± Kamak said. ¡°You manage to rub two brain cells together long enough to get the docking tube back in shape?¡±

    Tooley made exactly three rude gestures before confirming that yes, she had gotten the tube working. Another tool meant for ship-born captures, the tube could latch on to another vessel and hopefully force the hatch open. If not, Farsus also had a few shaped demolition charges that would definitely get a hatch open, along with most of the wall around it.

    ¡°Doprel, you got the restraints ready?¡±

    ¡°Yep,¡± Doprel said. There weren¡¯t many species quite as large or as strong as Doccan¡¯s in the galaxy, so they couldn¡¯t use simple handcuffs. They¡¯d jury-rigged a solution from spare cables and cords lying around the ship, and tested it on Doprel himself to be sure. It had been awkward spending an entire night trying to tie up Doprel, but it had paid off and they¡¯d all sworn never to talk about it again.

    ¡°Corvash, Po Lo-¡±

    ¡°To Vo.¡±

    ¡°Whatever. You got your guns ready?¡±

    ¡°Yes sir. Though absent any time in the firing range, I can¡¯t say with complete confidence-¡±

    ¡°Noted. Corvash, you?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a gun. I point, I shoot.¡±

    ¡°Good man. You keep pointing and shooting until whatever you¡¯re shooting is no longer moving,¡± Kamak said. ¡°After all the fights you¡¯ve seen Doprel in, I don¡¯t need to remind you Doccan are tough motherfuckers, especially compared to species like us. Do not let up, even if you see them ¡®bleeding¡¯. They¡¯ve got a subdermal layer of shock-absorbing fluid, so if you see them leaking, it doesn¡¯t mean they¡¯re dying, it means they¡¯re pissed off.¡±

    Kamak pointed at Doprel. He wasn¡¯t fully comfortable being an example, but he put up with it for the sake of demonstration. Corey re-examined his gun again. There¡¯d always been a mix of exotic armaments like plasma and laser weaponry aboard the Hermit, with a few ballistic rifles like back home on Earth in the mix for special occasions, but today they all had good old fashioned slugthrowers. Apparently the Doccan could shrug off laser weaponry especially well, since the self-cauterizing nature of energy weapons worked against itself when creatures with an internal fluid barrier were involved.

    ¡°Do not aim for the center of mass. You¡¯ll be here all day, or you will be if a Doccan doesn¡¯t grab you and eat you alive first,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Aim for the head and the extremities, with special focus on the arms. Legs are good, but tougher to get through. Lot of density in those stumpy stompers.¡±

    Corey had mostly lost interest in the lecture, but To Vo appeared to be taking furious mental notes, as if she planned to make a career out of killing Doccan. She put that energy into even the most tedious tasks, however. A few swaps ago she¡¯d typed out several pages of notes while Corey explained how to change a water filter.

    ¡°Track the target I call, focus your fire, and remember that we need to leave at least one alive,¡± Kamak continued. ¡°Any questions from the squad?¡±

    To Vo immediately raised her hand. Kamak sighed, but gave her the all-clear. Life or death situations were not the time to leave any unanswered questions, even stupid unanswered questions.

    ¡°Sir, in the event that we¡¯re engaged in close range, what do-¡±

    ¡°You cover your face and hope to gods Doprel gets to you before the Doccan rips you in half or eats a part of you you can¡¯t live without,¡± Kamak said. ¡°If you get close enough to the face, you might be able to punch them in something sensitive and buy yourself two seconds before one of the aforementioned possibilities happens.¡±

    ¡°Oh dear.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a long tube. If they start getting close, back up.¡±

    Kamak gave his gun a firm pat on the barrel, to emphasize the importance of heavy weaponry, and then turned back to Farsus.

    ¡°That about cover it?¡±

    ¡°Our tactical situation is sound,¡± Farsus said. ¡°Doccan are known for efficiency, not cleverness.¡±

    ¡°Alrighty then, everyone ready and loaded?¡±

    One by one, the armed crew sounded off, and Kamak shouted to their only crew member who wasn¡¯t holding a gun.

    ¡°Tooley, we¡¯re good to go. Load up the ¡®distressed traveler¡¯ ping.¡±

    ¡°Can do, captain,¡± Tooley shouted back. She flipped a switch and loaded up one of the ship¡¯s false-flag identification beacons. Being able to lie about what kind of ship they were was very illegal, but very useful. It helped them slip through Bang Gate security without attracting attention and today, it would help them draw in their prey. Tooley flipped another switch and started broadcasting a distress signal as well. They had recruited To Vo La Su and her naturally squeaky, pitiful voice to mimic the high pitched whining of a lost traveler whose ship had been damaged in the Bang Gate explosion. The Doccan were not overtly aggressive most of the time, but when a vulnerable target presented itself, they seized on the easy resources.

    ¡°Ready to charge headlong into enemy territory on your mark, Kamak,¡± Tooley said. She wasn¡¯t even a frontline fighter in this plan and she still didn¡¯t like it.

    ¡°Get it moving, Tools,¡± Kamak ordered. ¡°We know what we¡¯re doing.¡±

    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    Mostly, Tooley thought to herself. Mostly. She slid the accelerator forward and started them careening toward the decrepit space station the Doccan had occupied. She even jiggled the controls intermittently to really give the ship that ¡°unsteady due to heavy damage¡± look. After a few jiggles, she decided to code it into the ship¡¯s autopilot so she didn¡¯t have to do it manually. Their quest might take a while.

    As was often the case, waiting proved the hardest part. Corey kept his gun close to his chest and occasionally tapped his finger against the metal shell. To Vo mirrored his nervous habit for a time, but found it did nothing to ease her own nerves.

    ¡°Is it always this...quiet?¡±

    ¡°Usually,¡± Kamak noted. ¡°That¡¯s the thing about any fight you plan in advance. Bullets move so damn fast you usually spend more time thinking about the fight than actually fighting it.¡±

    ¡°And is that supposed to include all the ways you could die?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Farsus said. ¡°I find thinking of jaunty showtunes helps.¡±

    ¡°I am the very model of a modern Major-General, I¡¯ve information vegetable animal and mineral,¡± Corey sang. While intended to amuse, everyone else in the hallway looked at him like he¡¯d grown a second head. ¡°What? We were talking about music.¡±

    ¡°Singing doesn¡¯t translate well,¡± Kamak said. The translator chips they all had could do wonders for detecting sarcasm and other vocal cues, but there was no possible way to match the rhythm and rhymes of even a short song with the varied syllables of several alien languages. Corey¡¯s brief song had sounded like absolute gibberish to everyone who listened.

    ¡°Right. My bad.¡±

    ¡°You killed a few seconds, at least,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Maybe not the way you wanted to, but still.¡±

    ¡°Glad to be of service,¡± Corey said, with a mock salute. After his hand returned to his side, silence reigned in the room again. It lasted a few minutes before Farsus decided to kill it himself.

    ¡°On the subject of translation errors,¡± Farsus said. ¡°Shall we play a game of Follow Up?¡±

    ¡°Follow Up?¡±

    ¡°Someone says a word, then the next person has to say a word that starts with the last letter of that word,¡± Kamak grunted. ¡°And so on and so forth.¡±

    ¡°I, for example, would say ¡®armature¡¯, and Kamak would then say-¡±

    The silence returned for a moment before Kamak sighed and relented to peer pressure.

    ¡°Asinine.¡±

    ¡°Huh.¡±

    ¡°And then Doprel might say-¡±

    ¡°Mountainous.¡±

    ¡°What are you even doing? None of these words are related at all, even by letter.¡±

    ¡°Not as you¡¯re hearing them,¡± Farsus said. ¡°As I said, the limitations of our translators play a large part.¡±

    ¡°Well then I could just say any given word, and you¡¯d have no way of knowing if I was bullshitting or not.¡±

    ¡°To do so would be to betray the spirit of the game, Corvash,¡± Farsus said. ¡°Think of it as a thought exercise as much as a game. View and analyze phonetic differences between languages.¡±

    ¡°And as another upside, the longer you play this game, the less you¡¯ll mind if the Doccan kill you,¡± Kamak said. Farsus¡¯s ¡°games¡± always eroded his will to live.

    Any further discussion of time-killing came to an end when Tooley dimmed the lights in the hallway.

    ¡°Eyes up, boys and pig,¡± Tooley said. ¡°We¡¯ve got inbound.¡±

    ¡°Confirmed it¡¯s someone we want to kill, and not someone trying to help us?¡±

    ¡°Believe me, Kamak, this ship can only be a Doccan retrofit,¡± Tooley said. ¡°This thing¡¯s -fucking fires, this ship is older than your grandma, Kamak. Watch your fire, kids, a stray bullet could knock this thing to pieces.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much, the Doccan love to build them sturdy,¡± Kamak said. While the Doccan mostly stole ships from other species, the oldest and frailest of their vessels were still durable, thanks to the Doccan tendency to spot weld and reinforce as much as physically possible.

    ¡°Good news about the ship being so damn old is it¡¯s big and slow,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Permission to fire, Kam?¡±

    ¡°Weapons free, Tooley, shut them down.¡±

    Tooley chuckled to herself and manned the torpedo¡¯s. She always loved getting to fire the weapons, especially at hard-to-miss targets. Her aim wasn¡¯t very good.

    Even Tooley¡¯s pathetically inaccurate aim could still hit a target the size of an office building and moving only slightly faster. The disruption charges hit the target and bathed it in ionizing energy, shutting down the Doccan¡¯s jury-rigged electronics. Tooley waited for a moment, to make sure the ship was truly dead in the water, before pulling them in close.

    ¡°Looks all clear, folks,¡± Tooley said. ¡°No way to read life signs through that thick-ass hull so you¡¯re going in blind.¡±

    ¡°Assume at least four,¡± Doprel said, holding up a four-fingered hand. ¡°They like to base things around four.¡±

    ¡°Noted. Stay quiet through the sealing procedure. Airlocks are tricky.¡±

    Kamak held up his hand, and the boarding crew stayed silent. The harsh sound of long-motionless mechanical gears grinding to life filled the corridor. Corey grabbed the wall as the ship started to shift and pivot towards the ship they would soon be attached to. The ship¡¯s personal gravity kept him firmly adhered to the floor no matter how they moved, but he still got an odd sense of vertigo whenever they did complex maneuvers like this.

    ¡°Contact made, system link established, airlock ready to open on your mark, Kamak,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Huh. That¡¯s several complete sentences without insulting you. Give the order, Captain Whiskey Dick.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Tools. Open the door and then go clean out that empty space between your ears.¡±

    The insult went unacknowledged, but the door did start to open. Kamak shouldered his gun, the rest followed suit, and they held their ground, guns raised, as the hatches started to open. A rush of cold air surged out of the Doccan ship as the hatch hissed open. Apparently they skimped on the climate controls. Kamak let the rush of cold air wash over him, sending a cold shiver down a tense spine. Eyes and guns stayed locked on the opening until arms started to get sore.

    ¡°Nothing,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°Perhaps they don¡¯t realize they¡¯ve been docked,¡± Farsus said. ¡°Their systems are both outdated and under duress thanks to our disabler. It¡¯s possible they have no auxiliary power.¡±

    ¡°So maybe they¡¯re not expecting us,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°Or maybe they¡¯re waiting just on the other side of the airlock,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°I was just about to say that,¡± Kamak said. ¡°But more sarcastically, of course. Only one way to find out which is which. Doprel, this is a polite request-¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m on it, captain,¡± Doprel said. He was about to volunteer anyway. The Doccan would try to kill anyone who boarded on sight, but Doprel was still the most resilient, even if it was his own equally-resilient people trying to kill him. He stepped forward, gun still in hand, until he reached the end of the tunnel. He put his finger a little closer to the trigger as he took his final step out of the boarding tube and into the ship.

    ¡°So far so good, I- oh!¡±

    Doprel was pulled to the side by an unseen force, falling out of view. Kamak was the first one to sprint through the docking tube after him, gun raised.

    ¡°Doprel!¡±

    ¡°No contact!¡± Doprel shouted. ¡°No contact! I¡¯m fine, I just-¡±

    Kamak found out exactly why Doprel had fallen very soon -and very fast. His dead sprint down the hall took him through the opening, and then through the air, at high speeds, before he bounced off a wall and started drifting down the hallway.

    ¡°Motherfucker,¡± Kamak grunted. He grabbed on to a loose section of piping in the ship¡¯s hallway and tried to hold himself in place. ¡°They don¡¯t even have the gravity turned on?¡±

    ¡°Is this a problem, sir?¡±

    To Vo stepped through the doorway and manged to begin floating much more gracefully than the first two.

    ¡°Hey, Miss Lady Cop, could you remind me what the first Kinetic Absolute is?¡±

    ¡°Of course sir! The first Kinetic Absolute is that any two entities which exert force on each other will exert force of equal measure...on...opposite vectors.¡±

    To Vo looked down at her gun. That was a hell of a lot of exerting force, and the empty air of the space ship made for a lot of possible opposite vectors.

    ¡°I see the problem.¡±

 Chapter 56: Combat Logistics

    ¡°Alright, our little gun show just got a hell of a lot more complicated,¡± Kamak said. Zero-G combat was a pain in the ass even for people who¡¯d been specially trained, and as far as Kamak knew, that only applied to Farsus. He and Doprel had been in a handful of zero gravity fights, but he was less than confident in his skills and knew that Doprel felt the same.

    ¡°I¡¯m not confident in our ability to manage this combat scenario,¡± Farsus said. ¡°Melee combat is generally more viable in zero gravity environments, and we cannot hope to beat the Doccan in melee range.¡±

    ¡°On the other hand, lot of handholds here on this ship,¡± Corey said. He grabbed an exposed mechanical element, one of many jutting from the patchwork halls of the ship, and latched himself in place. It wasn¡¯t a perfect solution, but they had places to brace themselves to avoid the zero-gravity recoil problem. To Vo braced her foot against an oddly welded ridge in the ship¡¯s hull and kept her gun up.

    ¡°Could we leave this vessel disabled and wait for the Doccan to send reinforcements?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve only got enough disable rounds for one more ship, and the Doccan always escalate linearly,¡± Doprel said. ¡°They¡¯ll send two, maybe three next time.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a little messier than anticipated, but this is still our best shot,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Guns up.¡±

    The team shouldered their weapons and started kicking off the walls, drifting down the darkened halls of the ship. The vessel had enough of an auxiliary power system to keep some emergency lights on, but even those were intermittent, with many bulbs burnt out by the Doccan¡¯s lack of interest in repairing such a negligible function. They did not feel fear, much less fear of the dark.

    Corey, on the other hand, was feeling a lot of fear. His casual interest in sci-fi films had done him a lot of good out here in space so far, but now it was starting to backfire. He¡¯d watched Alien one too many times to be comfortable drifting around the dead silence of this spaceship. He tried to remind himself that there were no xenomorphs here. The only aliens he had to worry about were nigh-unkillable super strong emotionless behemoths.

    In retrospect, that was worse, and Corey decided to start thinking about literally anything else just in time to hear something go click.

    A three round burst of plasma fire soared down the hall, briefly illuminating the length of it in green fire. One of the bolts caught Farsus on his broad chest, but his armor mostly negated the damage. Kamak returned fire, sending a stream of bullets up the hall, and Kamak himself careening the other way. In his haste to return fire, he¡¯d forgotten to brace himself. The rest of his fireteam made no such mistakes.

    With his back to a wall, Corey turned his gun towards the Doccan and took aim. There were two of them, both even larger than Doprel, and wearing patchwork armor to boot. That was an unpleasant development.

    ¡°Take out the guns first,¡± Farsus shouted. The Doccan themselves were durable and heavily armored, but their guns were as fragile as any other weapon in the galaxy. Corey took aim and peppered the Doccan¡¯s limbs with a spray of gunfire. One of the two had the wherewithal to clutch their gun to their side, letting their arm absorb the brunt of the gunfire, but the other kept trying to return fire even as a bullet finally hit home. The metal slug cracked through the plasma repeater¡¯s energy chamber, and the weapon started to vent green fire as the energy cell leaked.

    With his weapon damaged, the Doccan took the next logical step and launched himself at his opponents, massive arms raised and ready to strike. The crew took advantage of the zero gravity recoil and let go of their handholds in the wall, then fired at the approaching Doccan. The recoil propelled them away as bullets peppered its thick hide. With no gravity to make it flow outwards naturally, the strange fluid layer beneath the skin of the Doccan started to leak out in blobs of oozing blue.

    The floating globs splashed into dozens of tiny droplets as Doprel met his kin coming the other way. The divided drops then scattered in every direction as the shockwave of their colossal impact traveled outwards. Another spray of blue fluid followed shortly after as Doprel dug his fingers into a patch of bullet holes and tore a massive chunk out of the Doccan¡¯s exterior carapace.

    ¡°Doprel! Give me an angle on the face!¡±

    With a quick grunt of acknowledgment, Doprel spun around and put the Doccan he was grappling in a headlock. He kept his arms wide and his face behind the Doccan¡¯s back as Kamak took aim at the Doccan¡¯s head and fired. A quick round of bullets tore through the air, a few managing to find purchase in the Doccan¡¯s face, tearing out one of its eyes and a few chunks of mandible. The floating drops of blue liquid pouring out of the broken head were soon joined by a thin flow of black bile -the real lifeblood of the Doccan.

    ¡°Not going to be interrogating that one,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Focus fire and take out his friend!¡±

    Kamak drifted forward and grabbed on to the broken body of the dead Doccan, using it as cover as the hail of bullets continued. Under fire from five sources at once, the Doccan¡¯s defeat was inevitable yet worryingly slow. Corey kept his rifle focused on the joint of its arm for a solid thirty seconds of sustained fire, but it didn¡¯t even drop its gun until the arm was only attached by a few strands of tattered, fibrous ¡°muscle¡±. Even at that point, the Doccan simply switched hands and continued firing until Farsus blew a big enough chunk of its head off that it stopped moving entirely. Doprel walked up and ripped its other arm off just to be sure, while Kamak took a final few potshots at the head of the other one.

    ¡°Bastard¡¯s aren¡¯t afraid to play dead,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Especially when they know they¡¯re at a disadvantage.¡±

    ¡°Good news is, this means there¡¯s probably just two more,¡± Doprel said. ¡°If we were dealing with multiple groups there¡¯d have been a full crew of four after us.¡±

    ¡°Best news I¡¯ve gotten all week,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Now where are the others¡­¡±

    ¡°We are located in the cockpit.¡±

    Five guns pointed in five different directions as the voice boomed out from a PA system.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°You have stated an intent to interrogate a living subject, and have proven your ability to defeat two or less Doccan in combat,¡± the monotone voice proclaimed. ¡°There is no further purpose to violent resistance.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± Kamak said. They really were logical. ¡°We¡¯ll be right there. Guns up, of course. I¡¯m not dumb enough to not see a trap.¡±

    ¡°We lack the resources to commit to such a deception.¡±

    That did nothing to ease Kamak¡¯s suspicion, for reasons the Doccan could not at all understand. He, Doprel, and Farsus kept their guns up as they head upwards, towards the cockpit of the makeshift vessel. Corey was not far behind, until he realized To Vo La Su was quite far behind. She was bouncing slowly around the hall, trying to dodge floating globs of Doccan ichor¡ªand a few chunks of the Doccan themselves.

    ¡°You¡¯ve just got to accept you¡¯re going to get messy and move through it,¡± Corey said. ¡°The laundry machine on the Hermit is surprisingly good.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have that many clothes to start with,¡± To Vo mumbled. Due to the impromptu circumstances of her ¡°recruitment¡± To Vo had the clothes she¡¯d been wearing and a few spare outfits Tooley had been willing to throw at her¡ªmost of which fit poorly and had suspicious stains already. ¡°But that is not my issue. I do not- there is a certain amount of- I can¡¯t-¡±

    ¡°To Vo?¡±

    The former transit authority tightened her grip on a gun she was entirely unsuited to carry and took a deep breath. One of the globs of Doccan ichor drifted worryingly close to her face, and she backed away.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to do something like this again.¡±

    ¡°Again?¡±

    To Vo was naturally small, but she still found a way to shrink in on herself.

    ¡°The world I come from was harsh,¡± To Vo said. ¡°We did harsh things to live. All of us.¡±

    A few chunks of gore drifted by Corey¡¯s head. He knew better than to ask what she meant.

    ¡°Yeah. Look, I get it, but, these guys came after us because they thought we were a defenseless bunch of stranded travelers, right? You think they brought all that firepower to escort a bunch of lost souls back to safety, give them a nice pat on the back and a snack for the road? If we¡¯d actually been lost travelers, we¡¯d be dead. And eaten, quite possibly.¡±

    ¡°But we aren¡¯t travelers, and now they¡¯re dead,¡± To Vo said, pointing out the drifting Doprel corpses as she spoke. ¡°How can this be right?¡±

    ¡°Look, To Vo, nothing¡¯s ever completely ¡®right¡¯. Even when you¡¯re purely trying to help someone, who¡¯s to say they ¡®deserve¡¯ it, or that there¡¯s not someone else who needs the help more and isn¡¯t getting it?¡± Corey asked. ¡°You¡¯re never one-hundred percent in the right. Sure, maybe we¡¯re a lot closer to that line between good and bad than we could be, but I think we¡¯re still on the good side of things.¡±

    ¡°And what happens when you¡¯re not?¡±

    Corey didn¡¯t have an answer for that question. Luckily for him, he didn¡¯t get the chance to try.

    ¡°Would you two stop fucking moralizing and back us up? This is still a combat zone!¡±

    The ever obedient To Vo La Su was the first to grab her gun and kick off towards the cockpit, heedless of the gore she had to splash through on the way. Corey followed closely behind her, secretly quite happy to let her absorb all the floating ichor instead of him.

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

    <hr>

    As it turned out, the Doccan were sincere in their desire to surrender. That left only one dilemma to resolve.

    ¡°So. Awkward issue,¡± Kamak said. ¡°We¡¯ve only got enough restraints for one of you.¡±

    ¡°We will offer no resistance,¡± one of the Doccan said.

    ¡°Oh sure, for now. Until we get attacked by someone else, or we all turn around at once, or you decide you might have a good opportunity.¡±

    ¡°This point is sound,¡± the Doccan admitted.

    ¡°Which one of you knows more about the recent movements in people fighting you guys, and why your people blew up the Bang Gate?¡±

    ¡°I am more knowledgeable on all military matters,¡± the Doccan on the left said. Kamak pointed to the one on the right.

    ¡°And you agree with that sentiment?¡±

    ¡°Yes. However, your inquiries might require a greater knowledge base. I am in charge of monitoring the social habits of various Doccan, and may possess relevant information.¡±

    The other Doccan had barely finished speaking when Kamak shoved the barrel of his gun in their mandibles and pulled the trigger. A burst of rounds tore through their cranium and the Doccan fell over dead. The only surviving Doccan did not even react as his comrade collapsed. As black blood started to drift through the air, Corey very deliberately avoided To Vo¡¯s gaze.

    ¡°Not particularly interested in your social media. Alright, Doprel, tie the other one up,¡± Kamak said. ¡°And you. Got time for questions?¡±

    ¡°I will accede to any line of questioning that does not actively endanger the Doccan species.¡±

    ¡°Great! What¡¯s your name, champ?¡±

    ¡°Doprel.¡±

    Doprel looked up and over the other Doprel¡¯s shoulders.

    ¡°Doprel, why is our new friend also Doprel?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s...actually a term for the working class of Doccan¡¯s,¡± Doprel said. ¡°I didn¡¯t have any other name, and by the time I realized what was going on it had sort of stuck, so...yeah.¡±

    ¡°Do you want a better name?¡±

    ¡°No, no, like I said, it¡¯s stuck now, no sense changing it,¡± Doprel said. ¡°Not like we hang out with other Doccan enough for it to be confusing.¡±

    ¡°On that note, for the purposes of this conversation, you are Junior,¡± Kamak said. The newly christened Junior did not object to this designation, so Kamak assumed he accepted it. ¡°What do you know about why the Doccan attacked the Bang Gate?¡±

    ¡°We were recently informed that new stresses upon intergalactic shipping routes would place additional importance on our galaxy as a trade hub,¡± Junior said. ¡°Your Galactic Council endures our presence and our attacks on your shipping route as acceptable losses. If this galaxy was to become more important on a galactic scale, they would feel more pressure to protect it, and therefore take more aggressive actions against the Doccan species. A pre-emptive strike to lessen the utility of our home as a trade route mitigates this risk of escalating conflict.¡±

    ¡°And blowing up a fucking Bang Gate isn¡¯t an escalation?¡±

    ¡°The gateway is destroyed. Retaliatory attacks achieve nothing. Your Council has nothing to gain from further conflict.¡±

    ¡°What if they¡¯re worried you¡¯ll blow up another fucking gate, Junior?¡±

    ¡°The measured presence of other species in this galaxy ultimately benefits us by providing resources we would be otherwise unable to acquire,¡± Junior said. ¡°We have no reason to completely close ourselves off.¡±

    ¡°You guys have a lot of work to do on understanding other species,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°Typical warfare does not stop when one side considers it merely ¡®convenient¡¯,¡± Farsus said. ¡°If the Galactic Council decides on hostilities, they will not stop until they possess a considerable advantage over you.¡±

    ¡°By our appraisal they already possess a significant advantage,¡± Junior said. ¡°However, if I survive our conversation, I will pass on your appraisal of the situation to the homeworld.¡±

    ¡°Jury¡¯s still out on your survival. Tell us this and improve your odds: Who told you about all this shipping route bullshit?¡±

    ¡°It was [TRANSLATION ERROR].¡±

    Kamak rubbed the sore spot where his translator chip was implanted and tried again.

    ¡°Say again?¡±

    ¡°We were informed of these developments by a [TRANSLATION ERROR].¡±

    ¡°Alright, not going for a third try here,¡± Kamak said. Whenever the translation software ran through the full suite of languages it knew, it started to overheat a little, and Kamak didn¡¯t want a hotspot in his skull. ¡°Doprel, I thought you gave us the whole language?¡±

    ¡°I did!¡±

    ¡°If I may theorize,¡± Farsus said. ¡°To my understanding, the Doccan are a very literal people. Junior, when your people are faced with a new entity or concept, do you invent a new word for it?¡±

    ¡°When it is the most convenient course of action, yes,¡± Junior said. ¡°Oftentimes compound words are formed. Your own people are referred to as ¡®Red-Large-No Carapace¡¯.¡±

    ¡°An apt descriptor,¡± Farsus said. ¡°So we can assume whatever introduced these concepts to the Doccan, it was something they first encountered after Doprel¡¯s departure, and something so unique it prompted the creation of a new word.¡±

    ¡°Fun times,¡± Kamak grumbled. ¡°Junior, can you describe the thing whose name we can¡¯t understand?¡±

    ¡°I have never seen it.¡±

    ¡°Peachy. What do you know about it?¡±

    ¡°It displayed enough intelligence that our central command council took its provided information seriously.¡±

    ¡°And did your central command stop to think about whether this word-we-can¡¯t-understand had any ulterior motives?¡±

    ¡°Non-Doccan rarely approach the Doccan without ulterior motive,¡± Junior said. Had he any understanding of irony as a concept, he might¡¯ve pointed out his current situation. ¡°It was decided that the threat presented was legitimate enough to act without regard to possible external agendas from the [TRANSLATION ERROR].¡±

    ¡°Please stop saying that,¡± Corey whined.

    ¡°I am unaware of any reason to do so beyond your physical movements,¡± Junior said. To him, the flinching Corey did every time he said the word was just a strange muscle spasm, as the average Doccan did not experience pain.

    ¡°Just don¡¯t fucking say it. Back to the point, you should know that whoever or whatever brought this stuff to you, they¡¯re using you and your actions as a smokescreen to get away with their own shit,¡± Kamak said. ¡°They¡¯re pushing to change trade routes and pressure new parts of the galaxy. Maybe the threat is legitimate, but it is only legitimate because they are doing what they¡¯re doing.¡±

    ¡°Noted.¡±

    Junior¡¯s quiet acceptance of the dramatic twist unsettled Kamak more than he¡¯d like to admit. Maybe it was just because he¡¯d lived through so many dramatic twists and turns lately, but he felt like that warranted more of a reaction. The emotionless Doccan accepted every new twist of fate the way a calculator would accept a new number plugged into a math problem.

    ¡°So...if we let you live, you¡¯re going to tell all this to your planetary council or whatever?¡±

    ¡°New data will be considered.¡±

    ¡°Fan-fucking-tastic, I guess. Anyone else got questions for Big Blue Number Two?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve got one,¡± Corey said. ¡°How long ago did that weird thing bring you guys all this info?¡±

    ¡°Eighteen Doccan days ago.¡±

    ¡°That comes out to a few months, with everything converted,¡± Doprel said. The Doccan homeworld had a very slow rotation period.

    ¡°Once again putting it well before our run-in with that purple ship,¡± Corey said. ¡°So we really did just get caught up in a plot that was already going on.¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s supposed to make me feel better, it doesn¡¯t,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°It might be useful, at least,¡± Corey mumbled.

    ¡°Final call for questions,¡± Kamak said. ¡°I want to get out of this floating piece of crap.¡±

    ¡°Just the one,¡± Doprel said. ¡°If what we¡¯ve said is true, and the Doccan find out they¡¯ve been manipulated into making their own situation worse...what will they do about it?¡±

    ¡°It is impossible to make an assessment of the situation without a consensus of at least one Doccan hive,¡± Junior said. ¡°If not the full planetary council.¡±

    ¡°Well what would you, personally, do?¡±

    ¡°Obey the consensus of the hive or council.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s say there¡¯s no hive or council-¡±

    ¡°If all hives and the council have been obliterated, my priority must be to repopulate the Doccan species first and foremost, ignoring tertiary matters such as this.¡±

    ¡°Doprel,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Whatever you¡¯re looking for, you¡¯re not going to get.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Got it.¡±

    Doprel¡¯s sullen silence infected the rest of them, and their interrogation was put on pause for a moment.

    ¡°Has your interrogation ended?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°You have asked for final questions and are now silent. Is your interrogation finished?¡±

    ¡°Pretty much,¡± Kamak said. They¡¯d learned this particular Doccan was next to useless, so they didn¡¯t have much reason to continue. ¡°You got a last request?¡±

    ¡°In some form. Do you intend to assault, kill, or otherwise impede the entity you believe has manipulated the Doccan?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the plan, yeah,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Speaking of assaulting or killing-¡±

    Kamak hefted his heavy rifle once again.

    ¡°Cooperation will be beneficial,¡± Junior said. ¡°Remove my restraints so that I may assist.¡±

    ¡°Oh, yes, sure, that sounds like a great idea,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Assist us with what?¡±

    ¡°Surviving.¡±

    Something Junior wouldn¡¯t be doing much longer, if Kamak had anything to say about it. It was hard to read a Doccan, but he knew a bluff when he saw it. The captain raised his gun, and had it shoved down again by Doprel.

    ¡°Kamak.¡±

    In any other situation, Doprel would¡¯ve been on board with calling the bluff, but the Doccan didn¡¯t bluff often. Kamak reluctantly accepted Doprel¡¯s caution and played his part.

    ¡°Okay, this is me taking the bait,¡± Kamak said. ¡°You¡¯re going to help us survive what?¡±

    ¡°The patrolling warship on route to this location,¡± Junior said. ¡°My willingness to discuss important information with you was a stalling tactic. We sent a distress ping shortly after you boarded.¡±

    While Kamak started swearing, Farsus did the slightly more sensible thing. He hopped on the comms and turned back towards the Hermit.

    ¡®Tooley, ping the long range scanners.¡±

    ¡°Okay. We got...huh,¡± Tooley said. It took a moment for the full details to come in, but even the most basic scan functions couldn¡¯t miss the vessel coming their way. ¡°That is a big one. I think that might be a Corrhulk.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯ve kept a fucking Corrhulk flying for the past century?¡±

    ¡°What exactly is a Corrhulk?¡± Corey asked. He felt context was very important.

    ¡°It¡¯s big and it¡¯s got a lot of guns,¡± Kamak snapped. The Corrhulk was one of the last true warships the intergalactic community had mass-produced. Nowadays what few heavy cruisers existed were mostly just carriers for swarms of small fighters, but enough heavily-rusted Corrhulks were still shambling along in merchant fleets and pirate gangs to give the ship a reputation. ¡°Tooley, what¡¯s the Corrhulk¡¯s ETA?¡±

    ¡°Couple drops if we¡¯re lucky,¡± Tooley said. ¡°I can get us out of here before then if you get back to the ship.¡±

    ¡°And provided it doesn¡¯t try to chase us,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°Undo my restraints and I will transmit your cooperation to the vessel,¡± Junior said. ¡°There is benefit to mutual cooperation.¡±

    ¡°And if your friends on the ship don¡¯t agree?¡±

    ¡°Then you will be killed.¡±

    ¡°Love the bluntness,¡± Kamak grunted. ¡°I¡¯ve got enough friends.¡±

    ¡°Kamak,¡± Doprel grunted.

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry, are we making friends with your cousins who want to eat you now?¡±

    ¡°We have more enemies than allies,¡± Farsus said. ¡°Questionable friends are still friends.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve got like four drops on our escape window, guys,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Whatever you¡¯re going to do, do it now.¡±

    ¡°There are those among the Doccan who have spoken to our informant directly,¡± Junior said. ¡°Further dialogue may yield further relevant information.¡±

    ¡°Oh fuck me,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Whatever. Not like we¡¯ve ever made a smart decision, might as well make a stupid one on purpose.¡±

    With a reluctant nod from Kamak, Doprel reached down and untied the thick cables holding Junior in place. The titanic alien immediately drifted towards the console and started inputting a complex series of commands.

    ¡°Get back on the ship,¡± Kamak ordered. ¡°Tooley, prep us to detach and start calculating a faster-than-light vector for us. We¡¯re negotiating over comms, and if they say anything we don¡¯t like, we¡¯re out.¡±

    ¡°Oh, are we not going to invite the murderous sociopaths onto our ship for some drinks and snacks?¡±

    ¡°Just shut up and get us ready, Tooley!¡±

    ¡°Ready to die, maybe,¡± Tooley grumbled. She shut down her comm link in order to get the last word and started calculating their escape route while everyone else made a mad dash back to the Hard Luck Hermit. Before she rounded the corner and drifted out of sight, To Vo La Su took a look back at the cockpit, back at Junior.

    He¡¯d picked up the corpse of his dead copilot and was beginning to gnaw on it. No sense letting good nutrients go to waste. To Vo started to wonder what they were getting themselves into.

 Chapter 57: Logical Discussion

    ¡°Not too late to just jump, cappy,¡± Tooley grumbled.

    ¡°Just keep us outside of weapons range and keep your finger on the jump button,¡± Kamak commanded. Tooley placed her entire palm flat on the button that would send them hurtling into faster-than-light travel. ¡°Not that close. You blink too hard you¡¯re going to press it.¡±

    Tooley grumbled something to herself and pulled her hand a little further away. The Doccan warship wasn¡¯t far off now, and its specter loomed large on their scanners.

    ¡°When negotiating, it is useful to consider what one wants and what one is willing to surrender,¡± Farsus said. ¡°What is it we hope to gain from this discussion with the Doccan?¡±

    ¡°For them to stop fucking things up, for starters,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Everything that goes boom is one more point in favor of Morrakesh.¡±

    ¡°And now that you mention it, confirming that it is Morrakesh would be a good thing too.¡±

    While Corey¡¯s theory on the identity of their attacker had a lot of supporting evidence, it was still just a theory. If the crew were going to clear their names and put an end to the chaos riding their asses, they needed hard evidence.

    ¡°And telling them everything we know about this bastard¡¯s plan, well, can¡¯t hurt,¡± Kamak said. They had very little to lose by spreading their intel around. The more people knew, the more people had a chance of ruining Morrakesh¡¯s plans.

    ¡°So that¡¯s our game, then? Tell them everything and hope they can tell us anything? Great plan.¡±

    ¡°Tooley, as your captain, I¡¯m instituting a new rule,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Unless you have a better plan¡ªgenuinely better, not sarcastically better¡ªyou don¡¯t get to talk.¡±

    Surprising the entire crew, Tooley obeyed the new rule and stayed silent. That worried them almost as much as the encroaching Doccan vessel. That concern only lasted until the final proximity alarm blared and made the Doccan ship their first, and only, concern. The warning siren gave them a few last seconds of fearful waiting before the warship itself burst into view. Thanks to the sudden stop inherent to the end of FTL travel, the crew went from staring at nothing but empty space to having a warship dominate their entire view in less than a second.

    Kamak had wondered how the Doccan could possibly keep a Corrhulk flying centuries past the vessel¡¯s prime, and now he got his answer: by making it into something other than a Corrhulk. There was barely anything left of the original warship, having been taken apart and reassembled so many times it was borderline unrecognizable. In some places, the Doccan had even added new ¡°gun batteries¡± by welding entire fighter craft to the ship¡¯s exterior.

    ¡°How the fuck does that thing fly?¡±

    ¡°It flies, and that¡¯s all that matters,¡± Doprel said. ¡°Hopefully their long range comms still work too.¡±

    ¡°One way to find out. Tooley?¡±

    The pilot begrudgingly flipped the switch and put them on an open communication channel. It only took a few seconds for the device to crackle to life. The audio feed from the Doccan was barely there, but it was there.

    ¡°Vessel Hard Luck Hermit. A Doprel has indicated you may have information beneficial to the Doccan.¡±

    ¡°We do. And we¡¯re willing to share it, if you can offer the right information in exchange. You understand me?¡±

    ¡°We are aware of bargaining,¡± the Doccan speaker said.

    ¡°Great. You got a designation, pal? This goes a lot easier if I know who I¡¯m talking to.¡±

    ¡°I am an Odorel.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Doprel said. ¡°High ranking. We can get something done with that.¡±

    ¡°Alright, Odorel, nice to meet you,¡± Kamak said. ¡°If you¡¯ll give me a moment, I¡¯m preparing a document that contains everything we told your Doprel. You may have been told already, but I figure it¡¯ll be good for both parties to have an easily transmissible reference file on hand.¡±

    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    ¡°This is acceptable.¡±

    Kamak wrapped up most of everything they knew about Morrakesh¡¯s presumed plot and sent it over the open channel, giving the Doccan some time to review it before he continued.

    ¡°Any thoughts, Odorel?¡±

    ¡°The evidence does support your theory that this entity seeks to manipulate trade routes through our galaxy,¡± Odorel said. ¡°What it fails to make evident is why this concerns the Doccan. We do not engage in trade with other races.¡±

    ¡°Look at the bigger picture. This guy¡¯s putting pressure on multiple trade routes throughout the universe,¡± Kamak explained. ¡°If this keeps up, the trade route through Doccan space is going to become more important, not less. There¡¯ll be more armed patrols through your territory, and more attempts to curb your expansion.¡±

    ¡°As a Galactic Council transit officer, license number ten-eight-four-one AB two-point-two,¡± To Vo added. ¡°I can attest to the fact that there is precedent for armed enforcement of crisis-stricken trade routes.¡±

    ¡°Your distance from the epicenter of these incidents also means the perpetrator has little incentive to assist or aid you,¡± Farsus continued. ¡°What he does here is meant to harm his enemies, not help you. Once the damage is done, he will have no incentive to offer you support in your defense against a newly aggressive foe.¡±

    ¡°Intriguing points. However, they are based on inferences and suppositions, unsupported by actual evidence.¡±

    ¡°Which we¡¯re hoping you can provide,¡± Kamak said. ¡°You¡¯ve seen more of this schemer than we have. We¡¯re hoping you can fill in some gaps for us, and we¡¯ll do the same for you.¡±

    ¡°Acceptable. Do you seek specific information?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll take anything you can give,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Though we¡¯d like to start with a comprehensive description of the perpetrator, if possible.¡±

    Corey was still surprised at how professionally Kamak could conduct himself when the time came, especially compared to how he normally behaved. When discussing this exact topic a few days ago, he had phrased the same question as ¡°I want to find out what this intergalactic skullfucking son of a bitch looks like¡±. Corey liked that version better, frankly, though he doubted the Doccan would appreciate the colorful language.

    ¡°The interloper was physically observed by only one Doccan, who never shared what he saw.¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡±

    ¡°The interloper requested the presence of a single Doccan aboard his vessel. The offered Doccan did not return. Two swaps later, the interloper spoke to us in our own language, without the use of translation chips.¡±

    Kamak looked to Farsus, who only shrugged in response. Even he¡¯d never heard of anyone capable of learning an entire language in just two swaps. The average creature¡¯s cognitive ability simply didn¡¯t allow for such rapid learning.

    ¡°What kind of vessel did the ¡®interloper¡¯ appear in?¡±

    ¡°A purple ship, resembling certain species of aquatic life.¡±

    ¡°Dead ringer for the ship that¡¯s been causing trouble for us,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°An intriguing but potentially coincidental connection,¡± Odorel said. ¡°We have provided a great deal of relevant information. Fair exchange demands further concessions from your party.¡±

    ¡°Fine. Are you familiar with Morrakesh and the Morrakesh Collective?¡±

    ¡°We possess as much information as is publicly available,¡± Odorel said. Being part crime lord and part tyrant, there was little information to be had about Morrakesh.

    ¡°We have good reason to believe he¡¯s the one responsible for all of this,¡± Kamak said. ¡°We had a run in with some subordinates of his before all this started. We believe it may have attracted his attention to our crew and made him decide to use us as a diversion.¡±

    In spite of his attempts at self control, Kamak couldn¡¯t help but side-eye Corey. The fact they¡¯d helped disrupt a shipment of slaves meant for Morrakesh¡¯s menagerie was part of the reason they were in this mess. None of it was Corey¡¯s fault, but he was a very visible reminder of the exact moment their lives had gone off the rails.

    ¡°We have no information to support this hypothesis,¡± Odorel said. ¡°However, we also see no reason to doubt it in the provided information.¡±

    ¡°Alright. Where do we go from here, then?¡±

    ¡°Now we discuss the path forward,¡± Odorel said. ¡°It has been proposed that if this interloper is so driven on drawing negative attention to you, killing you may earn his favor.¡±

    The crudely welded gun turrets of the Doccan warship drifted slowly but surely in the direction of the Hard Luck Hermit. Tooley¡¯s hand drifted a little closer to their launch button, but Kamak didn¡¯t blink.

    ¡°Wrong. If you want to be on Morrakesh¡¯s good side, he wants us alive so he can keep distracting people with us,¡± Kamak said. ¡°And if you don¡¯t want to help Morrakesh, keeping us alive gives you a better chance in the fight against him. Either way, us being alive works in your benefit.¡±

    The gun turrets almost immediately stopped moving in their direction. Kamak stopped holding his breath.

    ¡°The question now, Odorel, is what you want to do about Morrakesh manipulating your entire species.¡±

    ¡°We are not able to make such decisions on behalf of the Doccan as a whole. The matter will require further debate.¡±

    ¡°I understand. Are we free to leave?¡±

    ¡°You will leave with or without our permission.¡±

    ¡°Yes, we will,¡± Kamak said. ¡°But I¡¯d prefer to end this on a positive note.¡±

    ¡°We have no reason to keep you. We will contact you if it is decided we benefit from your cooperation.¡±

    ¡°Noted. Tooley, shut down comms and get us out of here. We¡¯ve left the channel open too long.¡±

    While open channels were necessary for communications with unknown factors like the Doccan, they had many drawbacks. The wavelength could be easily detected by anyone who was looking -and there were a lot of people looking for Kamak right now.

 Chapter 58: Binding Ties

    Doprel dug through the drawers of the kitchen until he found the vegetable he was looking for. He had used it in cooking hundreds of times to add a rich, bitter flavor profile to his dishes. In theory, at least. Doprel had no idea what it tasted like. As a Doccan, he had entirely different nutritional needs, and no tastebuds to speak of. All he could do was hand off his cooking to others and try to appreciate the looks of delight on their faces.

    ¡°Hey Doprel?¡±

    ¡°Almost done, Corey.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re leaking.¡±

    Doprel looked down at the ground, and saw that a puddle of blue fluid was forming at his feet. He followed the dripping trail upwards to a recently-bandaged wound on his arm that was apparently not bandaged well enough.

    ¡°Hmm. Whoops.¡±

    ¡°You alright?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Doprel said. ¡°Biggest loss is that you guys probably shouldn¡¯t eat this dinner.¡±

    There was no sign of Doprel¡¯s ¡°blood¡± having dripped into the food he was preparing, but that wasn¡¯t a risk he wanted to take. Xenobiology didn¡¯t play well with digestive systems, and after everything they¡¯d lived through, Doprel didn¡¯t want his friends to shit themselves to death. He scraped his half-finished meal into the waste disposal chute while Corey waited.

    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to get a new bandage on that?¡±

    ¡°Nope, I¡¯m fine,¡± Doprel said. ¡°It¡¯s not the important stuff.¡±

    Doprel shoved one rag under his arm to stop the leaking and then used another to wipe up the mess he¡¯d made of the kitchen floor. Only once he was done cleaning did he finally leave the kitchen and start lumbering towards his room.

    ¡°You need help with anything there, Doprel?¡±

    ¡°I suppose I could use help with the new bandage. I apparently didn¡¯t do it right the first time.¡±

    He didn¡¯t really need any help, but he could tell Corey was concerned, and trying to help him out. Hopefully contributing something to Doprel¡¯s ¡°recovery¡± would put his mind at ease.

    Doprel¡¯s room was, naturally much larger than any other room on the ship, pieced together from two separate rooms after the wall separating them had been knocked down. The extra size was mostly lost to a massive cot in the center of the room, as Doprel¡¯s body was too massive for the bed built into the wall, which he had repurposed as a shelf. At Doprel¡¯s direction, Corey retrieved some rolls of fabric from that bed-shelf while Doprel himself took a seat on the bench.

    ¡°So,¡± Corey said, as he started awkwardly wrapping Doprel¡¯s arm in fabric. ¡°How are you holding up?¡±

    ¡°Fine.¡±

    ¡°Alright. You¡¯ve just been really quiet this whole time, is all.¡±

    ¡°Well, we¡¯ve been talking almost exclusively to things that want to eat me,¡± Doprel said. ¡°Helps to stay in the background.¡±

    ¡°Right.¡±

    Corey finished up wrapping the bandage and set the roll of fabric aside. Doprel had plenty of holes in him, but the bandages on the rest were holding. It was still hard for Corey to wrap his head around the fact that Doprel could have multiple bleeding holes in his body and not even be bothered.

    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    ¡°Does that ever bother you? That your own people want to eat you?¡±

    ¡°No more so than anyone is bothered about wanting to be eaten, I think,¡± Doprel said. ¡°It helps that I don¡¯t really think of them as ¡®my people¡¯. I look like them, but I don¡¯t think like them, and that¡¯s the important part.¡±

    ¡°Makes sense, I guess,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t go feeling sorry for me. You guys are my people.¡±

    ¡°Hell yeah we are,¡± Corey said. The enthusiasm made Doprel feel a little better, and a little bit less like he was lying.

    Doprel couldn¡¯t eat the foods they ate. He couldn¡¯t smell what they smelled, or even see what they saw. He¡¯d learned long ago that he saw a different spectrum of light than anyone else on the crew. Things he saw as garish and bright were dull and muted for everyone else. Even Corey¡¯s current outfit looked like a horrific balance of mishmashed colors. Doprel assumed it looked normal to Corey, but he had no way of knowing. Colors were impossible to communicate across the barriers of perception. He¡¯d tried with Kamak more than once, and it never worked.

    ¡°Thanks for the help,¡± Doprel said. ¡°Could you put those bandages in that drawer there? Bending over does hurt a little, I¡¯ll admit.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I got you,¡± Corey said. He pulled back the drawer and listened to it rattle loudly, then rattle again when he slammed it shut. Out of curiosity, he opened and closed the door again, and the rattle repeated. The drawers in his and Tooley¡¯s room didn¡¯t make noises like that. ¡°Did I break something?¡±

    ¡°Nah, it¡¯s been like that since I moved in,¡± Doprel said. ¡°I think there¡¯s something jammed in there.¡±

    The rattling noise was an annoyance, but Doprel mostly avoided it by storing his least-used belongings in that drawer. Corey snapped the drawer open again, and bent down to peer into it.

    ¡°I think I can see something,¡± Corey said. It was tucked into a back corner, far out of sight for a creature of Doprel¡¯s stature, and definitely out of reach for Doprel¡¯s massive hands. ¡°Want me to try and grab it?¡±

    Doprel shrugged. He didn¡¯t particularly care, but it might be nice to have a slight annoyance removed. Corey stuck his arm into the drawer up to his elbow and started digging around.

    ¡°I think I got it,¡± Corey said. ¡°One second.¡±

    After a bit of finagling, Corey managed to grab hold of the strange obstruction and pry it free. He pulled it loose from its long rest in the drawer and discovered it to be a bracelet of some sort. Two loops of metal were connected by crossed strands of red fabric in an ¡°x¡± shape, with each strand of red covered in a few beads of various colors. One of the fabric strings was slightly frayed where it had gotten caught in the drawer, but it was none the worse for wear otherwise.

    ¡°Huh. How did this get here?¡±

    The bracelet was clearly much too small for Doprel¡¯s wrist, so it couldn¡¯t possibly be his.

    ¡°Don¡¯t know,¡± Doprel said. ¡°Maybe the last person to use this room got it stuck there.¡±

    ¡°The last person?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Kamak¡¯s had whole other crews on this ship before us,¡± Doprel said. ¡°He¡¯s been at it nearly forty years, you know.¡±

    In retrospect, Corey had known that. He¡¯d done jobs with Ghul, at the very least, and mentioned a lot of other missions. A lot of other pilots, especially. Tooley was the fourteenth, or maybe thirteenth, as far as Corey could remember.

    ¡°Guess I¡¯ll ask Kamak, see if he knows who it belongs to,¡± Corey said. The bracelet looked handmade, the sort of thing that might have sentimental value to someone. That meant it probably wasn¡¯t Kamak¡¯s, at least. He didn¡¯t seem like the sentimental type. Corey said goodbye and headed back to the central common room of the ship, where Kamak was napping on a couch. So as not to be impolite, Corey took a seat and waited. He¡¯d been waiting about five seconds when Kamak snapped one eye open and looked in his direction.

    ¡°You need something, rookie?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to bother you.¡±

    ¡°Everything bothers me,¡± Kamak said. He hadn¡¯t survived this long by being a heavy sleeper. ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°We just found this in a drawer in Doprel¡¯s room,¡± Corey said. He held the bracelet in Kamak¡¯s direction. ¡°He figured it belonged to an old-¡±

    Before Corey could even finish, Kamak got up out of his chair, snatched the bracelet out of his hands, and started walking off with it.

    ¡°Kamak, what-¡±

    Once again Corey found himself unable to finish a sentence as Kamak walked into his quarters and slammed the door behind him.

    ¡°Well fucking okay then,¡± Corey said. He put that one down as another unsolved mystery and moved on with his life.

 Chapter 59: Good Cop Bad Cop

    ¡°Alright, the bad news is this entire galaxy in is in chaos, stations are a mess, and Bang Gate queues to leave are lightyears long,¡± Kamak said. He¡¯d taken to the info network to see what the situation was like across the Caro galaxy, and it was not good.

    ¡°Is there any good news?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s also the good news,¡± Kamak said. He tossed his datapad on the common room table and took a seat. ¡°The crazier things get here, the more difficult it is for someone to track us. We might have enough leeway to make a quick supply run.¡±

    The Hermit had been in rationing mode for a while, as being wanted across the universe made shopping trips very difficult. Amid the chaos of the Bang Gate explosion, there would likely be less eyes on fugitives like them. A quick shopping trip could give them a lot more flexibility in planning, since they would not have to account for scarcity.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s say we do this,¡± Tooley said. ¡°What would the plan be?¡±

    ¡°Land on a station, me and Farsus run around the market grabbing as much as we can carry, the rest of you stay aboard in case we need to defend the ship or make a quick exit,¡± Kamak said. ¡°We get in, grab and run, make a quick exit.¡±

    ¡°Sounds simple,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Which means it¡¯s doomed to fail.¡±

    ¡°We need food, though,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°You¡¯re only saying that because you¡¯re getting less than the rest of us,¡± Tooley snapped. To Vo and Farsus had done the math when deciding their rationing schedule, and Corey had slightly lower metabolic requirements than the rest of the crew, so he got the smallest share of rations.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to deny I¡¯d like more than one of these weird dumplings a day,¡± Corey said. ¡°But come on, we¡¯ve only got like twenty swaps worth of food left. That¡¯ll get us maybe to the next galaxy over, the rate we¡¯re going.¡±

    ¡°Corey Vash is right,¡± To Vo said. ¡°At our rate of consumption, supplies will run out in exactly eighteen swaps.¡±

    Kamak glared sideways at To Vo. He knew one way they could make those supplies last a little longer. Doprel could sense what he was thinking and punched him in the shoulder for it.

    ¡°It would be an ignoble end to survive all of this only to die of starvation,¡± Farsus said. ¡°We will need supplies eventually. Better to do it now, while the situation is in our favor.¡±

    ¡°Fine. But you better buy more liquor while you¡¯re out there.¡±

    ¡°Naturally.¡±

    <hr>

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ve compiled a list of reputable vendors in isolated locations, and made you a route through the station that is both expedient and secure.¡±

    To Vo sent the data to Kamak¡¯s tablet with a smile on her face. She was glad to be back in her element, and Kamak was glad to outsource the tedious clerical busywork. They¡¯d downloaded all the info they could find on the station they were approaching and put To Vo in charge of planning the most efficient shopping trip possible. She handed over her completed work and waited for Kamak to voice any approval or disapproval. He did neither.

    After waiting a solid drop for him to say something, To Vo La Su figured she would have to keep the conversation going herself.

    ¡°There was also something else, captain.¡±

    ¡°Is it something important?¡± Kamak asked. He stressed the word ¡°important¡± as hard as he could, to give To Vo a firm reminder that their standards of important were very different.

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    ¡°Yes,¡± she said, unconvincingly. ¡°While I was searching the station¡¯s active duty roster, I found a name I recognized.¡±

    ¡°Someone we need to watch out for?¡±

    ¡°The opposite,¡± To Vo said. ¡°My friend-¡±

    ¡°Stop right there,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Not interested in you having a playdate with a pal.¡±

    ¡°Officer Nemb could help us,¡± To Vo protested. ¡°They¡¯re trustworthy.¡±

    ¡°Couple swaps ago you would¡¯ve said Mokai was trustworthy, and look how that turned out,¡± Kamak said. The harsh rebuke set To Vo back a step. ¡°You want to run, go ahead, you run, take your chances with this Nemb loser. But you leave me and my crew out of whatever dumb shit you have planned.¡±

    To Vo stood frozen and said nothing. Kamak kept an eye on her a little while longer.

    ¡°Am I clear, To Vo?¡±

    ¡°Yes sir,¡± To Vo mumbled.

    ¡°Good. Now, like I said, if you want to leave, leave,¡± Kamak grunted. ¡°Won¡¯t bother us at all.¡±

    Kamak turned his attention back to his datapad, and ignored the frown forming on To Vo¡¯s face. She slinked away to the solitude of the austere room she¡¯d claimed. The only sign of the formerly empty room having a new owner was that it had been dusted -she had no decorations or personal belongings onboard the Hard Luck Hermit. All she had to her name was a few sets of spare clothing and a datapad they had loaned her. She set that datapad down and stared at it in silence.

    She still had Nemb¡¯s contact information. To Vo had trained alongside Nemb, learned to trust them, even found something of a kindred spirit in them.

    Like her, Nemb was a member of a recently Uplifted species, and they were committed to law and order, albeit for very different reasons. Corruption and abuse of power had been rampant on Nemb¡¯s world, and they always strived to do things by the book. Nemb had been the one to open To Vo¡¯s eyes to the realities of corruption -though apparently those eyes had never been open enough.

    To Vo needed a perspective like Nemb¡¯s right now. But she¡¯d been ordered not to contact him. As an officer, she was obligated to obey the immediate legal authority, and in a spaceship outside of stellar regulatory boundaries, the immediate legal authority was the captain of the vessel (per the appendices to the Interstellar Enforcement Treatises, page 37, subsection Y, paragraph 4.1). If Kamak gave an order, she was expected to follow it.

    But, Per the Galactic Council Code of Conduct Rule 4, she was obligated to act in the best interests of the common good at all times. And getting help from a reliable ally was good. To Vo snatched up her datapad and started pounding away at keys. It would be disobeying authority, but it would still be right.

    <hr>

    ¡°Officer Nemb, Galactic Council Security Station 28X aboard Fantal Station 2,¡± Nemb said, rigidly. ¡°Please state your name and your concerns will be addressed as soon as possible.¡±

    Nemb listened patiently while the caller stated their name and then launched into the first few words of a complaint that Nemb did not listen to. They put the line on hold and added it to the queue of eighty-seven other complainers on hold.

    ¡°Officer Nemb, Galactic Council Security Station 28X aboard Fantal Station 2,¡± Nemb said, rigidly. ¡°Please state your name and your concerns will be addressed as soon as possible.¡±

    While Nemb dealt with the ever-growing list of non-emergency calls, their fellow officers were scrambling around the office to deal with their sudden surge in activity. It had been swaps since the Bang Gate had been destroyed, and yet everyone in the Caro Galaxy was still panicking. Civilians demanded additional security, escorts out of the galaxy, extra resources, or even full-scale war against the Doccan, and where there were desperate civilians, there were criminal opportunists. When they weren¡¯t busy making excuses to scared civilians, they were dealing with weeping victims who¡¯d lost everything to theft or scams. The tiny station was dealing with more crime and more complaints in the past few swaps than they had in decades of operations beforehand.

    ¡°Officer Nemb, Galactic Council Security Station 28X aboard Fantal Station 2,¡± Nemb said, rigidly. ¡°Please state your name and your concerns will be- To Vo?¡±

    Nemb dropped their voice and slinked away from their desk, with their communications device clutched close to their head. Thankfully, most of their coworkers were busy, so there was plenty of empty space for them to slip out of sight and out of earshot.

    ¡°What¡¯s happening? Are you in danger?¡±

    ¡°Not right now,¡± To Vo said. ¡°I just need help. I need someone I can actually count on.¡±

    ¡°Then you¡¯re in the right place,¡± Nemb said. ¡°Let me get my CO-¡±

    ¡°No, Nemb, no,¡± To Vo said. ¡°Just you. I know I can trust you. I just need some information from you. And to give you some information, so you can make sure the truth gets out there. Can you meet me?¡±

    ¡°Of course. Absolutely.¡±

    To Vo relayed her location and a time to meet, and promptly hung up the call. Nemb returned to their desk and looked at the blinking indicator lights showing they had multiple calls waiting. They had to meet To Vo soon, as she was apparently in a hurry, and they had to meet To Vo alone. Without informing any of their superiors.

    But that would be disobeying authority. Disobeying authority was never right.

 Chapter 60: There Have Been Worse Hostage Situations

    To Vo La Su had not said goodbye before sprinting out into the halls of the station and disappearing. Corey, and everyone else aboard, had assumed that to be her trying to make a break for it. While slightly worried that To Vo might not last long on her own, Corey had not been so worried as to chase her. He started to regret that instinct when she came back -with half a dozen other police officers in tow.

    He put a hand on his gun, and To Vo immediately grimaced and shook her head. She stumbled forward as the cop standing very close behind her pointedly shoved something into her back. Corey swore under his breath. To Vo had dragged back the only thing worse than regular cops -corrupt cops. They had her at gunpoint.

    The police procession was still a long ways away. If he backed up now, Tooley could close the ship¡¯s hatch and lock the cops out, hopefully long enough for Kamak and Farsus to return from their shopping trip. Trapped between the ship¡¯s cannon and the two bounty hunters, the cops wouldn¡¯t be able to put up a fight -and they would almost certainly get To Vo killed.

    He could practically hear Kamak¡¯s voice screaming at him to let To Vo die, but Corey kept his hand away from his gun. There had to be another way out. There always was. Corey would find some way out of this.

    His options started to feel a lot more limited when the cops reached the boarding ramp and immediately shoved a gun into his ribs.

    ¡°Smart guy,¡± the lead cop said. ¡°You¡¯re Corey Vash, I assume? Why don¡¯t you give us the grand tour of the Hard Luck Hermit.¡±

    Corey kept swearing under his breath as another cop took his gun. These ones clearly knew exactly what they were dealing with. That would make bluffing or surprising them much harder.

    No matter how easy or hard it would be, Corey had to be alive to outwit them. He put his hands up and complied as the cops walked him back aboard the ship at gunpoint. Doprel was milling about in the common room when the cops arrived, and froze in place when four guns got pointed at him, while two more stayed trained on Corey and To Vo respectively.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± To Vo croaked. ¡°This wasn¡¯t-¡±

    ¡°Stop,¡± the lead officer said. ¡°Just keep those big arms up, freak, and don¡¯t make any sudden moves. Where¡¯s your pilot?¡±

    ¡°Tooley!¡±

    Tooley failed to appear.

    ¡°Tooley, we kind of need you out here,¡± Corey repeated. A gun pressed a little harder into his ribs.

    ¡°What¡¯s she up to?¡±

    ¡°Nothing, I swear, just hold on a second,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°She¡¯s sleeping in the cockpit,¡± Doprel said. ¡°Heavy sleeper.¡±

    The lead cop rolled his eyes and gestured to one of his cronies. They entered the cockpit and returned a few seconds later with a bleary-eyed Tooley held at gunpoint. In spite of her tiredness, Tooley was not at all nonplussed by the situation. She expected to be woken up with a gun to her head most times she went to sleep nowadays.

    ¡°Good fucking going, To Vo,¡± Tooley mumbled, instinctively knowing everything was the cops fault.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s any consolation, you lucked out,¡± the lead cop said. ¡°We¡¯re smart enough to keep you alive. Slightly higher bounty for that, you know. Somebody must be really excited to watch you die.¡±

    Or very interested in keeping their distraction going, Corey thought to himself. It was still good news. They were slightly, very slightly, less likely to get shot.

    ¡°Cool, you by any chance know who¡¯s paying for this shit?¡± Tooley asked. ¡°Want to know who I need to curse with my dying breath.¡±

    ¡°All you need to know is that they¡¯re paying,¡± the cop said. ¡°As soon as our two missing crewmen get back, maybe you¡¯ll get to make your introductions while we cash in.¡±

    ¡°Unless Doprel kills you all before then,¡± Corey said. Doprel took a step back and held his goliath arms up even higher to look as non-threatening as possible. The cops kept their guns held a little closer to the hostages anyway.

    ¡°Nobody¡¯s going to make any sudden moves,¡± the cop said.

    ¡°You would be shocked how sudden sudden can be,¡± Corey said. ¡°Like, I know he¡¯s big, but Doprel¡¯s fast. One of you sneezes at the wrong time, all six of you are dead before you even finish the sneeze.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s exaggerating,¡± Tooley said. She was not sure what Corey was going for, but she wanted in. ¡°Fastest I¡¯ve ever seen him kill six guys is about seven seconds. He saves time by picking up two guys and using them to beat two other guys to death.¡±

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    ¡°That is not true,¡± Doprel insisted. He¡¯d only ever used a person to beat another person to death one at a time. ¡°And I am not doing anything as long as any of you are in danger.¡±

    Corey absolutely believed that, but the corrupt cops were not so sure. He could see every spare gun twitching in Doprel¡¯s direction, and even the one pressed firmly into Corey¡¯s ribs was drifting away from his skin. Step one of his plan was working. Now he just needed a step two. Luckily the high-strung cops were doing a lot of the work for him.

    ¡°Captain. Maybe we should¡­¡±

    The cop trailed off, but made a sharp clicking noise to indicate his presumably lethal intent. The Captain shook their hairless head.

    ¡°We off even one of them, that¡¯s half a million cece¡¯s gone,¡± the Captain said. ¡°Nobody pulls the trigger unless they have to. Now-¡±

    The Captain took a look around the room and appraised his situation. He could conceivably call in reinforcements, but that would involve splitting the bounty more ways. Greed won out. Rather than adjusting his allies, the Captain focused on his enemies. He had one very large, imposing Doprel, two moderately intimidating crew members in Tooley and Corey, and one very small, pathetic To Vo to contend with. He focused on the diminutive former officer.

    ¡°Get over there,¡± the Captain ordered, shoving To Vo in Corey¡¯s direction. ¡°You, with the big gun, keep an eye on the freak. I¡¯ve got these two.¡±

    To Vo fell to the ground at Corey¡¯s feet and clung to his leg. His current captor stepped away only when the Captain stepped forward and pressed his gun to Corey¡¯s back, not giving him a single moment of freedom to exploit. The biggest gun in the room stepped up to focus on Doprel, and the standoff resumed.

    In the tense silence that followed, Corey¡¯s mind raced. He still had a gun pointed at him, but most of the rest of the cops had their backs turned to him. If he could cause a distraction (and not get himself shot in the process), then all the dirty cops might turn towards him, turning away from Doprel in the process and giving the hulking alien a chance to spring into bloody action.

    He was just formulating what kind of distraction he could cause when To Vo¡¯s hands started to move down his leg -into his boot. The same boot where he kept his knife.

    ¡°Shit.¡±

    Her clumsy grasping at the blade made a small cut in Corey¡¯s leg as To Vo drew the knife out. She pounced with an agility fitting her catlike features and jumped on the back of the Captain, blade in hand, and pressed the knife into his throat. His sudden shout made the cops twitch, but all guns stayed firmly trained on their targets. Corey closed his eyes and grit his teeth in expectation of a shot that never came.

    Even with the tip of a knife held firmly to his throat, the Captain did not seem all that worried. He actually chuckled slightly at the display.

    ¡°Really? You?¡±

    ¡°Let us go,¡± To Vo said. She audibly sobbed as she spoke, and tears were running lines through her fur even as she held the knife to the Captain¡¯s throat. ¡°I don¡¯t want to kill you.¡±

    ¡°It shows, you little twerp,¡± the Captain chuckled. ¡°Do yourself a favor and drop the knife.¡±

    To Vo¡¯s hand trembled, digging the knife a little deeper into the skin of his neck, and the Captain worked hard not to flinch. She lightened the pressure a second later.

    ¡°Nemb loves to talk about his friends from the academy, you know,¡± the Captain said. ¡°All one of them. You¡¯re the only other wimp he ever met. He isn¡¯t cut out for this kind of stuff, and neither are you.¡±

    To Vo¡¯s hand steadied slightly. He was speaking in the present tense. That made it slightly more likely Nemb was alive. She was even pleased that Nemb had talked about her.

    But Nemb didn¡¯t know everything about her.

    ¡°I¡¯ve killed someone before,¡± To Vo said. ¡°I don¡¯t want to do it again. I don¡¯t. I don¡¯t. But I will.¡±

    The Captain actually laughed at that. Corey felt the gun drift a little further from his ribs. He looked over at To Vo, and saw her slitted his eyes focused intently on him, and the motions of the gun at his back.

    ¡°You? A killer? Do you really expect me to believe that?¡±

    The Captain made a single arrogant shrug. The gun flitted away from Corey¡¯s back, if only for a moment. A moment was enough. Corey watched as the slits of To Vo¡¯s eyes went wide, her fur stood on end, and the knife sank deep into the Captain¡¯s neck.

    His arrogant chuckle turned into choked gurgle as the knife slid through his veins and into his trachea. The bloody gag turned into a muted scream of horror as the blade of the knife tore outwards, sending an arced curve of blood spraying across the room. The deep crimson blood splattered across the faces of the nearby cops, prompting gasps of shock and horror -and a flinch.

    The moment of shock intensified when Doprel started swinging, and two of the remaining cops went flying into either wall, leaving bloodstains and dents where they impacted. Tooley dropped to the ground and kicked her captor in the leg, an ultimately meaningless gesture, as Corey put a bullet in his chest in seconds. He¡¯d snatched up the Captain¡¯s gun and started blasting as soon as the knife had sunk in.

    As it so often did, the long tension gave way to a sudden burst of violence. Doprel grabbed a third police officer and crushed his skull, as Corey shot the last living officer in the leg, then the shoulder, then the head. His aim wasn¡¯t exactly the best under pressure. He turned the gun and did a quick scan of the room, seeing only friends and corpses.

    ¡°Doprel?¡±

    ¡°Got a few in the chest,¡± Doprel said, holding his hands over small bullet holes in his torso. ¡°Nothing important.¡±

    ¡°Tooley, you alive?¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately,¡± she sighed. If Corey hadn¡¯t known better, he might¡¯ve assumed that disappointment was genuine.

    ¡®To Vo, you-¡±

    He cut himself off as he turned around and saw To Vo on the floor, crouched over the bloody Captain. Their former captor was still twitching -and To Vo still had the knife in her hands, and tears in her eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she sobbed, as the Captain clutched desperately at his gouged throat. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m so sorry.¡±

    In spite of her professed sorrow, or perhaps because of it, To Vo raised the knife in both hands, hesitated for a moment, and then plunged it into the Captain¡¯s forehead, right between his eyes. His dying twitches stopped instantly. To Vo took her hands off the knife, curled into a ball, and started to cry.

    Corey had just barely started to feel pity when he heard a glass bottle clink into the metal floor. He looked up and saw Kamak, who had attempted to triumphantly return from his shopping with a bottle of alcohol in hand. The true captain looked around at six dead cops, a bloody crew, and a crying To Vo.

    ¡°I was gone,¡± he hissed. ¡°For fifteen drops!¡±

 Chapter 61: First Time for Everything

    It took To Vo a long time to scrub the blood out of her fur. Her species had evolved a dense coat to stop dust and parasites from getting through the coat, but that same dense fur also trapped any form of moisture. It wasn¡¯t a problem on her arid homeworld, until blood got involved. As it had before. As To Vo had very much hoped it never would again.

    The last drops of blood finally worked their way out of her fur, and To Vo reluctantly stepped out of the cleanser. The only exit from the room was into the communal living space. Where the bodies and the blood might still linger. Tooley had already set them into the stars and away from the station, but there was still a mess to clean up.

    To Vo took three deep breaths and counted to ten. Then counted to ten again. Before, she had always calmed herself down by citing some codes of the Galactic Council rulebook or officer¡¯s conduct handbook. She couldn¡¯t stomach the thought now.

    When To Vo La Su finally exited the cleansing room, she found the central living area shockingly clean -and occupied by the entire crew. Kamak looked at her expectantly as she stood in front of the door.

    ¡°Captain.¡±

    ¡°Sit down, To Vo.¡±

    Ever obedient, To Vo did as she was ordered, and took a seat. There were multiple open chairs, and she picked the one next to Doprel. Kamak took note of that, and then returned his attention to his drink. They had broken into their new alcohol supply almost immediately.

    ¡°So.¡±

    To Vo dug clawed fingertips into her kneecaps as she awaited Kamak¡¯s next words.

    ¡°What happened the first time?¡±

    Kamak sipped at his drink as To Vo¡¯s tight grip relaxed.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Corvash says according to you, this isn¡¯t the first time you killed someone,¡± Kamak said. ¡°So. What happened the first time?¡±

    After waiting long enough to take two more sips of his drink at a very slow pace, Kamak figured To Vo wasn¡¯t going to talk. At least not on her own.

    ¡°See, my first kill was way back when I was just a security grunt for a Timeka corpo-colony,¡± Kamak said. ¡°I was doing my beat on patrol of some bean-paste manufacturing joint when I got a call that said a fugitive was heading my way. Gave me the description, and told me to kill on sight.¡±

    Even though everyone in the room could guess how the story ended, a moment of silent tension still hung in the air. Kamak tapped the edge of his glass with a finger.

    ¡°I still don¡¯t know what that poor bastard did,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Never asked. Probably never going to.¡±

    When working a Timeka job in a Timeka-owned town on a Timeka-owned planet, second-guessing Timeka¡¯s orders was a ticket to poverty and death. It didn¡¯t matter much to Kamak if his target had been a serial killer or a petty thief. If Timeka wanted them dead, they were dead. He¡¯d even gotten a promotion out of it, getting the security gig that had eventually led Kamak to becoming a bounty hunter, which had been going pretty well until recently. Kamak took a larger than usual sip of his drink.

    After a long wait, To Vo continued to show no signs of talking. Doprel was the next to volunteer his own story.

    ¡°Me, I had to fight my way off some shambling Doccan ship with a few of my siblings while the rest of the Doccan tried to eat us,¡± Doprel said. ¡°It was...easier, than I thought. One of my brothers tried to reason with the others, convince them we were still useful, and he got his face bitten off for the trouble. I never gave them the chance.¡±

    Doprel didn¡¯t regret anything he¡¯d done to any of the Doccan during his escape, only what he had done after. Reasoning that the other Doccan would not waste time and resources chasing multiple targets, Doprel and his siblings had split up, going their separate ways. It was the last time he¡¯d ever seen any of them. He didn¡¯t know if they were dead or merely hiding, but as far as Doprel knew, he was the last. But he didn¡¯t talk about that.

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    ¡°You were only a few solars old when this happened, yes?¡± Farsus asked. ¡°In your own terms.¡±

    ¡°Around three Doccan years, yes,¡± Doprel said. ¡°That matters less for Doccan, though. They come out of the egg fully mature.¡±

    ¡°I am aware. I was merely curious whether you had killed at a younger age than I.¡±

    Everyone turned to Farsus with a mix of disgust and curiosity. He did not leave them waiting for long.

    ¡°When I was eleven local years old, the older scholars called me in to our medical ward, to show me a man in a coma,¡± Farsus said. ¡°They told me that he had a severe and likely untreatable illness, and had requested he be allowed to pass if he went into a coma. They also told me that after he made this request, a possible treatment for his condition was discovered that he had not been aware of. They asked me my opinion: whether to respect the mans desires, flawed as they were, or deny him autonomy in the hopes of a longer life.¡±

    Farsus crossed his arms and leaned back. Corey looked sick to his stomach.

    ¡°I told them to respect his wishes,¡± Farsus said. ¡°And I watched as they unplugged his life support, and he died. It was the first of many decisions that set me on my scholarly path.¡±

    ¡°Well you didn¡¯t really kill the guy,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°I made a conscious, informed decision to end the life of a man who would otherwise have lived,¡± Farsus said. ¡°I do not absolve myself of responsibility simply because my hand did not flip the switch that ended his life.¡±

    Even if he sought to absolve himself of that first kill, which he did not, Farsus had killed enough that it no longer mattered. One death meant little among a lifetime dedicated to the study of death. He moved on, and looked to Tooley.

    ¡°What, you want my first-kill story?¡± Tooley scoffed. ¡°I was flying for some other crew of bounty hunters and I used the ship¡¯s guns to shoot down the guy they were chasing. Killed six people. Didn¡¯t give a fuck then, don¡¯t give a fuck now.¡±

    She defiantly put a bottle of shiiv to her lips and ended her story. Corey watched the exotic beer tremble along with her hands. She noticed his eyes locked on her and clenched her fist around the bottle.

    ¡°Quit staring, Corey. Your turn in the sharing circle.¡±

    ¡°What? You guys were there,¡± Corey said. ¡°Whichever of those slavers I shot first, I don¡¯t really know.¡±

    Kamak¡¯s glass froze in his hand, and he stared past the rim of the glass at Corey.

    ¡°I hired you on as a bounty hunter three swaps after your first kill?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, and I¡¯m doing a pretty good job,¡± Corey said. ¡°What about it?¡±

    After a moment of tense contemplation, Kamak relented with a shrug and finished his drink. Corey hadn¡¯t turned out to be too bad of an investment, all things considered. The moment passed, and though everyone tried to act casual, To Vo could still sense occasional glances aimed in her direction. She had tried as best she could to shrink into her chair and disappear, but failed. She pawed nervously at her own knees and tried to choke out the world.

    ¡°It was a dry season,¡± To Vo finally mumbled. ¡°Food was scarce. The old rules took over. You feed yourself, or you don¡¯t get fed. A lot of people didn¡¯t get fed.¡±

    It had been years ago, but To Vo could still remember the worst of it, and her hand drifted to her stomach as it remembered the stabbing pangs of starvation. She¡¯d fared better than most, being smarter and more agile than many of her tribe, but that could only do so much.

    ¡°I had a friend. Someone I cared about. Someone I trusted. She hadn¡¯t eaten in days, I could tell she was close to wasting away,¡± To Vo continued. ¡°I pulled her away from the rest of the tribe, offered to share half of what I¡¯d gathered.¡±

    To Vo curled up in a ball, and held her knees close to her chest.

    ¡°She decided she wanted all of it.¡±

    The cocktail of starvation, panic, and the haze of time had dulled the memories of the fight itself. She remembered stinging pain from desperate claws, getting hit and falling, scrambling in the dirt for a rock, and swinging her arm. After that, everything became clearer. Much clearer.

    ¡°I hit her. In the head,¡± To Vo said, choking on every word. ¡°And she was- she was still trying to eat. She clawed around in the dirt for the scraps I¡¯d dropped, even with her skull broken open like¡­¡±

    To Vo looked like she was about to throw up, and said nothing more. The memory of that girl, not so different from her, mindlessly gnawing on her own fingertips while her brains leaked on the ground, was seared in To Vo¡¯s memory forever.

    As To Vo sank into grim memories, Kamak glared daggers at Doprel. This whole talk had been his idea.

    ¡°That¡¯s fucked up, kid,¡± Kamak said, in the closest thing to sympathy he¡¯d ever mustered. ¡°But you did what you had to do.¡±

    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t,¡± To Vo said. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have had to. She should¡¯ve been better, or luckier, or less proud, our stupid people should¡¯ve taught us to share, I should¡¯ve¡­¡±

    There were too many things that should¡¯ve happened to list, so To Vo gave up, and sat in silence. This time, no one spoke up.

 Chapter 62: Two Very Bad Reunions

    Tooley watched a handful of dead bodies drift towards the sun. She¡¯d never thought it would be so unsatisfying to watch cops get incinerated.

    ¡°One more bit of stupid bullshit we¡¯ve survived,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Onwards to our next bit of asinine nonsense.¡±

    ¡°You want to make a grand tour of it now? Maybe we can go back to Turitha and see if we can convince the Structuralists to join us instead of murdering us.¡±

    ¡°Well we need to be doing fucking something, Tooley,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°I would prefer to be doing something smart.¡±

    ¡°You know damn well that¡¯s not an option!¡±

    ¡°Okay, we get it, you¡¯re both very sarcastic,¡± Corey said. ¡°Can we do something useful now?¡±

    ¡°Like what?¡±

    ¡°Like moving out of this galaxy, to begin with,¡± Farsus said. ¡°I believe we¡¯ve lingered here too long. Given the Caro galaxy¡¯s importance to Morrakesh¡¯s plans, and the increased security that will no doubt surround it after the destruction of the Bang Gate, we run significant risk of being discovered the longer we stay.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not wrong, but how are we supposed to leave? Every remaining Bang Gate is going to be on lockdown, and-¡±

    Kamak stopped himself mid-sentence to look out the cockpit window. They had parked themselves in an asteroid belt to avoid detection once again, and his narrow eyes darted across the black spaces between drifting stones.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Is it the purple ship again?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Thought I saw something. Could be nothing, could be¡ªthere it is!¡±

    Kamak pointed a finger at what seemed to be nothing but the blank expanse of space. Farsus scanned the blackness and found nothing.

    ¡°What did you see?¡±

    ¡°Something small. Fast,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Darting between asteroids for cover.¡±

    ¡°Rules out the purple ship, then,¡± Corey said. It was too big to hide behind asteroids, though they didn¡¯t really know how fast it was.

    ¡°It¡¯s definitely not that, I set up an alert to let us know if the scanners ever pick it up again,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Question is, who the fuck else knows about these hiding spots? For a ¡®foolproof hiding place¡¯, this asteroid shit gets us caught fairly often.¡±

    ¡°Well I learned it from- Tooley. Fly. Now.¡±

    The last time Kamak had said something like that to her, a Bang Gate had exploded, so Tooley didn¡¯t waste any time questioning the order. She decoupled their magnetic landing gears from the asteroid and gunned the accelerator as hard as she could, veering sharply to swerve past an asteroid in their path.

    ¡°Farsus, you ever fix the rear cams?¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t possess the parts!¡±

    Kamak cursed his life for the millionth time.

    ¡°What the fuck are we running from, Kamak?¡±

    ¡°An old friend,¡± Kamak grunted. ¡°Veer right, now.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s an astero-¡±

    ¡°Do it!¡±

    Tooley rolled hard to the side, turning sharp around an asteroid in their path, and prayed to whatever gods were listening that they didn¡¯t hit it. It was a close call, but the Hermit just made it, right as the empty space to their left burst in a neon-green flare of light.

    ¡°What the hell?¡±

    ¡°Swerve more, be erratic,¡± Kamak ordered. ¡°Khem¡¯s good at seeing patterns.¡±

    ¡°Khem? That scary fucker from the Guild?¡±

    In the back of his mind, Corey had often wondered if that horrific alien would be on their tail now that Kamak was a wanted man. Khem had, by all appearances, just been waiting for an excuse, and now he had it.

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    ¡°Yeah, that guy. Bastard¡¯s the one who taught me this trick, makes sense he¡¯d know how to see through it.¡±

    Khem¡¯s tracking skills were half the reason Kamak had put up with him long enough to learn the hunter¡¯s secrets. The alien knew every possible way to hide, and every way to find those who were hiding.

    ¡°Corvash, flip on the short range scanner,¡± Tooley ordered. She was too focused on evading the lances of green fire to do anything but fly the ship. ¡°I want to know what this fucker¡¯s working with.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t bother, his ship won¡¯t even show up,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°You can do that?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we do that?¡±

    ¡°Because I like having thermal controls, radiation shielding, and life support!¡±

    Khem¡¯s fighter was a ghost on almost every form of scanners, but that stealth came at the expense of basic creature comforts every other ship enjoyed. He had to wear a special flight suit just to survive in the cockpit, and every passenger had to spend most of their time in survival pods strapped to the rear of the ship. Just one of many reasons Kamak had ultimately bailed on bounty hunting with Khem.

    ¡°We need to get the fuck out of here,¡± Kamak said. He knew Khem well enough to assume the hunter had them outgunned by a lot, so fighting was not an option. While he¡¯d never say it out loud, were it anyone other than Tooley piloting the ship, they¡¯d probably be dead by now. She not only had the skills, she had a naturally erratic nature that defied any of Khem¡¯s attempts to get a lock on her. That element of chaos would be the only thing keeping them alive in a situation like this.

    Kamak decided to stir the pot in his own special way. He reached over and clicked the open comms channel.

    ¡°Hey, Khem, buddy, how you doing? Wasn¡¯t expecting to see you until the potluck.¡±

    The only response he received was a salvo of superheated plasma flying through space. Judging from the rate of fire and the relative inaccuracy, Kamak assumed he had succeeded in distracting Khem. Kamak had a certain way of getting under his incredibly thick skin. Khem hated any and all oathbreakers, but Kamak was something far, far, worse: an annoying oathbreaker.

    ¡°So you know, Khem, I¡¯ve always figured you were smart, somewhere underneath all that evidence to the contrary,¡± Kamak said. ¡°And if there¡¯s one thing I know you know better than anyone else, it¡¯s ballistics. So I also know you know I didn¡¯t kill that cop.¡±

    At the mere mention of Mokai¡¯s untimely death, To Vo visibly flinched. The recent addition of even more dead officers had done nothing to ease the trauma of that loss.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t there anything in that code of honor about killing innocent people?¡±

    Khem did not consider Kamak innocent by any stretch of the word, but hopefully the taunts would make him think, at the very least. Start reciting the code of Kalakai in his head, at least, anything that would fill his mind with thoughts other than killing Kamak.

    ¡°If you want any ¡®justice¡¯ in this scenario, you should be after Morrakesh!¡±

    Kamak didn¡¯t like being shot at, but he especially didn¡¯t like suddenly not being shot at. In an instant, all the gunfire stopped, the streams of green plasma stopped flowing, and the space around them fell silent and calm. After that brief moment of peace, the communications channel crackled to life.

    ¡°Morrakesh?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. He¡¯s our primary suspect in everything going on,¡± Kamak said. He didn¡¯t know why this was giving Khem pause, but he hoped to make use of it. Tooley was slowly getting clear of the asteroid belt, giving them room to make an FTL jump and get away from the mad hunter. Their pursuer paused briefly before continuing the conversation.

    ¡°I offer this out of mercy now, not malice,¡± Khem said. ¡°Die. Now. There is no worse fate waiting than what Morrakesh will do to you.¡±

    Everyone in the cockpit hated the sound of that. Kamak couldn¡¯t help but ask for more information.

    ¡°Khem, do you know something we don¡¯t about Morrakesh?¡±

    ¡°I hunted him, once,¡± Khem growled. ¡°Alongside others. They vanished, one by one, and Morrakesh...learned. He knew what they knew, their strategies, their words, their deepest secrets, as if he took the thoughts from their minds. Die, before he can do the same to you.¡±

    The dire warning might¡¯ve seemed almost cartoonishly overdramatic, if not for what the Doccan had told them not long ago. Morrakesh had learned their entire complex language all but overnight, a feat that should be impossible¡ªunless one could take the knowledge directly from the mind of another.

    ¡°Khem, I know better than to ask you to help me, for anything,¡± Kamak said. ¡°But there are other people at risk here, and I know you care about that kind of thing.¡±

    If that impassioned (by Kamak standards) plea reached any part of Khem¡¯s three hearts, they never found out. Something in the Hard Luck Hermit¡¯s cockpit started to beep. A proximity alarm was going off.

    ¡°Mother fucker,¡± Tooley mumbled, confirming that the alarm signified what they all feared.

    ¡°Khem! We surrender,¡± Kamak snapped. ¡°Take us wherever you want, just get us the fuck out of here!¡±

    There was no response, and the open communications channel fell dead silent. Khem had either gone into hiding or fled outright, neither option boding well for Kamak and the crew. The situation was going from bad to worse as their proximity sensors ticked down, and the purple ship grew ever closer.

    ¡°Tooley, how soon can we get out of here?¡±

    Tooley gripped the controls tight, held them firmly, looked at her instruments¡ªand then released them. She sank into her seat with a heavy sigh. They were surrounded by asteroids on all sides. What had once been a safeguard was now a prison.

    ¡°Not soon enough.¡±

    ¡°Fuck.¡±

    The resignation of their pilot proved infectious. If even Tooley¡¯s defiance had run out, then the situation was truly inescapable. For the first time ever, Kamak regretted his decision to not keep alcohol in the cockpit. As the purple ship dropped out of faster-than-light and started to loom large in their vision, he found himself really wanting a drink.

    The purple ship drifted to a halt. This close up, it proved to be even bigger than any of them had estimated. All they could see was a wall of shimmering purple, and the tiny spot that was their own ship¡¯s reflection staring right back at them.

    ¡°We¡¯re going to die,¡± Kamak said flatly.

 Chapter 63: Belly of the Beast

    The purple ship looked even bigger from the inside. It had a surprisingly expansive hangar bay, mostly filled with small, pod-shaped fighter craft. The vessels had been arranged in rows on either side of the hangar, to make room for the Hard Luck Hermit as it was slowly towed into the bowels of the ship. Tooley had kept her hands near the controls, but right now, they were alive, and trying to make a break for it would only get them killed real fast. Better to see where the ride took them, even if it took them right into the jaws of the enemy. Tooley was staring right down those jaws right now, and seeing exactly two ways out.

    ¡°So, do we want to try and kill them or ourselves?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d prefer ¡®them¡¯, but there¡¯s a problem,¡± Kamak said. ¡°There¡¯s just one guy.¡±

    Tooley contemplated looking out the window, but ultimately decided against it.

    ¡°Well is he a big guy, at least?¡±

    ¡°Kind of scrawny, actually.¡±

    Five heads slowly started to peek out over various corners of the cockpit window. The man standing in the hangar waved and beamed up at them with a pleasant smile. He was both short and slender, with purple skin and thick dermal ridges on his cheekbones. He wore a light, shimmering full-body robes, with a high collar, that Corey understood passed as office formal wear in some parts of the universe. It resembled a monk¡¯s garb, from Corey¡¯s point of view, but to most people this man was dressed like a stereotypical secretary.

    ¡°This better be Morrakesh¡¯s gofer,¡± Kamak said. ¡°If the man ruining our lives looks like that I¡¯m killing all of you and then myself.¡±

    ¡°Not if I kill myself first,¡± Tooley said.

    ¡°If you¡¯re done planning your murder-suicide for like the eighth time since I met you,¡± Corey said. ¡°Do we want to like, try to talk to him?¡±

    Kamak deliberated that point internally for a moment before leaning on the comms panel. The Hard Luck Hermit had external speakers for situations just like this, though they¡¯d been unused for so long he wasn¡¯t entirely sure they still worked.

    ¡°Hey, you, are you Morrakesh?¡±

    ¡°I am not,¡± the secretary said. ¡°My name is Ol-Voz, and I serve as Master Morrakesh¡¯s majordomo. On his behalf, I welcome you aboard the Empyrean Absolutist.¡±

    ¡°He sent his housekeeper to talk to us?¡±

    ¡°Were you to meet Master Morrakesh personally, you would attempt to kill him,¡± Ol-Voz said. ¡°I am authorized to speak on his behalf, and can convey his wishes to you in a less...risky, shall we say, manner.¡±

    ¡°And what if we decide to kill you?¡±

    ¡°I would politely request that you not. I have a family.¡±

    It should¡¯ve sounded like a plea for mercy, but it didn¡¯t. Just a conversational statement of fact, like bringing up the weather or a recent sports game. Kamak didn¡¯t trust anyone who could face death with such a casual demeanor. They either had nothing to lose or nothing to fear. Both dangerous. He removed his finger from the speaker button and turned to his crew.

    ¡°What do we think? Stay in, or go out?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re already in the damn ship,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Hard to get less dead where we¡¯re standing.¡±

    ¡°Outside of our vessel and away from our weaponry, it will become much harder to end our own lives before Morrakesh can encroach on our minds,¡± Farsus said. Kamak pressed the speaker button again.

    ¡°Hey majordomo, if we leave we¡¯re bringing our guns.¡±

    ¡°That will be allowed. So long as you don¡¯t shoot anyone without Master Morrakesh¡¯s permission, of course.¡±

    ¡°Okay then,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Grab something light and remember to save a shot for yourself, kids.¡±

    Kamak unlocked the gun cabinet, took one for himself, and then lead the way as his newly-armed crew headed down the ship, towards the unloading ramp.

    ¡°Now, this is not a mandatory field trip. Anyone who wants to stay on the ship, stand your ground.¡±

    ¡°I cannot imagine a more inadvisable decision than splitting up at this juncture,¡± Farsus said. The rest of the crew nodded in agreement.

    ¡°Just thought I¡¯d offer,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Guns up, gang. Doprel, watch the flank, Farsus, Corey, I want you covering the sides, you ladies focus on the Majordomo with me.¡±

    The crew took formation, guns at the ready, and stepped out into an utterly quiet, motionless hangar. Even the normal background hum of a spacecraft was muted by careful soundproofing. The deathly silence was slightly undercut by To Vo sniffling with displeasure. Apparently the hangar smelled bad, at least to her. In spite of her obvious disgust, Ol-Voz the majordomo embodied the silence perfectly, standing still as stone until the crew was standing right in front of him. His friendly smile never wavered, even with guns pointed at his face.

    ¡°Pleasure to finally meet you face to face,¡± Ol-Voz said. ¡°Master Morrakesh has been very impressed with your performance.¡±

    ¡°Glad we can entertain,¡± Kamak said. ¡°But we want this show over.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid you and Master Morrakesh disagree on that point,¡± Ol-Voz said. ¡°He is quite intent on you continuing. On that note-¡±

    Majordomo Ol-Voz raised his hands and produced a small tablet from up his sleeve. He pressed a few buttons, and the silence broke as a door opened and a legion of various aliens appeared from a side hallway. Every gun in the room turned towards them, until Corey took a closer look at their ¡°opponents¡± and realized what, exactly, they were.

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    ¡°Wait, wait, stop, stop!¡±

    Corey reached and grabbed Kamak by the arm, shoving his gun down. He would¡¯ve done the same in a moment, as he slowly realized who was approaching and what they were carrying.

    Slaves, bound together by heavy metal chains, started hauling in various crates of supplies and parts. The lumbering slaves slowly marched into the hangar and deposited their cargo in rows near the Hard Luck Hermit. They kept their eyes down at the floor the entire time, never daring to look up at the Majordomo, or at the crew. Except for one, who cast a sidelong glance at Corey, only for a moment.

    Corey knew her, by face if not by name. She¡¯d been aboard the same ship that had abducted Corey, at the start of it all. They¡¯d walked side by side for a moment before the chaotic battle in which Corey had escaped -and she hadn¡¯t. The pleading desperation, envy, and regret in the slave¡¯s eyes made it clear she remembered it just as clearly as Corey did.

    Then Ol-Voz pressed another button, and the slaves collars flared with a powerful electric shock. They shuffled off as fast as they were able, and the hangar fell silent once again. Corey¡¯s eyes lingered on the trail of the slaves.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry unnecessarily, Corey Anathedus Vash,¡± Ol-Voz said. Corey¡¯s eyes narrowed as Ol-Voz casually dropped a middle name. ¡°Master Morrakesh has learned the location of Earth, and he has no need to pursue you if he wishes to add a human to his menagerie.¡±

    That did not in any way stop Corey from worrying. If anything, it made him worry more. Ignoring the obvious distress of his guest, Ol-Voz gestured to To Vo.

    ¡°That said, Master Morrakesh has yet to acquire a sample of this particular permutation of the Kentath retrograde line.¡±

    Three guns went right back up, and three became four once To Vo stopped trying to cover her nose and put both hands on her gun. Kamak and Tooley raised their guns too once they realized everyone else was doing it. Ol-Voz held up his hands and took a step back.

    ¡°Forgive me, it is something of a compulsion on Master Morrakesh¡¯s part,¡± the majordomo said. He then gestured back to the supplies the slaves had dropped off. ¡°Please, help yourselves. Resupply and repair as needed.¡±

    ¡°You seriously expect us to take this shit?¡±

    ¡°Your hesitation is understandable,¡± Ol-Voz said. ¡°Everything you don¡¯t want will be left where it is. You aren¡¯t obligated to take any of it with you. Simply keep in mind that your continued existence, and continued distraction of Master Morrakesh¡¯s various targets, is better served with your ship well-supplied and in good condition. The Master has little reason to deceive you on this front.¡±

    Ol-Voz gestured up towards the Hard Luck Hermit.

    ¡°And aside from that, Master Morrakesh has already well proven his ability to track your vessel without any form of tracking devices or sabotage,¡± he explained. ¡°What would we have to gain?¡±

    ¡°Hmm. Farsus, take a look,¡± Kamak commanded. Farsus saluted quickly and then went crate by crate, scanning each of the offerings for potential threats. Whatever he found, Corey would not be touching anything in any of those crates. He barely trusted the food they already had. ¡°What¡¯s all this going to cost us?¡±

    ¡°Nothing. As said before, your continued existence serves Master Morrakesh¡¯s goals. Consider that repayment enough,¡± Ol-Voz said. ¡°Though if you wish, this can be considered only the first of many payments in a mutually beneficial relationship.¡±

    Kamak hated himself for being curious, but he had to know.

    ¡°And...what, exactly, would we be doing in this scenario?¡±

    Ol-Voz extended the hand his tablet was held in, and pointed it face up. The small device began to project a holographic map of the universe, centered around Turitha. The trade routes that the crew had identified as Morrakesh¡¯s main points of interest were highlighted¡ªalong with a few routes they had yet to look into.

    ¡°As effective as your behaviors have been so far at distracting multiple parties and making way for Master Morrakesh¡¯s trade manipulations, you have so far done so with no intentionality,¡± Ol-Voz said. ¡°The Master is intrigued at the possibilities of what you could accomplish with...direction.¡±

    ¡°So you want us to do the same shit, but on purpose now,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°And with the promise of payment, as well as ongoing support from the Master,¡± Ol-Voz said. ¡°A fair change from doing it at great cost to yourselves, one must agree.¡±

    ¡°Except for the part where we¡¯re taking a gig from a slaver,¡± Kamak said. He¡¯d blurred a lot of moral lines over his long life, but he stood his ground on slavery.

    ¡°Master Morrakesh believes such moral judgments are antiquated at best,¡± Ol-Voz said, that same cheery smile still pinned to his face. ¡°But you aren¡¯t obligated to agree. The choice is yours, as are the consequences.¡±

    ¡°Go fuck yourself,¡± Kamak said. He hated when the bad guys tried to pin responsibility on the other party, as if Morrakesh wasn¡¯t the one reason Kamak was in this mess right now. ¡°Farsus, how are things?¡±

    ¡°It all passes muster so far,¡± Farsus shouted back. ¡°And would be quite useful, in fact. There is an alternator for a refrigeration unit in this box of parts.¡±

    Kamak raised an eyebrow. He¡¯d been looking for that part for a while, even before the entire ordeal with Morrakesh had started.

    ¡°Corey, Doprel, help him start loading anything useful on the ship,¡± Kamak said. ¡°We¡¯re getting out of here. I don¡¯t think Morrakesh or his butler has anything to say worth hearing.¡±

    ¡°Understandable. Please stay safe,¡± Ol-Voz said. ¡°Master Morrakesh hopes for your continued survival and success.¡±

    Ol-Voz pursed his lips into an even thinner version of his usual smile, and he paused for a moment.

    ¡°As do I.¡±

    The subtle but noticeable shifts in demeanor distressed Kamak. He tightened his grip on his gun.

    ¡°Ol-Voz.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Captain Kamak?¡±

    ¡°On my way out of here, I¡¯m going to shoot you in the face,¡± Kamak said. ¡°How does that sound?¡±

    ¡°That sounds entirely unnecessary,¡± Ol-Voz said. His voice didn¡¯t crack, and his smile didn¡¯t change. He was holding up well under pressure. Too well. Kamak leaned a little to the side, and got a better angle on the high collar of Ol-Voz¡¯s robe. Underneath the fabric, a thin metal band caused a barely-noticeable wrinkle in the collar. A sleeker version of the slave collar the others wore.

    Kamak looked up at Ol-Voz¡¯s perpetual smile again, and saw for the first time the straining tension that held it in place.

    ¡°Get those fucking crates moving,¡± Kamak said, without breaking eye contact with Ol-Voz. ¡°We¡¯re getting out of here.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I must protest,¡± Ol-Voz said. ¡°Master Morrakesh has ordered you not leave the vessel until we reach our destination.¡±

    Kamak glanced over his shoulder and cursed himself for not realizing the doors had slowly shut behind them. For such a massive vessel, the interior mechanisms moved almost utterly silently. He didn¡¯t know the exact specifications of this ship, but he could easily guess the Hermit did not have the firepower to blast through the doors.

    ¡°And where the hell is that?¡±

    ¡°I cannot say. Master Morrakesh pilots the ship himself, and he has kept his destination private.¡±

    Kamak nearly snapped, but forced himself to remember that Ol-Voz was a slave like any other, and would not know all of his master¡¯s secrets. Strangling him might make Kamak feel better, though. He pocketed the strangulation for later and returned to his ship, hauling one last crate of supplies aboard before closing the loading bay doors behind him.

    Just before the door slipped closed, Kamak saw the hangar doors open again. Something large walked through the open doorway, approaching Ol-Voz. Then the gate shut, and Kamak could see no more. He swore loudly as the door finally closed. Even the doors were working against him now

 Chapter 64: Heavily Armed

    Kamak made his way to the cockpit as soon as he could, and elbowed Corey out of the way to get a better view. In his first lucky break in weeks, Kamak had a pretty good view of the hangar¡¯s new arrival. While he had an angle on their new friend, he lacked an ability to understand what he was seeing.

    ¡°What the fuck is that thing?¡±

    The being in front of them appeared to be composed almost entirely of arms, all emanating from the edges of a single disc-like ¡°core¡± at the center of its body. Some of the segmented arms were curled around themselves to form an approximation of a torso, while others reached out towards the ground to support the body as ¡°legs¡±. Any of the limbs that were not occupied supporting the body¡¯s structure were squirming around the environment randomly, grasping at thin air with long, spindly ¡°fingers¡±. It was difficult to comprehend the anatomy of the alien creature, but Kamak got the distinct impression those scattered limbs somehow doubled as sensory organs.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like that,¡± Tooley said. ¡°We should kill it.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t just kill it! That¡¯s an uncontacted species,¡± To Vo warned. ¡°Killing an uncontacted species is a Class 1 felony in council space!¡±

    ¡°Well firstly, so is killing a cop, which we¡¯ve done five times for real and one time not for real, so nothing really to lose,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Secondly, how the fuck do you know that¡¯s uncontacted?¡±

    ¡°As an officer of the transit authority I¡¯m obligated to remember a registry of known species,¡± To Vo said. ¡°Admittedly, I don¡¯t have all four hundred and seventy eight-¡±

    To Vo interrupted herself and looked at Corey for a moment.

    ¡°-Four hundred and seventy nine known Kentath Retrograde species memorized, but I think I¡¯d remember a giant bug-monster made entirely of arms!¡±

    ¡°Fair play. Farsus?¡±

    ¡°I am not aware of such a creature either,¡± Farsus said. ¡°Though no knowledge base is infinite.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll google it,¡± Corey said. Everyone stared at him, and he realized too late that ¡°google¡± probably didn¡¯t translate very well. ¡°I¡¯ll look it up on the internet.¡±

    Corey dug out his tablet and started scouring the net for any trace of this strange new creature. While he did so, Kamak watched as the alien carried out a long conversation with Ol-Voz. The majordomo was clearly trying to defuse some tension, while the mystery alien gesticulated wildly, often in the direction of the Hard Luck Hermit.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think the handy one likes us being here,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°Hey, we have something in common,¡± Tooley snapped.

    ¡°Hey, hold on,¡± Kamak said. ¡°The maid looks a bit flustered.¡±

    Ol-Voz grew visibly more worried as his conversation with the strange alien continued, and he began to cast sidelong glances at the Hermit¡¯s cockpit. His previously unshakable smile was now quite shaken, and turned into an outright frown when Kamak waved down at him from up in the cockpit.

    ¡°I think we¡¯ve seen something we shouldn¡¯t have, boys and girls,¡± Kamak said. The idea that they had found a loose thread in Morrakesh¡¯s intricate web of lies delighted him to no end, until it didn¡¯t. ¡°Shit, I sure hope Morrakesh doesn¡¯t decide to kill us over this.¡±

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    ¡°A distinct possibility,¡± Farsus said, with a sage nod. Knowing about his trade dealings apparently didn¡¯t dissuade Morrakesh from considering them a useful distraction, but having seen his strange new alien ally might push them over the limit of ¡°knowing too much¡±.

    ¡°It sure explains a lot,¡± Corey said. ¡°A new trading partner is going to rearrange trade routes.¡±

    ¡°Must¡¯ve found a new species before the Council did, somehow,¡± Kamak said. Outside, the alien was gesticulating even more aggressively towards the ship. Ol-Voz looked to be at the end of his rope.

    ¡°So if we went out there and introduced ourselves, you think that would make the alien mad enough to start fighting with Morrakesh?¡± Tooley wondered aloud. ¡°Or would he just kill us?¡±

    ¡°One way to find out,¡± Kamak said. ¡°You first, Tooley.¡±

    Much to everyone¡¯s surprise, Tooley actually stood up and started heading for the ship¡¯s exit. Corey grabbed her by her flight jacket and pulled her back to her seat with very little effort.

    ¡°If we go out there, we¡¯re going together,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Also, we¡¯re probably not going out there. I think you¡¯re right, that thing would just kill us.¡±

    It had no discernible face and they could not hear its voice, but anger was a universal language. The many-armed alien wanted them gone. Ol-Voz was barely holding his ground now.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to go out there again,¡± To Vo said. ¡°It smells terrible.¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about? It just smelled like dust and metal.¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about, Corvash?¡± To Vo countered. ¡°It smelled like death and moldy fruit.¡±

    ¡°We get it, kids, different species smell different stuff,¡± Kamak said. He hadn¡¯t noticed anything out of the ordinary either, but it was easy enough to assume To Vo¡¯s nose was just more sensitive to certain smells than his. He didn¡¯t particularly care about such minute details while watching an unknown alien argue with their host/kidnapper.

    The strange alien¡¯s anger appeared to be subsiding, and Ol-Voz was frantically pressing buttons on a tablet, working his way through some unknown string of commands. Kamak tried, but could not get an angle on the screen to see what was being done. He figured it either wouldn¡¯t matter, or he¡¯d find out very soon. Probably because it was going to kill him.

    The hangar doors opened, and a small procession of slaves stumbled inside. They were soon directed to stand in front of the many-armed alien, and it poked and prodded them with its lengthy fingers, sussing out some unseen quality only it knew. Corey scanned the crowd of captives and tried to find a connecting thread. It took him much, much longer than he would like to see the pattern forming in the captive¡¯s appearance.

    Blue skinned women and red skinned men. Tall, bald-headed males, and slightly shorter ones with full heads of brown hair and short beards. A small assortment of short, furry women. Tooley, Farsus, Kamak, Corey, and To Vo La Su, represented in effigy by the slaves.

    The strange alien picked his favorite, a tall Gentanian that almost resembled Kamak, and plucked him from the crowd. While the rest of the slaves were dismissed, the Kamak-doppelganger was dragged to the front of the Hermit. The alien pointed at the captive with multiple arms, then up at the cockpit window, and then back at the captive.

    ¡°The fuck is this supposed to-¡±

    Kamak got his answer when the alien tore off the first chunk of flesh. They could not hear the slave¡¯s screaming, but they could see him start to panic and flail as dozens of arms grasped on to his skin and tore him to pieces, bit by bit, handful by handful. Minute chunks of flesh were torn asunder one by one and fed into one of several small, fanged orifices on the center of the alien¡¯s circular body. Kamak stared in slack-jawed horror as a face that all too closely resembled his own was torn into a thousand pieces and devoured. His stomach finally gave out when he saw the first fragments of bloody skull beneath the stripped-bare face, and he turned away from the horrific scene before he threw up.

    It took a long time before anyone dared to look out the cockpit window again. Every time they tried to glance down, they saw arms flailing and droplets of blood flying. Eventually, they gave up trying, and rode out their tenure on Morrakesh¡¯s ship in stunned silence until he saw fit to set them free.

 Chapter 65: Rock Me Amadeus

    Tooley kept her eyes firmly locked on the Empyrean Absolutist until Morrakesh¡¯s ship finally drifted out of sight. She didn¡¯t remove her hand from the flight controls until they picked up the purple vessel exiting the system on their long-range scanners.

    ¡°Alright, that nightmare is over,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Back to our regularly scheduled nightmare.¡±

    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t act like we¡¯re done being terrified yet,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Now we know Morrakesh wants to eat To Vo or something, and he¡¯s been digging around on Corey¡¯s homeworld even more than we thought.¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Corey said, nodding along. ¡°He even knew my name. Sort of.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean, sort of?¡±

    ¡°I mean he was only sort of right,¡± Corey said. ¡°He tried to use my middle name, but he said ¡®Anathedus¡¯. My mom changed my middle name to ¡®Amadeus¡¯, not whatever that is.¡±

    To avoid ¡°the sinful temptations of modern pop culture¡± members of the Church of the Guiding Truth were only allowed to listen to hymns and classical music. It had been another form of oppression, but Corey¡¯s mother had found some genuine joy in the works of old masters like Mozart, enough so that she had paid tribute to them by changing her son¡¯s middle name. It was certainly better than being named after his grandpa, at least.

    ¡°So he asked a question and misheard the answer, or something,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Maybe Anathedus is a common name where he¡¯s from and he just assumed.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. There¡¯s a lot of things that could¡¯ve happened,¡± Corey said. ¡°It¡¯s just weird that he¡¯s been outsmarting everyone in the universe so far, but he couldn¡¯t get my middle name right.¡±

    ¡°Nice to have a crack in the armor, however small,¡± Kamak said. ¡°But there ain¡¯t much we can do with that right now. Better to get a move on. Tooley, do you know our location?¡±

    ¡°Give me a second,¡± Tooley said. She tried to manage the location controls without taking her hands too far from the steering controls. She didn¡¯t trust that there wasn¡¯t some ambush waiting in the wings. ¡°Looks like we¡¯re in...Arkenne. Not far from Centerpoint, even.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t like that,¡± Kamak said. ¡°We need to get out of here, fast.¡±

    While Morrakesh apparently planned to change that soon, the Arkenne galaxy was still the center of the universe, and the entire universe hated them. Such a crowded neighborhood would get them caught sooner rather than later.

    ¡°Well, hold on,¡± Corey said. ¡°What about To Vo?¡±

    All eyes turned to the Hard Luck Hermit¡¯s newest passenger, and she shrank back under the attention.

    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    ¡°What do you want to do, go to Centerpoint and drop her off? That¡¯s not a fucking plan, unless the plan is to get shot.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s got to be outlying stations, or something,¡± Corey said. ¡°We swing by, get her off the ship, get out before anyone even notices.¡±

    ¡°Even the least crowded stations around here are still packed,¡± Kamak said. ¡°We¡¯ll get spotted anywhere we go. Look, I want to get rid of her as much as anyone-¡±

    ¡°Hey,¡± Doprel said, on To Vo¡¯s behalf.

    ¡°What? She never should have been here in the first place, and I mean that in every possible meaning of the phrase,¡± Kamak said. ¡°It¡¯s not her fault, It¡¯s Corey¡¯s-¡±

    ¡°Hey,¡± Corey said, on his own behalf.

    ¡°Oh, fuck this,¡± Kamak said. ¡°To Vo! Do you even want to leave?¡±

    He sincerely hoped that she would just say no, but To Vo was being worryingly contemplative about the question. After stewing in her own thoughts for a moment, To Vo crossed her furry arms across her chest defiantly.

    ¡°As an officer of Galactic Council Law Enforcement, I am obligated to respond to any threat to public safety,¡± To Vo said. ¡°I cannot view Morrakesh¡¯s plot as anything but a threat. I wish to continue helping you and your crew.¡±

    Kamak felt that ¡°helping¡± might be a strong word for what To Vo was doing, but he relented for the time being. For the moment, it was riskier to get rid of her than to keep her. Maybe once they got to a more secure galaxy they could drop her off, but Centerpoint was not the place for a quick handoff.

    ¡°Great. Just try to be a little bit less of a cop.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll try?¡±

    Kamak grunted at her non-committal answer. For some reason, he had pulled up a calendar to go with his star chart. As Tooley very obviously spied on his personal planner, she noticed that he had a date marked in the upcoming swaps. No clue why that specific swap was important, though. Kamak finished doing some charting calculations and then transferred the data to Tooley.

    ¡°Plug in these coordinates and get us moving,¡± he ordered.

    Tooley looked angry at the notion for a second, then sighed and shrugged.

    ¡°Sure, whatever,¡± she grumbled. ¡°Maybe someone there will finally kill us.¡±

    Doprel looked over at the map, and recognized the coordinates plugged in.

    ¡°Kamak, shouldn¡¯t we be going somewhere less populated?¡±

    ¡°It is less populated,¡± Kamak snapped.

    ¡°Ventan is not less populated.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not going to Ventan,¡± Kamak said. ¡°We¡¯re landing on Tannis.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s literally one planet over, what¡¯s the difference?¡±

    ¡°About thirteen billion people,¡± Kamak said. He pointed emphatically at the piloting controls as he stormed out of the cockpit. ¡°We need a place to park and repair the ship. Space stations are too crowded, so we need a habitable planet with broad swathes of unpopulated territory. Tannis fits the bill. Just do it.¡±

    Corey did the requisite sideways lean towards Farsus.

    ¡°What¡¯s Ventan? And Tannis, I guess.¡±

    ¡°Two planets in the home system of the Gentanians, Kamak¡¯s species,¡± Farsus said. ¡°Tannis is their original world, Ventan is where most of the species migrated after Tannis became less hospitable.¡±

    ¡°So is this a visit home, or what?¡±

    ¡°Unlikely. Kamak was born on a corporate colony world, remember?¡± Farsus said. ¡°He does visit this planet often, though. I have never inquired as to his reasons. He often becomes more...temperamental, during these times.¡±

    ¡°Oh, great, that¡¯s just what we need,¡± Corey said. ¡°Kamak in a bad mood.¡±

    In the cargo bay, Kamak was already fully in a bad mood. While waiting to be dropped off, they had double and triple-checked the supplies Morrakesh had given them. Everything had passed muster three times over, but Kamak still felt bad about having to use it. He felt even worse about giving it to someone else.

 Chapter 66: Hed Be a Terrible Dad Anyway

    ¡°Repairs going alright?¡±

    ¡°The new parts are acceptable,¡± Farsus said. The spare parts Morrakesh had provided for the Hermit were of good quality, at least. ¡°That said, these replaceable mechanisms are bandages on a very broken body. The Hermit¡¯s frame is suffering from stress damage, given our recent escapades. Cracks are forming that I cannot repair without proper tools and a suitable workshop.¡±

    ¡°Is it safe to fly?¡±

    ¡°For the time being,¡± Farsus said. ¡°I worry about our long-term integrity.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll make do,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Keep at it.¡±

    ¡°And where are you going?¡±

    While Farsus had been working, Kamak had been putting together a pack of supplies and mapping out a route across the barren terrain of Tannis. While still habitable, the atmosphere was dry, the terrain was rocky, and the sun burned down blazing hot. Thanks to Gentanian¡¯s long lives and quick reproduction, their planet had been aggressively affected by global warming brought on by ever-expanding industrialization to meet the massive population¡¯s needs. Traversing the wastes left behind by their evacuation was a difficult task for the unequipped, but Kamak was now well prepared.

    ¡°I¡¯m going out,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±

    Farsus pressed no further. Kamak had gone on enough inexplicable pilgrimages through Tannis that Farsus could assume it was something of great importance. Everyone needed to have a ritual of some sort, just to keep them sane, and Kamak needed sanity more than most, in times like this.

    After a few hours wandering across Tannis, Kamak didn¡¯t feel particularly sane. The terrible weather was bad enough, and it was all made worse by an aeroformer drone floating overhead. The droning noise it made as it harvested excess greenhouse gases from the atmosphere was enough to drive a man mad. Kamak took comfort in the fact that he was already mad and kept moving towards his destination.

    Dead trees still provided shade, and a rusted bench still provided some rest, as Kamak sat down in what had once been a riverside park. He looked down at the crumbling valley that had once housed a flowing river and tried to relax while he waited for his guest. The journey was much less arduous for them, as they arrived in a beat-down but still functioning van. Kamak tried to act casual as the door opened and slammed shut. A young Gentanian woman took a seat next to Kamak.

    ¡°Hi, Vatan. Thanks for coming.¡±

    This was not the first time he had met Vatan in person, but it had been several solar years. She was taller now, older, and her skin had been darkened by the overbearing sun of Tannis. The most telling change was that she no longer had a smile on her face when she saw Kamak.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on, Kamak?¡±

    ¡°The usual. Shit happens. Can¡¯t schedule things as well as I¡¯d like.¡±

    ¡°Kamak. This isn¡¯t ¡®the usual¡¯. There were people at the house. They asked about you.¡±

    ¡°What? When? What did they do?¡±

    ¡°A while ago,¡± Vatan said. ¡°They didn¡¯t do anything. They just showed up, asked about you. Made conversation. Mom told them to leave, and they did.¡±

    Kamak clenched his fist, and said nothing.

    ¡°They really didn¡¯t do anything,¡± Vatan assured him. ¡°And they haven¡¯t been back. I think they just...wanted you to know they were here.¡±

    It pained Kamak that it made perfect sense. Morrakesh didn¡¯t care. He just wanted to make sure Kamak knew there was nowhere he could run, nowhere he could hide, no one he could fully trust.

    ¡°Kamak? Are you going to be okay?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Kamak admitted. ¡°Things are worse than they¡¯ve been before.¡±

    He reached into his pack and withdrew the small care package he¡¯d prepared. It didn¡¯t amount to much beyond a few snacks he knew Vatan liked, some useful things for around the house, and a short, sealed note.

    ¡°Some of the usual. And a message,¡± Kamak said. ¡°For your mom. If I end up not making it out of this...well, you read it first and decide if it¡¯s worth giving to her. And, uh, if I¡¯ve got anything left when¡ªif, you know, it goes to you. Do whatever you want. Don¡¯t tell your mom.¡±

    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    Vatan took the small package and placed it in her lap, staring at the plain packaging in silence for just a moment.

    ¡°You¡¯re really worried you might die?¡±

    Kamak had told Vatan tales of his bounty hunting on many occasions, and always described his battles with a cocksure smile and sense of immortality. Time had weathered off the fanciful edges of those childhood stories, but Vatan still couldn¡¯t help but see Kamak as immortal. A universal constant, always there, even if he was unseen.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Kamak said. ¡°It¡¯s bad. And I want you out of it. If people come asking about me again, tell them everything. When you saw me, where you saw me, how to contact me, everything. Don¡¯t give them any reason to hurt you.¡±

    ¡°But-¡±

    ¡°No buts,¡± Kamak said. ¡°There are plenty of other people who¡¯d sell me out in a minute, so trying to be stubborn won¡¯t accomplish a fucking thing. Don¡¯t die on a hill alone for my sake.¡±

    Vatan never said yes or no to the request, but drifted back into a contemplative silence. The decrepit branches of long dead trees rustled in a dry wind.

    ¡°Kamak. Can I ask you something? And please, tell me the truth.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Are you my-¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Kamak said instantly. He¡¯d seen this question hiding behind her eyes for a long time. ¡°That privilege belongs to a better man than me.¡±

    ¡°So you knew him,¡± Vatan said. ¡°My dad.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. And I won¡¯t say anything else about it. What I¡¯m caught up in might kill me, but if your mom finds out I¡¯ve been talking behind her back, she¡¯ll definitely kill me.¡±

    Vatan tried to force herself to laugh, but she couldn¡¯t. The chuckle died in her throat and emerged as a harsh whimper, drifting into the rest of the dead air around them.

    ¡°If you¡¯re worried,¡± Vatan said. ¡°Do you want to see her?¡±

    ¡°Not as badly as I know she doesn¡¯t want to see me,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Best thing I can do for her is leave her alone. Everything I need to say is in the note.¡±

    ¡°Okay. Okay,¡±

    It had been a long time since the crash, and while Vatan hoped that her mom would¡¯ve forgiven Kamak by now, she knew her own mother better than that. Catay X-F-N could hold a grudge a long damn time, especially over the accident that had left her almost completely paralyzed. An accident that had been, according to all the stories, entirely Kamak¡¯s fault.

    ¡°Time to go home, Vatan,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°Do I have to?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Kamak insisted. Only now did Vatan realize he wasn¡¯t looking at her, but eyeing the shifting shadows of the trees instead. ¡°Go home. Now.¡±

    ¡°Kamak-¡±

    ¡°Now.¡±

    Vatan stood and returned to her van, cautiously checking every angle as she walked, and occasionally glancing back at Kamak. He remained firmly on the rusted park bench, unmoving, eyes locked on the shadows. He kept staring, seemingly fixated by the outlines of dead trees, until Vatan was away and out of sight.

    ¡°Seriously? Already?¡±

    The shadows shifted around Kamak for a moment.

    ¡°I taught you well,¡± Khem said. Kamak snapped towards the sound of the voice -and was then immediately struck to the ground from the opposite angle. ¡°But I didn¡¯t teach you everything.¡±

    Kamak let out a low groan into the dirt. Khem knew how to throw his voice. He was going to die because of a cheap stage trick. It almost felt like an appropriate end, and he braced himself for said end as the point of a spear dug into his back. But the sharp thrust never came, and the bladed edge rested between his shoulderblades for a while.

    ¡°Who was that?¡±

    ¡°Old coworkers kid,¡± Kamak grunted. ¡°You remember Catay, right? Her daughter. Sweet kid. If you hurt her I¡¯ll find a way to come back from the dead and kill you.¡±

    ¡°Why are you here? Why do you care?¡±

    ¡°Because I put her god damn mom in a wheelchair for the rest of her life and got her dad killed,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Shockingly, I¡¯m not a fucking saint. I make mistakes. I own up to them. I try to make up for them with shitbrained gifts and cheap stories that can never replace the lives that got ruined.¡±

    Khem snarled, and Kamak could feel the hot, rancid breath on the back of his neck.

    ¡°What did you do?¡±

    ¡°It was a mistake,¡± Kamak said. ¡°I was young, a few missions in to my bounty hunting career, I thought I was hot shit. We chased a fugitive planetside and hit an atmospheric storm the wrong way. The ship went down. I broke my legs, Catay broke her spine, everyone else died. By the time rescue got there, it was too late to fix Catay. She hates me, she retires to raise her kid here, I visit now and then to drop off cheap knickknacks and try not to kill myself every time I see the little girl whose family got burned to the ground. Does that satisfy you, asshole?¡±

    Khem roared at the top of his lungs and dug the spear a little further into Kamak¡¯s back, just enough to break skin.

    ¡°Why do you come back,¡± Khem growled. ¡°Why is this the oath you hold, the promise you keep?¡±

    ¡°Always with the fucking oaths,¡± Kamak grumbled. ¡°Yeah, some promises I break, some promises I keep. I¡¯m a fucking person, Khem, not a collection of strictures and bylaws in a shit-colored leather skin like you. I¡¯m allowed to be contradictory.¡±

    To Kamak¡¯s surprise, this statement did not get him stabbed. A heavy foot pulled itself from his back, giving Kamak some breathing room, though the spear stayed lodged firmly in his skin.

    ¡°The fact that you can understand loyalty make it all the more damning that you choose not to,¡± Khem said. ¡°But an oath kept is an oath kept.¡±

    The spear dislodged itself from Kamak¡¯s back, and he saw the shadow of Khem shift around him.

    ¡°Return to your ship. Arm yourself, and any who would battle alongside you. You¡¯ve earned a fair fight.¡±

    By the time Kamak got himself off the ground, Khem was already gone. Kamak looked around in a panic, but saw no trace of his hunter¡ªnor did he notice the small shape of a van parked on a nearby hill, overlooking the scene.

 Chapter 67: Oathbreaker

    Kamak waited, and watched the horizon. Khem was coming. He knew that much. The question was when. He kept his finger near the trigger just in case.

    Farsus and Corey had dragged some heavy crates out of the ship and were using them for cover, but Kamak stood in the open, alongside Doprel. They were all the backup he had today. To Vo had opted not to join the fight, citing a long list of legal rules that made it illegal to interfere with a bounty hunters contract, some of which even Kamak wasn¡¯t aware of, and Tooley had opted not to fight on account of not giving a shit. Kamak didn¡¯t begrudge either of them. Neither were much good in a fight, and pitting an amateur against Khem was just a roundabout way to create a corpse. Kamak had even tried to talk Corvash out of a fight, but the rookie had held his ground.

    Kamak had tried holding his own ground, and standing in the open for his dramatic showdown with Khem, but time and the blazing hot sun of Tannis had worn down that instinctive aplomb. He now sat and lounged on a crate, conserving his energy for the fight to come. After so much time on the run from a seemingly endless onslaught of random enemies, it was actually kind of nice to know exactly who he¡¯d be fighting next.

    It was also kind of nice to know he¡¯d probably be dead soon. Khem didn¡¯t back down from fights, and he didn¡¯t lose fights either. Kamak just hoped the rest of the crew could find a way to stay alive.

    The blazing sun of Tannis began to set, and the shade Kamak was sitting in started to shift. The blazing sunlight started to scorch his skin again about the same time he noticed a small black speck start to cut its way across the horizon.

    ¡°Ah. That¡¯ll do it.¡±

    Kamak had very little time to contemplate his rapidly decreasing time on this mortal coil. Khem¡¯s ship moved fast and silent, and it was on top of them only moments after Kamak first spotted it. He lifted his gun and did one final check of every firing mechanism as the small craft descended. Kamak had always felt a bit cheated that Khem¡¯s ship looked so damned mundane. Someone like him should have had some jagged, knife-edged ship with a full black paint job. Instead he flew around in a ridiculous yet efficient metal tube, even more aggressively utilitarian than the Hard Luck Hermit. Kamak would¡¯ve preferred to get killed by someone with a little style.

    What he lacked in style, Khem made up for in his sheer menacing presence. Even walking out of a plain metal tube, Kamak still felt his blood run cold as Khem stepped out, spears on his back, pacing towards the battlefield on legs as thick and sturdy as tree trunks. Kamak felt a brief urge to fire while the hunter was still at a distance, but he stayed his hand. Khem was in an odd mood, given his encounters with Morrakesh and Vatan, and Kamak didn¡¯t want to do anything to piss him off.

    ¡°Khem.¡±

    ¡°Oathbreaker.¡±

    The titanic hunter stood a few yards away from their makeshift battlefield, with spears at the ready. Kamak took a few steps forward, but kept his gun low. Khem wasn¡¯t attacking yet, and so neither was he. The wing-like appendages on Khem¡¯s back folded out and up, ready to strike, but he made no moves yet.

    ¡°Why are you still after us?¡± Kamak asked. ¡°You know there¡¯s something bigger going on. You literally watched Morrakesh snatch us up.¡±

    ¡°And yet you live,¡± Khem growled. ¡°So either you have sold yourself to him, or he sees some value in keeping you alive. In either case, the universe benefits from your death.¡±

    Kamak hated that argument, and he hated it even more because he could not refute it. At least not in any way that would be effective against Khem. He was ¡°Oathbreaker¡±, there was nothing he could say, no promise he could make, that Khem would take seriously.

    ¡°So. You made up your mind already?¡±

    ¡°My mind was made up decades ago, Kamak,¡± Khem said. ¡°I merely take this opportunity to act in fulfillment of my code.¡±

    ¡°Of course. And what about my crew? They¡¯ve never broken any oaths. To you.¡±

    Kamak knew Tooley had broken quite a few oaths. Maybe Corey had done some too. He was reasonably sure Farsus and Doprel had never broken any, but people had a way of surprising him.

    ¡°I have accepted a bounty on their heads as well,¡± Kehm said. ¡°They will be taken alive, if possible. Terminated, if necessary.¡±

    Khem¡¯s six eyes looked six different directions, focusing on the scattered members of the crew. Corey nearly took a step back as the dull eye focused in on him, but he managed to hold his ground, and hold up his gun. Tooley took a quick drink from a bottle she had brought out just for the occasion, and glanced at To Vo, who was vibrating nervously as she clutched a first aid kit.

    ¡°Taken alive won¡¯t mean kept alive,¡± Kamak said. ¡°You¡¯ve dealt with as many crooked cops as I have. Maybe more. You hand any of my crewmates over, you¡¯re killing them, plain and simple.¡±

    ¡°The failures of the police force are their burden to bear,¡± Khem said. ¡°They have their laws. I have mine.¡±

    ¡°You and your fucking laws,¡± Kamak said. ¡°You¡¯d let the whole universe burn if someone made it against the law to put out the flames.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Kamak put his finger on the trigger and stared at Khem. Khem tightened his grip on his spears and stared right back at Kamak. Corey knelt down a little, putting as much of himself behind the crate as possible.

    ¡°Well, nice talking to you,¡± Kamak said. He shot first.

    As soon as the first bit of gunfire rang out, Khem hurled a spear right at Corey. He barely had time to fire off a shot in retaliation before the colossal metal spear hit the crate he was hiding behind, went through it, and kept sailing. Corey¡¯s stomach finally stopped its penetrating flight, but sheer inertia carried the spear, the crate, and Corey himself through the air a good five feet further before he fell, pinned under the crate with a spearhead in his gut. Between the crate, and his body armor, the spear barely broke flesh, but that thought was of little comfort to Corey while he laid on the ground with a spearhead scraping his kidney.

    To Vo broke away from the sidelines with a shout and ran to help Corey. Tooley sat on the sidelines and took another sip from her bottle of booze. It was nearly empty. She was running out of booze almost faster than she was running out of hope.

    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    While Tooley drained away more alcohol and more will to live, Khem ran after Farsus. To his credit, Farsus managed to dodge the first spear, and get far enough from the second spear that it hit him in the shoulder instead of the heart.

    While Farsus reeled from the blow, Khem dashed in to close the distance, running at shocking speed for a being with such a massive frame. Kamak and Doprel tried to gun him down, but what few projectiles he did not dodge had little effect on his stony hide. Khem closed the gap on Farsus and used the spear embedded in his shoulder to lift him off the ground and hurl him against the Hard Luck Hermit¡¯s hull. A low groan of pain was the only clue Farsus had survived the impact, as Khem turned his attention to Kamak and Doprel.

    A single precisely thrown spear shattered the gun in Kamak¡¯s hands, though it did not injure Kamak himself. After that, Khem picked up the crate Farsus had been taking cover behind and hurled it in Kamak¡¯s direction. As he had anticipated, it never made impact, but Doprel did let go of his gun to catch it before it could crush Kamak.

    ¡°Doprel, drop-¡±

    Kamak had seen through the gambit almost as soon as the crate had been thrown, but could not speak fast enough to outpace Khem¡¯s predatory speed. With Doprel distracted trying to help others, Khem fell on him in an instant, the wing-like appendages on his back folding down and beginning to pummel with scorpion-like strikes, hammering Doprel¡¯s head and torso with powerful blows. Doprel dropped the crate and started to shield himself, but only after a few disorienting blows had already landed. Even with Doprel defending himself to the best of his ability, Khem simply had the advantage of limbs, with four arms against Doprel¡¯s mere two. No matter how well he defended himself, Doprel was at Khem¡¯s mercy, and Khem had no mercy.

    While Doprel was hammered with relentless blow, Tooley took another drink from her bottle, and found there was nothing left in it. She¡¯d drained the entire thing without even noticing. She looked down at her reflection in the glass, and then looked up at her crewmates. Corey was screaming as To Vo tried to mend his wound, Farsus was barely conscious, Doprel was starting to bleed black bile, and Kamak was struggling to lift and aim the massive gun Doprel had dropped. Tooley checked her own reflection again.

    ¡°Okay then.¡±

    While Tooley swung the glass bottle and shattered it against the Hermit¡¯s hull, Kamak finally raised Doprel¡¯s colossal gun and fired it into Khem¡¯s torso. The massive burst of superheated plasma almost managed to knock Khem off his feet. Almost. The shock of the impact at least ended his barrage on Doprel, and the blue behemoth managed to stagger backwards, away from Khem, before falling to the ground. Khem turned towards the source of the gunfire as Kamak struggled to reload the massive weapon. The hunter¡¯s scorched hide was still sizzling as he walked up to Kamak and tore the gun from his hands.

    ¡°Stand and fight, Kamak!¡±

    ¡°Oh, what do you want me to do, punch you?¡± Kamak scoffed. ¡°You have to satisfy some warrior code, not kill an opponent who isn¡¯t fighting?¡±

    ¡°No. But it amused me to watch you struggle,¡± Khem said. He grabbed one of the spears on his back and lifted it above his head. ¡°If you insist-¡±

    Khem¡¯s grip on the spear tensed as he felt the hell of a boot dig into the burned spot on his back. His back limbs folded in and tried to shake off the sudden attacker, but could not react in time to knock Tooley off his back. The half-drunk pilot jumped up, latched on to Khem¡¯s neck with one hand, and stabbed a broken glass bottle into his eyes with the other. Khem let out a yelp of pain and tried to shake Tooley loose, but the momentum only helped her drive the broken glass deeper into his eyes.

    The shattered bottle stabbed as deep as its jagged edges would allow, and Tooley finally pulled it loose, dragging an entire eye along with it. Khem¡¯s shaking finally shook her off, and she landed on the ground in a heap, close to Kamak.

    ¡°Fuck you,¡± Tooley spat back up at Khem. She held up her glass bottle and waved his own eyeball at him mockingly. Kamak couldn¡¯t even enjoy that small victory.

    ¡°You stupid bitch,¡± he mumbled. Tooley didn¡¯t even register his comment, as she was too busy reveling in Khem¡¯s bleeding eye socket- until the bleeding stopped, his head bulged, and a second eye rolled forward to fill the empty space.

    ¡°How the fuck does that even-¡±

    Tooley¡¯s question was cut off by Khem¡¯s massive foot catching her in the gut and knocking her backwards. There was always a short readjustment period after one of Khem¡¯s redundant organs slid into place, but that did little to slow him down.

    ¡°Oathbreakers and liars, all of you,¡± Khem growled. He took spear in hand once again. ¡°This universe will not suffer you any longer.¡±

    ¡°Oh, trust me, Khem,¡± Kamak said. He was dead anyway, so he figured he might as well get the last word. ¡°I¡¯ve been around. This universe deserves us.¡±

    Khem let out a low growl, one that was matched by the metallic groan of an approaching engine. Khem and Kamak turned to the sound as one, to find a small, rusted van approaching from the nearby hill.

    ¡°No,¡± Kamak said. ¡°No no no no.¡±

    Kamak picked the broken bottle out of the dirt and waved its bloodied edge at Khem.

    ¡°You don¡¯t touch her,¡± Kamak shouted. ¡°You swear to me, on Klakai or the gods or whatever else you give a fuck about, you don¡¯t hurt her! You can kill me or whoever the fuck else, but not her!¡±

    ¡°I promise you nothing,¡± Khem said, as the van¡¯s door began to open. ¡°You have no honor.¡±

    ¡°Nor do you, if you continue.¡±

    Kamak froze. That wasn¡¯t Vatan¡¯s voice. That was a voice he hadn¡¯t heard in a long time.

    Vatan stepped out of the van, pushing a woman in a wheelchair in front of her. The new arrival¡¯s body was visibly atrophied by paralysis, and her face prematurely aged by scarring and the weathering of Tannis¡¯ sun. Her deep-set wrinkles were made even deeper as she set eyes on Kamak.

    ¡°Khem of the Kalakai,¡± the wheelchair-bound woman said. ¡°These are my lands, and these are my guests. By attacking the honored guests of a host who cannot rightly defend them, you dishonor me and yourself.¡±

    Khem looked at the woman in the wheelchair, then back at Kamak, and snarled loudly.

    ¡°Catay,¡± he growled. ¡°You defend him? After he did this to you?¡±

    ¡°Kamak didn¡¯t do anything to me,¡± Catay said. Her face set like stone, as she refused to betray any emotion. ¡°I did this. I caused the accident.¡±

    ¡°Catay, you-¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you fucking patronize me, Kamak,¡± Catay snapped. ¡°I¡¯ve had forty-five years with nothing to do but sit in this chair and think about what what went wrong. Did you think I was too stupid to figure it out?¡±

    Kamak said nothing, and after glaring at him for a long time, Catay returned her attention to Khem.

    ¡°As I said. These are my guests, and by attacking those I cannot defend, you insult me and debase yourself. Leave, now, and this trespass will be forgiven. Continue, and I will curse your name before Akai.¡±

    Khem bent low, and let out a bellowing roar of frustration, almost directly in Catay¡¯s face. She closed her eyes and endured the torrent of rage until Khem relented. When his shout was finished, Khem put all four of his primary limbs on the ground and sprinted back to his ship at full speed, before taking flight and roaring into the stars.

    ¡°Cunt,¡± Catay said. Kamak agreed, but right now he was taking a moment to breath and take stock of his existence.

    ¡°Doprel? Doprel, talk to me,¡± Kamak said. Doprel groaned and continued leaking black bile onto the ground. Kamak stumbled after Farsus and shook him back to full consciousness before To Vo was even done bandaging his shoulder . Farsus was the only one who knew a damn thing about healing Doccan¡¯s, and Kamak put him to work right away. With a little help from Vatan, Farsus managed to assess that Doprel was stable, at the very least, and started working towards his recovery. Kamak checked on Corey and found he was already working on getting back on his feet, thanks to To Vo¡¯s quick help. Kamak didn¡¯t give a shit about Tooley, but she was fine anyway, so his apathy did not matter.

    With his crew taken care of as best they could be under the circumstances, Kamak finally devoted his full attention to Catay. She stared up at him with a cold hatred in her eyes.

    ¡°You want to talk on the ship?¡±

    Catay never dignified him with a response, but she did start moving her wheelchair up the Hermit¡¯s boarding ramp, into the ship. Kamak gave a quick nod to Vatan before following her mother aboard and closing the ramp behind him.

 Chapter 68: Down in Flames

    Catay wheeled herself around the interior of the Hard Luck Hermit, clearly disapproving of everything she saw.

    ¡°You¡¯ve rearranged everything and it¡¯s a fucking mess,¡± Catay said.

    ¡°Things haven¡¯t exactly been going well for us,¡± Kamak said. The ship was a mess on a good day, and they hadn¡¯t had a good day in a while.

    ¡°I can see that,¡± Catay said. ¡°You been keeping your hands off my controls?¡±

    ¡°Never laid a finger on them,¡± Kamak said. It was even true. Despite her long absence from it, Catay was still the Hard Luck Hermit¡¯s first pilot, and she felt possessive of it. Due to that love for the ship and her loathing for Kamak, Catay had made him swear never to fly it himself. She let out a silent hum of approval that he had kept that promise, at least.

    After assuaging her worst fear, Catay used a barely-mobile hand to steer her wheelchair towards the cockpit. It was roomy enough that she could wheel up to the back of the pilot¡¯s seat, but no further. Catay stared at the chair that had once been hers for a moment.

    She then lifted trembling arms, braced herself against the arms of her wheelchair, and began to push herself up. The regenerative therapies available in the universe had been unable to fully heal her, but neither was Catay completely paralyzed¡ªonly mostly. Her body shook with uncontrollable tremors, and she began to sweat profusely as she moved, but she managed to lift herself up out of her chair and tilt her body into the pilot¡¯s seat. Kamak didn¡¯t bother offering to help as she dragged herself upright into a proper sitting position. She would¡¯ve refused anyway.

    After several deep breaths, Catay set about the herculean effort of raising her arms and holding tight to the ship¡¯s controls. Her fingers shook uncontrollably as she struggled to tighten her grip, but she managed to hold tight, take a deep breath, and clench her hands tight -and for a moment she was flying again, with infinity on every side.

    Her hands gave out, and limp arms slumped to her side, as she crashed down to cruel reality again.

    ¡°Damn it,¡± she mumbled. ¡°Damn it all.¡±

    Kamak finally stepped up and took a seat in the copilot¡¯s chair. The seat was as close as he had ever come, or would ever come, to being behind the controls of the Hermit.

    ¡°I gave the order to go down there, Catay.¡±

    ¡°And I followed it,¡± Catay snapped. ¡°And I followed it wrong. I have been here watching trees grow for decades, Kamak, I have relived that flight over and over and over and over.¡±

    Catay could replay it in her head like a movie, every moment. Unfolding the wings too early, approaching the storm at the wrong angle, accelerating into high pressure areas. Everything she¡¯d done wrong. Everything she¡¯d done to get her crewmates killed. The mathematics of her failure were etched into her mind, permanently. As were the deceptions surrounding it.

    ¡°And fuck you for lying to me about it,¡± Catay spat. ¡°I don¡¯t need your pity. I never needed it.¡±

    Kamak shrugged and shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

    ¡°What? I got my legs back, I got my ship fixed, none of the crew liked me much anyway,¡± Kamak said. ¡°But you¡­¡±

    Kamak looked out the window, at the scorched sky of Tannis above them.

    ¡°It didn¡¯t feel right to me you get all the consequences and all the guilt,¡± Kamak said. ¡°You hated me anyway. I didn¡¯t have anything to lose.¡±

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    The fading beams of sunlight peering over the horizon started to turn everything in sight burnt orange, as darkness threatened to descend.

    ¡°You know why everyone you meet hates you, Kamak?¡±

    ¡°Lot of reasons, where do you want me to start?¡±

    ¡°That smarmy fucking attitude, for one,¡± Catay spat. ¡°No. You¡¯re an asshole, Kamak, but I¡¯ve liked a lot of assholes in my time. Your biggest problem is that it would be so fucking easy for you to not be one.¡±

    Catay managed to turn her head in Kamak¡¯s direction, just to glare at him more hatefully.

    ¡°You¡¯ve got every piece of a good man rattling around in that ugly head of yours, but you refuse to put any god damn effort into trying to be better than the piece of shit you are,¡± Catay said. ¡°That¡¯s why people hate you. Because they could like you, because they should like you, but you don¡¯t let them.¡±

    Over all the time she¡¯d known Kamak, she¡¯d seen him demonstrate courage, loyalty, selflessness, and myriad other good qualities, but all at seemingly random intervals. He¡¯d spent years making himself a martyr for the sake of Catay¡¯s pride, but right now he wouldn¡¯t even look her in the eye and take a moment to consider her words. Anything good about him came on a whim and left just as quickly, leaving everyone around him wondering, hoping, when that next moment of benevolence would come. More often than not, Kamak disappointed them.

    ¡°Whatever the hell you¡¯re involved in, get it away from us,¡± Catay demanded. ¡°And keep away. Twins help her, Vatan sees little enough of you to think the good in you is worth a damn. Enough to drag her crippled mother into a fight on the off chance it might help you.¡±

    ¡°Hey, it worked,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°If that had been anyone but Khem, you¡¯d be dead,¡± Catay said. ¡°And there¡¯s a good chance me and my daughter would be too, and that would be your fault.¡±

    For a moment, concern flitted across Kamak¡¯s face. But only for a moment.

    ¡°You leave, Kamak, and you stay away from us, unless you somehow find a way to turn yourself into the person Vatan is dumb enough to think you are,¡± Catay scolded. ¡°Until that happens I don¡¯t so much as want you in the same solar system as her.¡±

    ¡°Understood,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°Then get your people up here and get the hell out.¡±

    ¡°Well, hold on a minute,¡± Kamak said. He stood and started moving towards the back of the cockpit. ¡°I got something for you.¡±

    Catay rolled her eyes and wondered what fresh hell Kamak was about to unleash as he went to his quarters and retrieved something. He held it tight in his fist, out of sight, until he could finally drop the woven bracelet onto the arm of the pilot¡¯s chair, just within reach of Catay¡¯s trembling fingers. He stood behind the chair and watched her go silent and motionless as stone. The polished beads woven onto every red band of fabric reflected Catay¡¯s own face back at her.

    ¡°Crewmate of mine found this jammed in a drawer in Orvan¡¯s old quarters,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Figured he meant it for you.¡±

    Catay managed to lift trembling fingertips towards the bracelet and pull it closer to herself. Already exhausted from the struggle of lifting herself into the pilot¡¯s seat, Catay could barely manage to inch the bracelet forward, up over her fingers, onto her palm, and try to slide it down to her wrist¡­

    She could not raise her arm enough. The bracelet caught on her thumb, halfway across her hand, and stuck there, with Catay too exhausted to move it further.

    Catay started to weep. She cried bitter, ugly tears that shook her paralyzed body to its core. Kamak could only stomach the sight of it for a few moments before he stepped away and wandered out of the ship. The crew, and Vatan, looked to him expectantly.

    ¡°Just giving Catay some time to enjoy the Hermit in its best state,¡± Kamak said. He took a knee and started helping Farsus patch up Doprel. ¡°Without me in it.¡±

    <hr>

    After finishing his work on Doprel, Kamak took a seat under a withered tree and didn¡¯t speak to anyone, even Vatan. He held his ground until Catay finally rolled out of the ship and disappeared into the back of her vehicle. Vatan took one last look at Kamak, and when he refused to meet her gaze, she sighed and returned to the van as well, turning it around and beginning the dusty drive home. Kamak only stood when their vehicle was out of sight.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    The order was simple, and easy to follow. Doprel limped back into the ship, aided by To Vo, while Corey used a discarded spear as a makeshift walking stick. Tooley brushed past him, never even glancing in his direction, and headed right for her cockpit to see if Catay had messed with anything. Farsus put his hands on his belt and held his ground until it was only him and Kamak standing in the darkness. The captain stared at his master at arms.

    ¡°You have something to say?¡±

    ¡°Merely a question,¡± Farsus said. ¡°As to why Catay left our vessel wearing a wedding bracelet.¡±

    Kamak¡¯s eyes narrowed.

    ¡°Shut the fuck up, Farsus.¡±

    Kamak turned his back and walked into the ship, followed shortly thereafter by Farsus. He had not gotten an answer, but he felt he had learned something anyway.

 Chapter 69: Pilot Error

    Tooley stared blankly at the sky, never reacting as the stratosphere of Tannis shifted through myriad colors and then faded into black starlight.

    ¡°Alright, get us the hell out of here,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter where. Just need some distance.¡±

    Tooley ran a hand along the control panels and then let the autopilot take over. She got out of her seat and headed for her room as Kamak cast a skeptical glance at her instrument readouts. While he didn¡¯t technically know how to pilot the Hard Luck Hermit, he was at least familiar enough with the process when it was being done horribly wrong.

    ¡°Hey. That¡¯s not half the shit you need to do to calculate a safe route.¡±

    ¡°Space around Tannis is clear, we¡¯ll make it,¡± Tooley grunted.

    ¡°We¡¯re next door to one of the most crowded planets in the universe,¡± Kamak said. ¡°You haven¡¯t projected our path, someone else calculating a course could cross right into ours.¡±

    As a security measure, every ship about to make a jump sent out a quick particle pulse indicating which direction it would be traveling in, to help prevent interstellar collision. It was meant to be automatic, but Tooley hadn¡¯t even done enough of the flight settings to get the computer to that point.

    ¡°That barely ever happens.¡±

    ¡°Tooley, get back in the chair and get us a safe route,¡± Kamak ordered. The autopilot was currently running through its calculations, preparing them for acceleration.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine,¡± Tooley insisted.

    ¡°Do it anyway.¡±

    ¡°No. You want things done differently, get a different pilot,¡± Tooley said. The autopilot beeped to indicate it had finished it¡¯s calculations, and the ship started adjusting to the new trajectory.

    ¡°Tooley, you cunt, you¡¯re going to get us all killed.¡±

    ¡°You want to fly the ship, fucking fly it,¡± Tooley snapped. She stormed across the common room and slammed her bedroom door behind her. The entire ship rattled when the door slammed shut, as it reached it¡¯s flight angle and started to power up the engines. The cockpit stared out at a blackness full of a thousand different blinking lights, and a thousand different ways for them to die on impact.

    ¡®Tooley, fucking- Farsus, shut it down!¡±

    The ship¡¯s rumbling engines quieted as Farsus reached across the console and slammed his fist down on the engine shutdown button. The rumbling ship fell silent, as did the cockpit, as Kamak breathed a sigh of relief, followed shortly thereafter by a low growl of rage.

    ¡°Corey, go tell your fuckbuddy to get out here and get us to a station. I need to hire a new pilot so I can launch our current one into a fucking star.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me,¡± Corey said. ¡°She¡¯s been treating me like shit lately. Send Doprel, she still likes him.¡±

    ¡°Not at times like this,¡± Doprel said. ¡°As far as she¡¯s concerned I¡¯m just Kamak¡¯s sidekick.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps I can speak to her,¡± To Vo suggested. ¡°We¡¯ve rarely interacted. She may see me as a neutral party.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome to try,¡± Kamak grunted. With a determined nod, To Vo stood, straightened out her clothing, and marched towards Tooley¡¯s quarters. Kamak stayed in his seat for the whole thirty ticks it took for To Vo to walk back into the cockpit, now with a bright red spot on her cheek.

    ¡°Your pilot has punched me in the face.¡±

    ¡°Lucky you she¡¯s got such bad form,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°Alright, fuck this,¡± Corey said. He stood up and retraced To Vo¡¯s path to Tooley¡¯s room. He didn¡¯t bother knocking. After punching in the door code and storming his way in, he made it about two steps into Tooley¡¯s room before a glass bottle hit him in the chest.

    ¡°Ow! What the fuck is wrong with you?¡±

    ¡°Everything,¡± Tooley shouted back. She was lounging on her bunk, bottle in one hand and another bottle in the other hand. Her room, which had always been a mess, now resembled a full-on disaster area. Absolutely nothing was in its proper place, and Corey had to watch every step to avoid tripping on discarded bottles or other trash.

    ¡°What is going on with you lately?¡±

    Corey kicked some of the trash aside to give himself a safe place to stand. Tooley didn¡¯t even look at him while he talked.

    ¡°You¡¯ve always been an asshole, but ever since the Bang Gate blew up, you¡¯ve been doubling down. Like you¡¯re going out of your way to be the biggest jackass possible.¡±

    ¡°Sounds about right,¡± Tooley said. Corey groaned.

    ¡°Okay, fine, whatever,¡± he said. ¡°Be a jackass if you want, but at least be a smart one. You nearly crashed the ship, you came for Khem with a broken bottle, are you trying to get yourself killed?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    The bluntness of the statement actually caught Corey off guard, and Tooley took another sip from her bottle as he regained his wits.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I. Want. To. Die.¡±

    Tooley spoke slowly both for emphasis, and because she was finally getting a little buzzed. She tossed aside one of her two bottles of booze and threw the empty hand up. ¡°Are you fucking surprised? Is this shocking?¡±

    After enduring a moment of silence, Tooley actually glanced in Corey¡¯s direction. The look of pity on his face made her sick.

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    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that,¡± Tooley said. ¡°I don¡¯t want your cheap shit attempts at therapy. You want to help, get me another drink. Or a bullet in the head. Dealer¡¯s choice.¡±

    Tooley took another drink as Corey finally composed himself enough to form a coherent thought.

    ¡°What happened to you?¡±

    ¡°Have you looked around?¡± Tooley grunted. ¡°I barely wanted to be alive before all this shit. Now I¡¯m on the entire universe¡¯s shit list, and I get to spend every swap for the rest of my life trying to scrape out some last minute bullshit to not die a horrific, painful death. And for fucking what, Corvash? So I can die a little later? So I can be miserable a little longer?¡±

    The rising bitterness turned to fury, and Tooley hurled her remaining bottle of booze across the room. It narrowly missed Corey and crashed against the other wall as Tooley slammed a fist into her cot and screamed at the top of her lungs.

    ¡°What¡¯s the point?¡±

    Corey got the distinct impression the question wasn¡¯t really aimed at him, but he felt compelled to answer.

    ¡°But- You don¡¯t- there¡¯s still things worth living for,¡± Corey said. It was a trite platitude and he knew it, but he had to say something, anything.

    ¡°I said I didn¡¯t want therapy.¡±

    ¡°What about flying? You love flying. The way you look when you fly-¡±

    ¡°Is an act,¡± Tooley spat. ¡°I used to love flying. Sometimes I pretend I still do. Sometimes I pretend good enough it almost feels like I still do. But I don¡¯t. I just...don¡¯t.¡±

    The aggression gradually bled out of Tooley¡¯s eyes, until she was staring forward, dead-eyed, into nothing. Corey took the risk of a step forward. Tooley didn¡¯t throw anything at him, so he figured he was in the clear, and stepped up to the side of her bunk, taking a seat on the edge.

    ¡°What changed? Was it something on your homeworld?¡±

    ¡°God, I wish it was,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Then I could at least keep going on spite. Blame someone. That¡¯d be better. But no. It¡¯s just me. I did this.¡±

    The dead eyes kept staring forward, barely acknowledging Corey, or anything else in the world.

    ¡°I broke me.¡±

    After a moment of silence that dragged on too long, Corey reached out and put a hand on Tooley¡¯s wrist. The reminder of his presence dragged Tooley out of her dead-eyed reverie by force. She glared at him, but did not pull away from his touch.

    ¡°What happened? When did it start to feel different?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t fucking know,¡± Tooley said. ¡°It was a long time. I remember flying as a kid and loving every second of it, wanting to do it myself more than anything. So I chased it. And when they told me I couldn¡¯t, I spent years married to a scumbag fuck I hated so that I could scam my way offworld. Then it was years busting my ass to afford to live offworld and pay for the books, pilot school fees, everything. Even after that it was years of cramming for exams, studying physics, learning techniques. I never backed down. Never stopped. Never slowed down. I worked until my bones ached and studied until my eyes burned. I wanted to be a pilot so bad I never stopped pushing myself until I got it.¡±

    ¡°And when you finally reached your goal¡­¡±

    ¡°There wasn¡¯t any part of me left that cared,¡± Tooley said flatly.

    ¡°I know it maybe wasn¡¯t what you expected-¡±

    ¡°Flying is exactly what I expected. Being a pilot is everything I wanted it to be. I just don¡¯t want it anymore,¡± Tooley said. ¡°I burned myself out. I killed the dreamer to get the dream.¡±

    Tooley had no idea when she had crossed the line, but it had been crossed long ago, and she could not go back. The endless freedom of flight she had longed for was now just an endless abyss, empty in all directions. She maintained and even improved her piloting skills, hoping to reclaim some spark of the desire she¡¯d once felt, but nothing worked. What was empty remained empty.

    ¡°That...that sucks. I¡¯m sorry,¡± Corey said. He knew even as he said them that his words weren¡¯t helping, but he still felt compelled to talk. ¡°But there¡¯s still good reasons to be alive.¡±

    The empty statements did get a response out of Tooley, unfortunately, that response was anger. Tooley lifted her leg and kicked Corey off of her bunk.

    ¡°Get the fuck out,¡± she demanded. ¡°Let me drink myself to death in peace.¡±

    Corey stood and made for the exit, knowing Tooley would only get more violent as time went on. Tooley needed an intervention of the kind they didn¡¯t have time for. The Hermit didn¡¯t have a qualified therapist on board, but they did have Doprel, and some restraints. A forceful intervention would piss Tooley off, but it would at least keep her alive long enough to get her shit together.

    The already bad plan got off to an even worse start when Corey took a single step forward and promptly caught his heel on a discarded bottle. The empty whiskey bottle rolled out from under his foot, and the unexpected obstacle sent Corey plummeting backwards. He landed hard in a pile of Tooley¡¯s garbage, and his back popped audibly as he hit the ground ass first. The bottle clinked against the wall loudly as Corey laid on the floor and let out a quiet groan.

    ¡°Ow.¡±

    The injury was soon joined by insult, as Tooley started laughing her ass off. It was a loud, raucous laugh, the already aggravating sound made even worse by the fact that every bit of it was aimed firmly at Corey¡¯s already wounded ego. He stood, nursing his sore backside, as Tooley doubled over in laughter, clutching her gut as tears started to stream down her face.

    ¡°Yeah, alright,¡± Corey mumbled. If watching him eat shit was what kept Tooley alive, so be it. He wasn¡¯t sticking around to get laughed at, though. He started walking, more carefully this time, until he felt a tug at the hem of his shirt. Corey stopped, waited, and listened.

    Tooley wasn¡¯t laughing anymore. The tears streaming down her face were not tears of laughter. Corey took a step back, sitting on the bunk. This time, Tooley did not kick him away. She wrapped her arms around him, pressed her face into him, and cried harder than Corey had ever seen anyone cry. He sat still, put one arm around her, and let her weep. He didn¡¯t know what else to do. No one had ever been there for him when he cried.

    After shedding a lifetime¡¯s worth of overdue tears into Corey¡¯s shoulder, Tooley let out one last shuddering sob and tried to reign in her tears. She took a deep breath and straightened out, resting her head on Corey¡¯s shoulder instead of pressing it into his chest.

    ¡°You tell anyone about this I¡¯m going to kill you,¡± she mumbled.

    ¡°I figured.¡±

    ¡°I just- I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to explain yourself,¡± Corey said. ¡°And you don¡¯t have to worry. I¡¯m not going anywhere. Ever.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not scared you¡¯ll leave, dipshit,¡± Tooley said. For better or worse, they were stuck together, for now. ¡°I¡¯m scared you¡¯ll be here forever and I won¡¯t care. That I can¡¯t care.¡±

    ¡°You have to try, at least.¡±

    ¡°What did I fucking say about therapy, Corvash?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s working so far,¡± Corey mumbled. Tooley laughed at him.

    ¡°You falling on your ass did the heavy lifting,¡± Tooley said.

    The sarcasm was returning, and that meant Tooley was on her way back to normal. Good timing for it, as well, since someone was now pounding at the door for their attention. Kamak had lost his patience for Corey¡¯s attempts at therapy.

    ¡°Shit,¡± Tooley said. She pulled away from Corey and tried desperately to straighten up her act, cleaning out the mess she¡¯d made of her face and hair.

    ¡°Do you need a minute? I can tell them-¡±

    ¡°No, I really should fly us somewhere,¡± Tooley said. ¡°We keep sitting around here we¡¯re all going to get killed.¡±

    Tooley dug around on the floor and found the bottle of pills that would sober her up, and swallowed one of them quickly.

    ¡°You look like a mess, though.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll just tell them we were banging.¡±

    ¡°Tooley, it¡¯s really obvious you¡¯ve been crying.¡±

    ¡°Okay, so you were choking me,¡± Tooley said. ¡°I¡¯m messed up like that, they¡¯ll buy it.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I want to be associated with-¡±

    ¡°Too late!¡±

    Tooley stomped out of her room, pausing briefly to tell Kamak to go fuck himself on the way. The captain stood by the doorway and watched her make a beeline for the cockpit as Corey stumbled his way out of the messy room.

    ¡°She better have her head on straight.¡±

    ¡°In a general sense, no,¡± Corey said. ¡°But she wants to fly, at least.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s all we need,¡± Kamak said. ¡°And about all she¡¯s good for.¡±

 Chapter 70: One Path Forward

    For the first time in a long time, Kamak found a moment to sit in silence. After setting them on the right course, Tooley had once again retreated to her room, and Corey had retreated to his own room to get some rest. To Vo had disappeared into her quarters as well, leaving Kamak and the reasonable adults to enjoy a moment¡¯s peace. Or at least as much peace as one could enjoy while being hunted by multiple murderous organizations. Kamak lounged on a couch opposite Doprel while Farsus occupied himself cleaning, repairing, and recalibrating their guns for the thousandth time. The hypnotic clicks and snaps of metal against metal nearly put Kamak to sleep.

    ¡°If I¡¯d known we were going to be adrift this long, I¡¯d have hired a chef,¡± Kamak said. He could only stomach nutrient dumplings and prepackaged rations for so long. ¡°You two are good, but not that good.¡±

    Neither Farsus nor Doprel were too offended by the slight. Farsus had never specialized in cooking, and Doprel had no taste buds, so neither was too defensive of their cooking skills.

    ¡°I miss actual food,¡± Kamak said. ¡°You never realize how much you like just sitting down at a restaurant or a cheep food stand until you can¡¯t do it anymore.¡±

    ¡°Indeed. The creature comforts of a simple pit stop seem heavenly now,¡± Farsus said. Even the worst shithole of a rusty space station was better than being stuck aboard the Hermit forever. On the rare occasions they got to land, they could not go far or stay long. Farsus, ever a man of action, reviled being cooped up for so long.

    ¡°There has to be somewhere in the galaxy we could stop,¡± Doprel said. ¡°Somebody¡¯s got to at least be neutral in all this.¡±

    ¡°Neutral won¡¯t save us if someone like Khem or the Structuralists come knocking,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Even if we went somewhere so out of the way no one had ever heard of us, we¡¯d still run the risk of a hunter following us.¡±

    ¡°Our only possible safe haven is Paga For, and even that is a gamble,¡± Farsus said. ¡°The tenuous truce that keeps the peace there may work in our favor. Or¡­¡±

    ¡°It may result in everyone deciding to shoot at once,¡± Kamak said. Paga For¡¯s lawless settlement was a weaponized democracy, where every gun got a vote on who got to live and who got to die. The vast majority didn¡¯t want any trouble on Paga For, but if that same majority all decided they wanted the same target (namely, Kamak) dead, the entire city would become a death trap.

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    ¡°Shame,¡± Doprel sighed. ¡°We could really use a chat with the Worm right about now.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, whatever Corvash called it, Thoth,¡± Kamak said. He¡¯d never been sentimental enough to bother giving the plant-like information dealer a name. ¡°If anyone in the universe knows what the fuck is going on with Morrakesh, it¡¯s them.¡±

    After recoiling the energy compressor on a plasma rifle and slotting the complex mechanism back into place, Farsus sealed the casing shut with a click and looked up from his work. A thought had occurred, and he looked towards the bedroom doors. The door to To Vo La Su¡¯s chosen quarters had a sign on it bearing her name, which she had made by hand and adhered to the exterior herself to ¡°avoid confusion¡±.

    ¡°Captain,¡± Farsus said. ¡°We do have someone aboard who is not, as far as we know, being actively hunted.¡±

    Kamak followed Farsus¡¯ gaze to To Vo¡¯s door. He snorted derisively at the very idea.

    ¡°And what¡¯s she going to accomplish?¡±

    ¡°Asking questions,¡± Farsus said. ¡°We can disguise our ship¡¯s ID signature long enough to keep us safe on Paga For for a short time. All the former officer must do is ask the right questions.¡±

    ¡°And that¡¯s the problem,¡± Kamak said. ¡°She won¡¯t ask the right questions. She doesn¡¯t have the knowledge or the intuition.¡±

    No pre-supplied list of questions could cover every base, and knowing To Vo, she¡¯d treat anything they wrote down as a checklist to follow exactly rather than a guideline to get started. Kamak needed someone who could extrapolate information and think about, and question, every conclusion drawn.

    ¡°Then I can accompany her,¡± Farsus said.

    ¡°No way.¡±

    ¡°It has been noted before that none of our pursuers have a particular grudge against me,¡± Farsus said. ¡°I am not an active target.¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t know nobody¡¯s hunting you,¡± Kamak said. ¡°You¡¯ve got a display case of spines, Fars, there¡¯s good odds somebody out there has their sights set on you.¡±

    ¡°Those spines were collected with consent,¡± Farsus said.

    ¡°The point stands,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Your whole lifestyle revolves around breaking people and things. Somebody out there is at least a little mad at you.¡±

    ¡°We shall see. As it stands, To Vo and I are the least likely to be attacked on sight. If we do intend to gain information from Thoth, we are the best candidates.¡±

    ¡°This is assuming To Vo agrees,¡± Doprel said. He¡¯d been waiting a while to make this point. ¡°We¡¯re not forcing To Vo to do anything she doesn¡¯t want to do.¡±

    ¡°Of course not,¡± Kamak said. He didn¡¯t really want to push her around anyway, but more so, he knew it would not be necessary. To Vo was a people pleaser, especially when it came to authority. She would do whatever the captain asked of her -for better or for worse.

 Chapter 71: Two-Faced

    Tooley kept a close eye on every sensor array they had as she approached the surface of Paga For. She saw nothing beyond the ordinary traffic yet. If anyone was angling to kill them as they descended, they hadn¡¯t made a move just yet. That did not, of course, rule out anyone hoping to kill them after they landed. Tooley had never thought she¡¯d be so worried to go to Paga For. It was usually one of her favorite places in the universe, and now she was imagining threats from every side.

    ¡°We¡¯re in the clear for now,¡± Tooley said. ¡°No promises planetside, though. You two will have to keep your heads on a swivel.¡±

    Farsus and To Vo were waiting by the exit hatch, ready to leave as soon as the ship was stable. Kamak wanted them off the ship and into Thoth¡¯s lair as soon as possible, and then back aboard as soon as they¡¯d asked every relevant question. Even if the tenuous truce on Paga For protected them, staying too long would put them in danger. Even if no one drew a gun, Kamak had no doubt there were many on Paga For who would be more than happy to sell information to Morrakesh, and let him know that his favorite targets had been on Paga For.

    ¡°In and out as fast as you can, and leave at the first sign of trouble,¡± Kamak insisted. ¡°There¡¯s no info Thoth has that¡¯s worth your life.¡±

    ¡°Lives,¡± Doprel corrected. To Vo kept a deliberately neutral expression. Years of bureaucracy had taught her to remain stoic in the face of passive aggressive behavior. Kamak¡¯s casual disdain had nothing on the unrestrained vitriol of an irate food vendor trying to debate a loitering charge.

    ¡°Just get it done and stay alive,¡± Kamak said. ¡°However many of you feel like living.¡±

    Kamak waved a dismissive hand and walked away as Tooley landed the ship and opened the bay doors. To Vo tried to break into a dead sprint the moment she saw dirt, but Farsus grabbed her by the collar and held her back.

    ¡°Sprinting is suspicious,¡± Farsus chided. ¡°Walk. At moderate speeds, but with purpose.¡±

    Farsus took the lead and demonstrated, moving at a brisk yet measured pace across the dusty streets of Paga For. It reminded To Vo of the ¡°patrol walk¡± that Mokai had once showed her. With a determined stride and intense stare, even someone as small as To Vo could cut a path through a crowd. She kept the lessons from Mokai and Farsus in mind as she followed in his footsteps, until those footsteps stopped. She stopped as well, and peered around Farsus¡¯ broad frame.

    There were no guns involved, but To Vo felt the tension in the face off all the same. Farsus was staring down a tall, lithe woman, with dark skin and short horns on her head. Half her face was covered by a prosthetic that almost looked natural.

    ¡°Ghul.¡±

    ¡°Farsus. Good to see you¡¯ve survived all this.¡±

    There was sincerity in her voice, but not enough to ward off Farsus¡¯ skepticism.

    ¡°If you¡¯ve come to claim a bounty, you have chosen the worst place in the universe to set your ambush,¡± Farsus warned.

    ¡°I know the rules of Paga For,¡± Ghul said. Curious and wary spectators were already lining up to keep an eye on their staredown, just in case it became violent. ¡°Though I¡¯ve had to chase off a hell of a lot of new blood that didn¡¯t. You¡¯re welcome.¡±

    Farsus double-checked his corners, just in case any of those ¡°new bloods¡± had any big ideas. The coast looked clear, at least. Ghul had been thorough in her work.

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    ¡°Then why are you here?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not here for you or your crew,¡± Ghul said. She looked past Farsus, at the tiny eyes peering from behind. ¡°To Vo. I¡¯m here to take you back.¡±

    To Vo La Su stepped to the side, though she did not move away from Farsus just yet.

    ¡°Full disclosure, there¡¯s a reward for your safe return,¡± Ghul said. ¡°Which means I get paid, yes, and also that there¡¯s no need for you to be a part of this. I know there¡¯s more going on here, and I know you know that, but you don¡¯t need to tie yourself to this kind of chaos.¡±

    Ghul figured there was some larger conspiracy at work, one she was trying to stay as far away from as possible. She hoped to give To Vo the same chance. Whoever was in charge of the chaos clearly didn¡¯t see To Vo as a threat, and it benefited them more to portray her as an innocent kidnapping victim than a traitor.

    ¡°This is your clean break, kid,¡± Ghul said. ¡°I suggest you take it.¡±

    The staredown turned silent as Ghul let her offer linger in the air. To Vo stared down at the dirt for a moment, and then glanced up at Ghul¡¯s half-false face.

    ¡°What happened to your face?¡±

    A synthetic eyebrow raised in surprise.

    ¡°Is that really relevant right now?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard Kamak¡¯s side of the story,¡± To Vo said, undeterred by her skepticism. ¡°I want to hear yours.¡±

    Ghul shrugged and relented.

    ¡°Not much to tell. It was a bounty hunt. Serial killer, got his sick kicks carving people up with a knife,¡± Ghul explained. ¡°I was sloppy. Got dropped on. Kamak chased the guy off before he could finish the job.¡±

    ¡°Why not go after the bounty, take the prize for himself?¡±

    Ghul merely shrugged again.

    ¡°Too early in his career for that,¡± she said. ¡°You have to build a reputation before you can play loose cannon. We were hunters on the same job. You help each other out.¡±

    ¡°Then, in terms you would understand, I am ¡®on the same job¡¯ as Kamak.¡±

    The unexpected defiance from To Vo¡¯s small voice caught Ghul off guard. She crossed her arms and did a quick double take between Farsus and To Vo.

    ¡°You really want to stick this out?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I will not turn my back on those who have helped me,¡± To Vo said. ¡°Or on all the good they are trying to do.¡±

    ¡°You feel that strongly about it, you should come back to Centerpoint anyway,¡± Ghul said. ¡°Spread the word. You could tell your side of the story.¡±

    ¡°Or you could tell it for me.¡±

    Once again, Ghul was caught off guard. Everything in her files had described To Vo La Su as timid and restrained -and rational. None of those qualities were on display right now. Ghul was still feeling plenty rational, however.

    ¡°No thanks,¡± she said. ¡°Not painting a target on my back for Kamak¡¯s sake.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s more at stake here than just Kamak,¡± To Vo said. ¡°However big you think this is, it¡¯s bigger. And it will affect you too. We¡¯re all on the same job here.¡±

    After a moment of skeptical consideration, Ghul looked to Farsus for confirmation. He nodded. That disturbed her.

    ¡°Well¡­¡±

    The concern lingered on Ghul¡¯s half-false face for a moment. Then it melted into an apathetic shrug.

    ¡°Good luck with that,¡± Ghul said. She stepped aside and started walking away.

    ¡°W-wait!¡±

    Farsus grabbed To Vo by the shoulder to stop her from following Ghul, and shook his head.

    ¡°Do not waste your effort,¡± Farsus said.

    ¡°But she could help us!¡±

    ¡°Could,¡± Farsus said. ¡°But will not. She is still, by trade, a bounty hunter, and we can not compensate her in any way for her aid.¡±

    Farsus continued down their path to Thoth¡¯s lair, and To Vo reluctantly followed.

    ¡°She really won¡¯t help if there¡¯s no money for it?¡±

    ¡°Money, or some other reward,¡± Farsus said. ¡°Nothing we can offer at this time.¡±

    To Vo looked to the side and watched Ghul disappear into one of the many bars of Paga For, without so much as a glance over her shoulder.

    Once inside the bar, Ghul took a seat and ordered two shots of something very strong. She ended up getting more than she bargained for. Whatever the bartender had served her tasted terrible and hit so hard the first shot made her face numb. Most of it, anyway.

    Ghul traced fingers across the edge of her synthetic face. She almost forgot about it, most of the time. Sometimes she even forgot about the knife that had carved it off, and the face of the maniac holding that knife. But she never forgot Kamak shooting that same lunatic, hitting him in the leg, leaving him nearly crippled. A grand and easy prize for any bounty hunter. But Kamak had dragged her to safety instead.

    Ghul took her second shot. It tasted even worse.

 Chapter 72: Whisper of the Worm

    The brothel that hid Thoth¡¯s lair was now in sight, and To Vo quickened her pace. Or tried to. As time went on and they grew closer to their destination, focusing on her stride got harder and harder. She tried to suppress a cough and failed.

    ¡°Is something the matter, To Vo? Are you affected by a biological agent?¡±

    Farsus had seen nothing suspicious, nor did he feel any negative effects, but his constitution was much hardier than To Vo¡¯s. She would be affected by any aerosolized poisons first.

    ¡°No,¡± To Vo coughed. ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so. It just- it stinks.¡±

    Farsus glanced at the brothel in which Thoth made his lair. The myriad perfumes used by the staff were nigh impossible to miss even from this distance. Farsus did not mind the thick aroma, but To Vo provably had a stronger sense of smell than him.

    ¡°There is no sign of danger,¡± Farsus said. ¡°We may hold our ground a moment, or you can return to the ship.¡±

    ¡°No, no, I¡¯ll be fine,¡± To Vo insisted. She kept moving forward even as tears started to well up in her eyes. The stench was overwhelming, but it was ultimately just a bad smell. To Vo would live. She continued to cough and gag as Farsus talked his way past the brothel¡¯s proprietor and into the subterranean halls where Thoth made its lair. The smell of perfume began to dissipate as they proceeded deeper, but never quite vanished. In the depths it was even joined by a new, equally unpleasant smell. To Vo found it disturbing -and disturbingly familiar.

    ¡°I¡¯ve smelled this before,¡± To Vo said. ¡°Somewhere. I need to be here, I nee-¡±

    To Vo paused for a short but intense fit of gagging. Farsus waited a moment to hear what she ¡°needed¡± so badly, but To Vo La Su kept gagging beyond even the limits of his patience.

    ¡°Far be it from me to stop you if you are determined. Come then. The worm is waiting.¡±

    To Vo followed along, but found it hard to focus on anything while being choked by the overpowering miasma. She didn¡¯t even hear the first few questions Farsus asked. It was difficult to distract a creature with nigh-infinite sensory capacity, but To Vo¡¯s condition managed to put Thoth off balance.

    ¡°My desire to see new species is not entirely overpowering,¡± Thoth noted. ¡°The female¡¯s presence is not necessary.¡±

    ¡°She claims she has some need to be here,¡± Farsus said. He took a quick look at To Vo doubled over, struggling to stay on her feet. ¡°Though admittedly she is not following through on that determination.¡±

    ¡°Wait. I can-¡±

    The sensory blossoms lining the walls tried to turn away from To Vo¡¯s ensuing coughing fit, but they could only go so far.

    ¡°I apologize on her behalf,¡± Farsus said. ¡°As I was saying: Do you know the location of Morrakesh¡¯s center of operations?¡±

    ¡°No. The Morrakesh Collective is composed of thirteen subordinate galaxies. It is assumed, but not known, that Morrakesh originates from the Harapsis Spiral galaxy, but this does not imply his base of operations is located there.¡±

    Farsus nodded along. Given what they had been through, it seemed more likely that Morrakesh conducted most of his business out of his ship anyway. Farsus only wanted to see if there was some other target they might focus on, or possibly even attack.

    ¡°Do you know if he has an immediate second-in-command?¡±

    ¡°Morrakesh often passes on orders through his majordomo, but all orders originate from him.¡±

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    The Worm of Paga For was turning out to be remarkably unhelpful. Morrakesh, whoever he was, had hidden his tracks incredibly well. Even the expansive web of Thoth¡¯s information network had managed to snare only the scantest details.

    ¡°Does he have a primary agent he trust to enact his orders?¡±

    ¡°No. One of our few intercepted communications shows a stated commitment to ¡®diversification of resources¡¯,¡± Thoth said. ¡°Tactically, Morrakesh prefers to employ a variety of mercenaries. Or even manipulate others into doing his will unknowingly. A tactic you are well aware of.¡±

    Farsus cringed. Oftentimes it felt like the entire universe was trying to kill the crew of the Hermit. They needed no reminders about Morrakesh¡¯s powers of manipulation.

    ¡°Do you even have an inclination of what species Morrakesh is?¡±

    ¡°Statistically, it is likely he is Gentanian.¡±

    A correct statement, by virtue of Gentanians being the most common species in the known universe. Other people might have gotten stabbed for that comment, but Farsus knew Thoth was sincere in his appraisal. He wasn¡¯t sure the Worms were capable of sarcasm. To Vo, on the other hand, seemed far more incensed, as her coughing redouble, and she pointed at the core of Thoth¡¯s branching body.

    ¡°Is something the matter, To Vo La Su?¡±

    To Vo shook her head and pointed at Thoth¡¯s core once again.

    ¡°Your companion has experienced a revelation,¡± Thoth said. Even amid the gagging fit and her sensory overload, Thoth could sense To Vo¡¯s heightened brain activity. She had come to an important realization, though what exactly she had realized, not even Thoth could tell.

    ¡°It¡¯s you,¡± To Vo coughed. ¡°He¡¯s you-¡±

    She could not finish her sentence before another coughing fit wracked her body. Farsus did a quick double take between To Vo and Thoth. The sensory blossoms coating the walls recoiled on themselves.

    ¡°This is a bold and incorrect accusation,¡± Thoth protested. Its mechanical voice was impassive as ever, but Farsus noted hints of genuine offense in the way its sensory organs twitched and swayed.

    ¡°Not ¡®you¡¯,¡± To Vo said. ¡°Like you.¡±

    To Vo coughed one final time and stood up. Now that the sensory nodes were recoiling into the Worm¡¯s root-like body, the overpowering stench was clearing, only furthering To Vo¡¯s theory. She finally recognized that ungodly stench, and knew where she had last smelled it.

    ¡°Morrakesh is a Worm.¡±

    In seconds, the pieces fell into place for Farsus as well. Morrakesh¡¯s intellectual capabilities, its ability to evade Thoth¡¯s attention, and even their ability to take thoughts from the minds of others. Morrakesh¡¯s desire to maintain a diverse menagerie of slaves even overlapped with Thoth¡¯s desire to catalog knowledge of every species.

    ¡°What do you know of this?¡±

    ¡°Nothing,¡± Thoth said. ¡°Can you account for all members of your own species?¡±

    ¡°No, but do not act as if there is no distinction between our kinds,¡± Farsus said. ¡°Worms are few, and even fewer have traveled off their homeworld. Do you truly know nothing?¡±

    Thoth¡¯s blossoms slowly unwound, prompting a new round of gagging from To Vo.

    ¡°Several traveling worms are unaccounted for,¡± Thoth admitted. ¡°This theory is...plausible.¡±

    Farsus gave To Vo a firm and congratulatory pat on the back, an act which nearly knocked one of her aching lungs right out of her chest.

    ¡°I would have thought it beyond even your capabilities to learn entire languages in the span of a swap,¡± Farsus said to the Worm. Thoth curiously extended his sensory flowers in Farsus¡¯s direction.

    ¡°Such a thing is beyond my capabilities,¡± Thoth said. ¡°I can ascertain names, phrases, anything with strongly associated muscle memory, but an entire language would be beyond even me.¡±

    Farsus pondered the dilemma for a moment, but chalked it up to incomplete information.

    ¡°Perhaps there is some other means by which he seizes the knowledge,¡± Farsus said. ¡°Or he has learned of something you have not. Either way, the theory remains sound, does it not?¡±

    ¡°It is possible,¡± Thoth said. ¡°And...concerning.¡±

    The momentary pause was a sign of intense concentration, coming from an entity with a mind as vast as the Hakkidian Worm¡¯s.

    ¡°If true, Morrakesh is an aberration,¡± Thoth said. ¡°One that must be culled.¡±

    ¡°I see value in outliers,¡± Farsus said. The entire crew were outliers in one way or another. ¡°But in this instance, I agree. Can you help us?¡±

    ¡°I have provided you with all relevant information I can at this time,¡± Thoth said. ¡°But I shall pursue new leads more aggressively.¡±

    ¡°It may be difficult for us to return,¡± Farsus said. ¡°But I trust you will find a way to contact us.¡±

    ¡°I have my ways,¡± Thoth said. ¡°At this current time, I have only one piece of information that may be relevant to you. Your crewmate Corey Vash is known as a ¡®human¡¯, yes?¡±

    To Vo stopped gagging long enough to exchange a look of intense concern with Farsus.

    ¡°Yes. Why?¡±

    ¡°Because there is another human on Paga For.¡±

 Chapter 73: Cry Uncle

    ¡°Nothing good is going to come of this, Corvash,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°I have to know,¡± Corey insisted. The idea that there was another human out here in the stars was concerning enough, and Corey had sneaking suspicions that the other human was likely someone he knew.

    ¡®You already know,¡± Tooley said. ¡°It¡¯s Morrakesh. He¡¯s snatched the worst asshole he can find off your planet and put him here to get a rise out of you.¡±

    ¡°And considering our location, probably a murderous kind of rise,¡± Kamak said. ¡°That¡¯s the play. He knew Paga For might be the closest thing we had to a safe haven, so Morrakesh put someone you want to kill here. You try and shoot them, and either get yourself killed or blacklisted from Paga For. No more safety.¡±

    It was infuriating how right Kamak was, but Corey would never admit it out loud.

    ¡°I know! I know,¡± Corey said. He¡¯d been at this long enough to recognize a ploy when he saw it. ¡°But I can¡¯t- I¡¯m not going to be able to sleep at night until I know who it is.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve already overstayed our welcome here,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Just imagine the worst person it could possibly be, and then move on.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± Corey said. ¡°I can¡¯t. If it¡¯s who I think it is-¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t fucking matter,¡± Kamak snapped. ¡°You learn who it is, you¡¯ll just feel bad in a different way, because you¡¯re not going to be able to do a damn thing about it. We¡¯re not playing right into Morrakesh¡¯s hands. Not again.¡±

    ¡°Just this once, can we just fucking leave?¡± Tooley asked. ¡°I¡¯m genuinely kind of sorry this is getting to you so bad, Corey, but please, stars, can we just walk away from a problem? Just this once?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve charged headlong into every little thing we¡¯ve seen so far, why are we running away from the only thing in the universe that matters to me?¡±

    ¡°Because it¡¯s fucking dumb, Corey,¡± Kamak said. ¡°We have literally nothing to gain but you getting pissed off.¡±

    Corey clenched his fists so tight he could feel his fingernails cutting into his palms. Doprel sensed the rising tension and stepped in to mediate.

    ¡°There might be more to it than just the bait,¡± Doprel said. ¡°Even if it¡¯s just in the little details. Come on, Kamak, we might have just made a big breakthrough because To Vo smelled something funny.¡±

    Something she had been briefly applauded for, before lying face down on the couch to groan herself into a coma. She was still recovering from Thoth¡¯s overpowering miasma.

    ¡°There might be some value to checking things out, at least. Never know what you¡¯ll find.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Oh, not you, Corey,¡± Doprel said. ¡°You¡¯re definitely not going. Kamak¡¯s right about that, at least.¡±

    Though he rolled his eyes, Corey accepted that. In spite of the burning rage in his gut, he still had enough common sense to know a trap when he saw one. He knew if he kept his cool he¡¯d at least get answers, if not total satisfaction.

    ¡°Big man might be on to something,¡± Kamak admitted. ¡°Nobody¡¯s going anywhere yet, but...well, nobody¡¯s going anywhere yet, but in a different way. Tooley, you stay by the cockpit, but keep us grounded for a bit. I need to think.¡±

    Kamak headed into his room and slammed the door shut behind him.

    ¡°And I need a drink.¡±

    <hr>

    ¡°Do you think they all look like Corey, or are there more varieties?¡±

    ¡°According to Corey, humans, like many other species, come in a variety of colors,¡± Farsus said.

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    The two had been dispatched to seek out this other human, then observe and report. Since Farsus and To Vo had managed to walk through without incident, Kamak felt comfortable enough to travel Paga For at least once. Having Thoth on their side didn¡¯t hurt either. The Worm wasn¡¯t in charge of Paga For, but his words carried weight. People would be much less likely to cause problems with him on the case. Kamak had even briefly contemplated stopping off to see Ghul, though he had ultimately decided that would be more trouble than it was worth in several ways.

    Still, Kamak kept a hand near his gun, and he kept a distance from the supposed location of the other human. They were here to do a long range observation, not a face to face interrogation. Kamak wasn¡¯t about to take that kind of risk. He leaned on a building some distance away from the place Thoth had tipped them off to.

    ¡°So. You think this is actually the worst case scenario?¡±

    ¡°I have no reason to doubt Morrakesh would do anything less,¡± Farsus said. ¡°I will be shocked if we are not faced with a member of Corey¡¯s family soon.¡±

    As part of preparing Kamak and Farsus for this scouting mission, Corey had reluctantly let slip a few personal details, mostly focused on who he expected to find out here in the dirt of Paga For. The absolute worst case scenario, according to Corey, would be his father. Exactly why he was the worst case, Corey refused to say. On the matter of his second worst case target, his uncle, Corey had been only slightly more forthcoming. He had grunted ¡°He made my mom¡¯s life hell¡± and left it at that. Kamak found it very hard to sympathize with Corey¡¯s trauma when he refused to actually say what he was traumatized about.

    A stranger stumbled past, and Kamak kept a careful eye on the until they were out of stabbing range. He wasn¡¯t comfortable out here, and he was getting even less comfortable by the second.

    ¡°Farsus, settle a thorny ethical dilemma with me,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Let¡¯s assume the worst. Corey¡¯s dad, and whatever the hell kind of baggage comes with him, is out here on this street corner doing whatever the fuck it is humans do.¡±

    ¡°We assume as such, and then?¡±

    ¡°And then what the fuck do we do with that information?¡± Kamak said. ¡°We tell Corvash, there¡¯s a non-zero chance he storms out of the ship with a gun and gets himself killed. Rest of us too, probably.¡±

    ¡°Ah. You are suggesting it might be beneficial to lie to our crewmate.¡±

    ¡°Lying is a possibility,¡± Kamak said. ¡°We could also just not tell him until after we take off. Can¡¯t storm off with a gun when you¡¯re in deep space.¡±

    ¡°A far less deceptive proposition,¡± Farsus said. ¡°I¡¯d go with that.¡±

    ¡°Noted. Make sure to lock the door to the cockpit when we get back, just in case.¡±

    Farsus nodded, and the conversation was dropped. Kamak dragged his heel through the dirt for a few seconds, and then checked the time.

    ¡°This human doesn¡¯t show up soon, we¡¯re getting out of here,¡± Kamak said. The info Thoth had given them said the human showed up around here at around this time, but the square was dusty and empty still. ¡°We need to get a move on.¡±

    ¡°A moment longer,¡± Farsus said. ¡°We know the value of patience.¡±

    ¡°I know the value of getting the fuck out of town, too,¡± Kamak said. ¡°But yeah. Few more drops. That¡¯s it.¡±

    Though they had to undergo the painful ordeal of making small talk, their patience was rewarded. A single emaciated human, wearing tattered clothes and a dusty shawl across his shoulders, stumbled into the square. He held his dry, cracked hands aloft and started shouting to anyone who would listen. Very few beyond Kamak and Farsus took any time to heed his words.

    ¡°Well. That¡¯s not the worst case.¡±

    ¡°Barely.¡±

    Though he appeared half starved and beaten down, it was undoubtedly Corey¡¯s uncle Richard taking to the street corner to shout nonsense at passersby. Even if Corey hadn¡¯t described him in detail, the two might have been able to guess the relation. The resemblance was obvious even from a distance.

    ¡°So now we get to have a fun talk with Corvash,¡± Kamak said. He turned around to get ready to leave, but Farsus grabbed him by the collar.

    ¡°Wait. Listen to him.¡±

    Kamak reluctantly stopped to listen. His initial impression had been that Richard had nothing to say worth listening to, and he was proven right.

    ¡°Fear the fires that are to come! Prepare your soul for absolution, your final days approach!¡±

    ¡°Sounds like pretty typical cult stuff,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°Perhaps,¡± Farsus said. Across the square, Richard continued to shout.

    ¡°A death from beyond is coming! All you know will die in fire and war!¡±

    ¡°Yep, pretty sure I¡¯ve heard this same schlock coming from two dozen other drunken idiots,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°Hold a moment longer,¡± Farsus said. ¡°I thought I heard him mention something more specific.¡±

    ¡°The Great Wheel turns towards your death!¡±

    ¡°That,¡± Farsus said. ¡°What is this concept, ¡®The Great Wheel¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Fuck if I know,¡± Kamak shrugged. ¡°Crazy people love making up ominous sounding stuff. The Divine This, The Unholy Whatever. I once killed a bounty who¡¯d disemboweled three people in the name of The Sacrosanct Testicle.¡±

    ¡°Horrifying. But I believe you are correct. We should be on our way.¡±

    ¡°Tooley, get the engines warmed up,¡± Kamak said. He had pulled out his communicator before Farsus had even finished talking.

    ¡°Way ahead of you. Get the fuck back here so we can finally leave.¡±

    Though he wasted no time in turning towards the Hermit and walking away, Kamak did spare one last look at Corey¡¯s uncle Richard. His hand briefly flicked past his gun, but only briefly.

 Chapter 74: Family Matters

    Kamak said his uncle¡¯s name, and Corey heard almost nothing after that. Every word they said faded into the background, blurring together into a dull roar, like ocean waves in the distance. Fleeting words and phrases scraped at the edges of his hearing, but all went ignored.

    Even with things at their worst, with Morrakesh hot on their heels, Corey had been able to take some comfort in the fact that his Uncle Richard and the rest of the Church were stuck back on Earth, millions of lightyears away. Now Richard was here, out in the stars with him. Alive. But that could change. His thousand yard stare locked in on the cockpit for a moment. They hadn¡¯t gone far. Paga For was still just moments away¡­

    Any thoughts of vengeance got smacked right out of Corey¡¯s head when Kamak backhanded him across the temple.

    ¡°Focus, Corvash,¡± Kamak snapped.

    ¡°I was listening!¡±

    ¡°Eat shit,¡± Kamak said. ¡°I know a man planning vengeance when I see one.¡±

    Corey rubbed an aching temple and grumbled to himself under his breath.

    ¡°Now, Farsus, as you were saying before Corey got all thousand-yard-stare?¡±

    ¡°I wanted to know more about this ¡®Great Wheel¡¯ your uncle spoke of.¡±

    ¡°Nothing about it is specifically familiar,¡± Corey said. The added twist of the Great Wheel did help keep Corey¡¯s mind off the fact that his uncle was still back on Paga For, waiting to be slaughtered like the animal he was. Corey tried not to think about how satisfying it would be to beat Uncle Richard to death and instead focused on Farsus¡¯ theory. ¡°Lot of Earth religions have things about wheels, I¡¯m pretty sure.¡±

    ¡°But not yours?¡±

    ¡°Not really,¡± Corey said. ¡°They didn¡¯t really do reincarnation or anything. One and done, which is why you had to earn your way to a good afterlife by doing everything the Church said to do.¡±

    Corey¡¯s teeth started to grind as he spoke, so Farsus dropped the subject of the Corey¡¯s childhood cult.

    ¡°I have been searching the infonet as well, and found several references to this Great Wheel, all fairly recent,¡± Farsus said. ¡°Given the circumstances, I find it likely that this is a rising trend among fanatics, and that, absent one oppressive belief system, your uncle simply latched on to another. One of the most pervasive trends among cults is a sense of community, after all.¡±

    ¡°That does sound like Uncle Rick,¡± Corey said. While as morally bankrupt as every other member of the Church, Richard had never been possessed of a backbone. His courage began and ended at abusing people weaker and more vulnerable than him. Removed from the Church structure that gave him power, he¡¯d be quick to latch on to any other similar faith.

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    ¡°If it brings you any comfort, he looked to be in terrible condition,¡± Farsus said. ¡°Alone, deprived, starving, mocked by all around him.¡±

    ¡°Suffering¡¯s nice,¡± Corey said. ¡°But I want him dead.¡±

    ¡°All in due time, Corey Vash, all in due time.¡±

    The vague promises of future retribution did little to calm Corey¡¯s rage. He turned that burning desire towards the one thing that might actually move him closer to vengeance on his uncle, and headed for the cockpit. Tooley was sitting in the pilot¡¯s seat, legs crossed, with a blank expression on her face. Corey didn¡¯t know if it was a good or bad sign she was no longer feigning enthusiasm for space flight.

    ¡°Tooley.¡±

    ¡°Hey Corvash,¡± Tooley said. ¡°No, we¡¯re not turning around.¡±

    ¡°I- shit. Am I that easy to read?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Corey sat down anyway, and tried to enjoy the scattering of starlight. Paga For¡¯s binary star system made light speed jumps difficult so they had to fly at conventional speeds for a while. Corey sat back and tried to enjoy the view, but could not escape the thought that more spectres of his past were lurking on every star.

    ¡°We don¡¯t even have to land,¡± Corey said. ¡°Farsus could probably make the shot hovering in low atmosphere, we could-¡±

    ¡°Do us both a favor and shut the fuck up, Corey,¡± Tooley said. She scowled, momentarily, but her face softened as she turned to Corey. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. If it were up to me we¡¯d kill your bastard uncle, but we¡¯ve got other shit going on.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve spent a lot more than one bullet on a lot dumber shit,¡± Corey grunted.

    ¡°I know! Okay? I know,¡± Tooley said. ¡°I know it sucks. I know it¡¯s unfair I got to disembowel a Structuralist and you don¡¯t even get to glare at your uncle, but it is what it is. We¡¯ve got to start being smart about this shit at some point. Or at least try to.¡±

    Corey said nothing. Tooley let him stew in his silence for a moment.

    ¡°So. Need a distraction? I¡¯ll be free in about a quarter of a cycle, we can hook up.¡±

    ¡°Oh, is that happening again?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be weird about it,¡± Tooley said. ¡°In the figurative sense, I mean. We can get weird about it in other ways.¡±

    The moment of coy flirtation passed in a moment, and Corey¡¯s oppressive anger resurfaced.

    ¡°Not right now,¡± he grunted. Blinding rage was a bit of a turn off. Tooley couldn¡¯t say she was surprised. She didn¡¯t have much else to offer, though. There weren¡¯t a lot of potential distractions aboard the ship.

    ¡°I got to level with you, Corvash, if you¡¯re here for sympathy, you¡¯re talking to the wrong gal,¡± Tooley said.

    ¡°And here I figured you were the person who knew the most about hating family members,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°Yeah, I do know how to hate ¡®em,¡± Tooley said. ¡°It¡¯s liking them that¡¯s the problem.¡±

    ¡°There is nothing about-¡±

    ¡°I ain¡¯t talking about your uncle,¡± Tooley snapped. ¡°You miss your mom, Corey. Nothing wrong with that, you¡¯re just in the worst possible place to try and deal with it. I hate my mom, Kamak and Farsus barely know theirs, Doprel¡¯s would try to eat him¡­¡±

    Tooley trailed off for a second while Corey sank into stone-cold silence.

    ¡°Eh, fuck, I don¡¯t know, I think To Vo mentioned a mom once, and it didn¡¯t sound negative,¡± Tooley said. She scratched an itch on her nose as she spoke. ¡°Maybe talk to her.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t need to talk to anyone.¡±

    ¡°Oh shut the fuck up,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Take it from the chick who was about to kill herself a few swaps ago. Talking helps.¡±

    Tooley returned her attention to the Hermit¡¯s controls as they reached the edge of the binary star system¡¯s interference. Corey left, both to give Tooley some space to focus, and to have an excuse not to talk.

 Chapter 75: DNR

    Over the past couple months, Corey Vash had learned to sleep just about anywhere. It was a necessary skill for spending as much time in hospital wards as he did.

    No amount of practice could ever make him a heavy sleeper, though. His mom had ingrained a ¡°healthy¡± alertness in him, which meant he woke up at the sound of any suspicious noise. In this case, his mom starting to cough. She¡¯d been doing better lately, which was half the reason the doctors were letting Corey sleep in the chair near her hospital bed. He woke with a start, and kept an eye on the button that would summon the nurses, until the brief coughing fit subsided. He stayed awake a while longer, watching his mother to make sure she was still breathing, before trying to go back to sleep.

    This time, Corey made it all the way to sunrise. He stretched out aching legs and stood up to adjust the blinds before the sunlight got in.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you have to go to school?¡±

    Corey snapped the blinds shut and shook his head.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got a friend recording the lectures for me.¡±

    He¡¯d dropped out two weeks ago. He wasn¡¯t happy about it, but he¡¯d been on the road to getting expelled anyway. Even when he did show up, he wasn¡¯t doing any worthwhile work or note-taking.

    Corey returned to his seat and settled in. His mother barely moved. Awake and asleep weren¡¯t much different for her. It took all her energy just to breathe nowadays. She laid back and spent time mustering her strength just to be able to speak again.

    ¡°You should go to class.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not missing anything.¡±

    Another long pause, as Corey¡¯s mother struggled to catch her breath enough to speak. Every second felt like a knife twisting a little deeper in Corey¡¯s heart.

    ¡°Go to the beach, then.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t really want to go swimming.¡±

    He sat and waited for his mom to speak again. The rest of the hospital was starting to spring to life.

    ¡°Go somewhere, Corey. Don¡¯t just sit here and watch me die.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not going to die,¡± Corey insisted, in spite of all evidence to the contrary. He latched on to every slim hope he could, and ignored everything else. He clung to the doctor¡¯s assurances she was doing well right now, and disregarded their repeated warnings that recovery was still unlikely.

    Corey¡¯s mother managed to tilt her head to look at him, and he almost wished she¡¯d been too weak to do so. Looking at her emaciated face disturbed him. If he hadn¡¯t watched the lung cancer slowly change his mom into what she was now, he might not even recognize the face looking at him. Her fingers twitched as if she was trying to reach out, but she could not muster the strength to move her arm.

    ¡°Corey Amad-,¡± she said. She coughed even as she spoke, muddling her words. ¡°You have to-¡±

    The cough that cut her off was short and quiet, but it was not alone. Corey stood back and waited through the first few, hoping the fit would pass. Only when he saw small specks of blood dot the hospital bed did he slam his fist down on the button to call the nurses. They were there in moments, fussing, rearranging¡ªand escorting Corey out of the room.

    After that, everything turned on its head. The world started to slow down, Corey¡¯s vision started to blur¡ªthe world became nothing more than a tangle of chaos and noise, centered on Corey¡¯s mother. In the midst of the maelstrom, only a few scarce details found any clarity: the respirator they placed over her mouth, the doctor¡¯s calling for more help, and one of the approaching medics talking to his companions, casually saying the worst thing Corey had ever heard.

    Do Not Resuscitate.

    <hr>

    Weeks later, Corey was still a light sleeper, and he woke from the nightmare with a start. Unlike the hospital chair, his bed on the Hermit was quite small, and his sudden waking sent him tumbling right out of bed. The discarded spear he¡¯d taken from the battle with Khem narrowly avoided cutting Corey¡¯s ear off as his rude awakening knocked it off the wall he¡¯d leaned it against.

    ¡°Fuck,¡± Corey mumbled to himself. ¡°Maybe I do need to talk to someone.¡±

    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    <hr>

    Corey didn¡¯t know where to find a therapist in space, so he did the next best thing and took Tooley¡¯s advice. Before anyone else but Corey was even awake, To Vo was doing her usual routine of compulsively cleaning and organizing everything she could get her hands on. Corey wasn¡¯t sure the ship had been this clean since it had been built.

    ¡°Hey To Vo.¡±

    ¡°Good morning Corey Vash, you- your face is bruised.¡±

    Corey reached up and touched the spot on his cheek where he¡¯d landed on his face. It felt tender, but he hadn¡¯t checked himself out in a mirror yet, so he hadn¡¯t realized.

    ¡°Huh.¡±

    ¡°Corey, are you suffering from domestic violence?¡±

    ¡°I¡ªwhat? No. Well, maybe,¡± Corey mumbled. ¡°That¡¯s not important right now. I just had a nightmare.¡±

    ¡°Ah. I¡¯m sorry, I wish there was something I could do to help,¡± To Vo said. ¡°But given the unavoidable stresses of our situation, nightmares seem all but inevitable. I have had a few myself.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Figures. Hearing about my uncle didn¡¯t help anything.¡±

    The already difficult task of asking for help was made all the harder by the fact Corey was too stubborn to just ask directly. Trying to backdoor his way into a productive conversation felt almost as dumb as asking to talk plainly. To Vo was at least sympathetic, and sat down at the kitchen table with him to talk.

    ¡°I understand the feeling,¡± To Vo said. Corey had had to recount his entire tragic history while they scouted out his uncle¡¯s presence on Paga For, so she knew the unfortunate details. ¡°I was in a similar situation, only a few solar years ago.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    Corey had been expecting sympathy, but not quite so directly. To Vo nodded, and when she spoke again, it was quiet and reserved, even moreso than her usual demure tone.

    ¡°I have mentioned that my homeworld was a harsh environment, yes? So much so that there were often not enough resources to sustain our communities,¡± To Vo said. ¡°When populations became unsustainable...older generations would be culled, to preserve resources for the younger.¡±

    To Vo didn¡¯t expand on the thought. She didn¡¯t need to.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, To Vo,¡± Corey said. ¡°That must¡¯ve been hard.¡±

    ¡°It was normal, in a way,¡± To Vo said. ¡°I¡¯d seen older community members, even other family members go before. But when it was my parents¡­¡±

    To Vo La Su shrank in on herself for a moment, but recovered. Unlike Corey, her tragedy was several years past. It had never stopped hurting, but it did hurt less.

    ¡°The real pain of it all is that the Galactic Council showed up just a few weeks later. Their Grand Uplifting campaign brought supplies, agricultural techniques, electricity and computers,¡± To Vo said. ¡°Within a few swaps we could support millions instead of just thousands.¡±

    She seemed as much proud as she did sad. Corey quietly resolved to never again make fun of To Vo¡¯s apparent obsession with structure and efficiency. If the Galactic Council had been just a little quicker, just a little better organized, then her family might still be alive.

    ¡°Is that why you signed on with them?¡±

    ¡°Mostly, yes,¡± To Vo said. ¡°But I also wanted the distraction. A change of scenery.¡±

    ¡°I know what you mean,¡± Corey mumbled.

    ¡°It helps, at first. There¡¯s so much information out here, so much to learn, it gives you a million things to focus on instead of your grief,¡± To Vo said. ¡°But then you learn. You get used to it. And the grief is still there, as strong as it ever was.¡±

    ¡°Standing on a street corner screaming about wheels,¡± Corey sighed. ¡°Shouting at the top of his lungs when my mom couldn¡¯t even say my name.¡±

    She¡¯d barely been able to speak, at the end. Barely able to say his name.

    His name.

    To Vo had just been about to offer more sympathy when Corey slammed his fists down on the table as hard as he could. The whole room rattled under the impact, and continued to shake as he let out a bellowing scream of sheer, unfocused rage.

    ¡°Corey, what-¡±

    She didn¡¯t even get to finished her question before Corey stood up and stormed off. He kicked Tooley¡¯s door open and dragged her out of bed, much to her chagrin, before walking to the rest of the crew¡¯s door and pounding on the until they woke up. Kamak was the first to awake, and he came very close to stabbing Corey for waking him up this early, but then he took a good look at him and thought better of it. Corey was red in the face, and had harsh, bitter tears welling up in his eyes. Kamak had been alive a long time, and even he had rarely seen that kind of unbridled hatred.

    ¡°What¡¯s this about, Corey?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fucking Morrakesh,¡± Corey snapped. ¡°I know what he¡¯s doing. I know why he can outsmart everyone.¡±

    Corey took a deep breath to calm himself down. It didn¡¯t work. He knew he was moments away from turning into a sobbing wreck.

    ¡°It¡¯s dead people,¡± Corey said. ¡°He¡¯s doing something, getting inside their heads, taking memories and thoughts from their brains.¡±

    Kamak suppressed his knee jerk reaction to call Corey a lunatic. If Morrakesh really was a Hakkidian Worm, anything was possible. The Worms could pull words right out of a persons thoughts while they were alive, and that was a secondhand observation. If they could dig their tendrils inside a person¡¯s head, thread their sensory nodes through a person¡¯s nervous system¡­

    ¡°Where¡¯s this coming from, Corey?¡±

    No matter how plausible it sounded, Kamak wanted to know the underlying logic. He could only pin so many hopes on bold assumptions and leaps of faith.

    ¡°It¡¯s how he knows about me. My uncle, the cult, my middle name. It¡¯s- he-¡±

    Corey failed to hold back the tide of tears any longer. Morrakesh knew his name -mostly. If he had gotten it from a document, or abducted someone else who knew it, he would¡¯ve been able to say the name right. But he said ¡°Anathedus¡± instead of Amadeus. Because the source he¡¯d used was partially decayed.

    ¡°It¡¯s my mom,¡± Corey sobbed. ¡°He¡¯s got my mom.¡±

 Chapter 76: Restless

    ¡°How¡¯s he holding up?¡±

    Tooley walked into the cockpit and plopped down into the pilot¡¯s seat before answering the question.

    ¡°Drunk as hell and unconscious,¡± Tooley said. Corey was currently passed out in his room, putting an end to his intermittent bouts of rage and despair. Tooley trusted him to calm down before he woke up, but she¡¯d confiscated his knife¡ªand all the other weapons in his room¡ªbefore leaving just to be safe. ¡°Not great, but better than he could be.¡±

    ¡°Good. We need to have a talk.¡±

    The rest of the crew, obviously minus Corey, turned their attention to Kamak.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to sound insensitive to Corey, but looking at the big picture, this might actually be good news,¡± Kamak said. ¡°I think we finally have something that can solve our Morrakesh problem.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s hear it.¡±

    ¡°The short version of the story is that for a while now, Timeka¡¯s been dealing with a graverobbing problem,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Bodies of recently deceased employees have been disappearing shortly after burial. Nothing ever happens afterwards -as far as they knew.¡±

    ¡°But if Corey¡¯s theory is true, perhaps Morrakesh has been committing large scale industrial espionage via their bodies,¡± Farsus said.

    ¡°Right. Which tracks with everything we know about all the trade route bullshit,¡± Kamak said. ¡°They¡¯ve probably taken billions of cece¡¯s worth of info already. Don¡¯t think Timeka will want them taking any more.¡±

    ¡°We plan on walking up and saying ¡®Hey, I know the whole universe hates us, but trust us¡¯?¡± Tooley said. ¡°Yeah, it sounds logical, I guess, but we¡¯ve got no fucking evidence.¡±

    ¡°Timeka knows there¡¯s something else going with all this,¡± Kamak insisted. ¡°And I¡¯ve still got some trust left there. I¡¯m not saying they¡¯re going to send a fleet to swarm Morrakesh¡¯s doorstep, but they¡¯ll be on the same page as us, at least. And they¡¯ve got a hell of a lot more resources and influence to look into it with.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not perfect,¡± Farsus said, stating the obvious. ¡°But I believe it is the closest thing we¡¯ve had to a truly good opportunity since this all began.¡±

    ¡°Not saying you¡¯re wrong, just saying we should maybe think about showing up with something more than a hunch about Corey¡¯s dead mom,¡± Tooley said. ¡°But if this is all we¡¯ve got, it¡¯s all we¡¯ve got. I¡¯m in.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s do it,¡± Doprel said.

    ¡°If my feelings were not already self-evident, I am in favor,¡± Farsus said.

    ¡°Great. I¡¯m sure Corey will agree, so Tooley, set a course and-¡±

    Kamak caught himself mid-sentence. Doprel was giving him a look.

    ¡°Ugh. Fine. To Vo?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m in favor.¡±

    ¡°Great! That¡¯s two seconds of my life I¡¯m not getting back,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Tooley, like I said, start planning our course. To Vo, you want to earn that vote, start compiling notes on everything we know about Morrakesh.¡±

    To Vo pulled out her datapad, hit one button, and Kamak immediately got a notification that someone was trying to transfer files to him. He looked down at his own pad to see several documents waiting for review.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been doing that the whole time, huh?¡±

    ¡°Yes sir.¡±

    ¡°Good job.¡±

    <hr>

    Tooley sat in the cockpit and watched the beige blur of FTL travel soar by. They were only a few cycles out now, and given the current mood on the ship, it was going to be a long, quiet trip. Everyone else on the crew was already asleep, and Tooley was soon heading there herself. She just wanted to watch the blur for a while first. Tooley got comfortable and kept her eyes on the beige wall of light.

    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    Amid the wall of monochrome, a quick glint of some other unidentifiable color flickered. Tooley sat upright, but by the time she did so, the glimmer was already gone. She¡¯d talked about that same phenomenon with Corey a while ago, before their life had turned to chaos. It was inexplicable and rare.

    Tooley found herself regretting that Corey had missed it.

    She looked over her shoulder at the common room, and the bedroom doors that connected to it. It had been a couple cycles since anyone had checked on Corey.

    Tooley would be sure to ask To Vo to do that later. She¡¯d love to have something to keep tabs on. Tooley returned her eyes to the beige blur of space travel, and the endless monotony sank back in. For about fifteen ticks.

    ¡°Fuck me,¡± Tooley mumbled. She just couldn¡¯t help herself, for reasons unknown even to her. They were already on a safe FTL route, but she double-checked their heading just to be sure before she left her seat and headed for Corey¡¯s room.

    While Tooley took the utmost care to be silent and inconspicuous, she unfortunately forgot a crucial detail about Corey Vash: his low-level yet ever present paranoid streak. He had small chits of metal dangling from his door that jangled as Tooley opened it. Corey woke with a start at the sound, and instinctively reached for a weapon that was not there. He groped around in the darkness for a gun Tooley had confiscated long ago.

    ¡°Easy, Corvash, easy,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Just me.¡±

    ¡°Christ. What are you sneaking around for?¡±

    ¡°Just checking on you.¡±

    A simple sentiment that served as an unfortunate reminder of his current circumstances. Corey focused aggressively on anything other than his misappropriated mother. He turned on the room lights and took a quick look around to see that his collection of weapons was entirely gone, even the knife he kept in his boot.

    ¡°Where¡¯d my stuff go?¡±

    ¡°Well, no offense, but considering the mood you were in, we sort of...took it,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Just to turn that one percent chance of you doing something dumb into a zero percent chance, you know.¡±

    Corey shook the last bits of sleep out of his eyes for the sole purpose of glaring at Tooley with the correct amount of spite.

    ¡°Well give them back,¡± he demanded.

    ¡°Yeah, sure, eventually,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Are you sure you need everything, though? The boot knife I get, that¡¯s handy, but you¡¯ve built up a weird little collection of things people have tried to kill us with.¡±

    On top of the knife he¡¯d snatched from the corpse of the assassin long ago, Corey had grabbed Vansis¡¯ gun, and a weapon from the cop who¡¯d taken him hostage, and now he held on to one of Khem¡¯s spears, which he couldn¡¯t even lift well enough to use effectively. Tooley found the odd trophies impractical and uncomfortable.

    ¡°If I¡¯ve got them, the people trying to kill us don¡¯t,¡± Corey said. ¡°It¡¯s practical.¡±

    ¡°Okay, sure,¡± Tooley said. That almost made sense. ¡°Anyway, your shits all up in Kamak¡¯s room, and he keeps that place locked up tight while he sleeps. We¡¯ll get it when folks wake up.¡±

    ¡°Ugh. I¡¯ll get it now.¡±

    Corey stood up, and Tooley stepped forward to intercept him.

    ¡°What¡¯s the rush? It¡¯s just knives and guns.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s my stuff and I want it,¡± Corey said. Tooley¡¯s eyes narrowed as she glared at him.

    ¡°You¡¯re using that voice you always use when you¡¯re trying to make a big deal seem like not a big deal.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t do that.¡±

    A single raised eyebrow was all it took to put a permanent end to Corey¡¯s protests. He sighed and sank back onto his bed.

    ¡°It just...it helps me sleep.¡±

    ¡°Having a weapon?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I know it¡¯s a bad habit, but my mom always-¡±

    Corey choked on his words for a moment and tried to start over without mentioning his mom.

    ¡°After we left, the church used to send people. They¡¯d just drive around the block, or stand outside the house across the street,¡± Corey said. ¡°After a few months of that, in the middle of the night somebody set our front door on fire. The fire was small, but...my mom took a gun out of her nightstand and fired a shot at a guy running from our house. After that, nobody ever bothered us again. And my mom got me a gun as soon as I was old enough.¡±

    ¡°So having a weapon makes you feel safe.¡±

    ¡°Safer, yeah,¡± Corey said. Nothing ever made him feel completely safe. ¡°Helps me sleep.¡±

    ¡°Better than a security blanket, I guess,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Alright. I got my pistol here.¡±

    She patted her hip, where the small firearm rested. She¡¯d usually kept it in a drawer in her room, but getting stabbed by an assassin had turned her into a full-time carrier. She could understand Corey¡¯s paranoia, to an extent

    ¡°Thanks. I¡¯ll give it back first thing in the morning.¡±

    ¡°No you won¡¯t,¡± Tooley said. ¡°You¡¯re not borrowing the pistol. You¡¯re borrowing me.¡±

    The bed was too small by far for two people to sleep comfortably, but there was plenty of room on the floor. Tooley sat down, rested her head on the side of Corey¡¯s bed, and got comfortable.

    ¡°Tooley-¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about. I¡¯m a pilot, I sleep in my chair all the time,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Hell, sometimes I sleep sitting up in my own bed. I¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to. I¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    ¡°Save yourself the trouble and don¡¯t try to talk me out of it. I¡¯m stubborn,¡± Tooley insisted. ¡°Just go to sleep, Corey.¡±

    ¡°Right. Okay. Sure.¡±

    Corey hit the lights, laid back, and tried to ignore Tooley¡¯s presence in his room. True to her word, she fell asleep easily even in the awkward position, and the sound of her quiet, peaceful breathing filled the room. Corey listened to it, focused on the rhythm of her breathing, and closed his eyes. He was asleep before he knew it.

 Chapter 77: A Bad Deal

    Their arrival at the Timeka facility hadn¡¯t been warm the first time around, and now it was even colder. An entire squadron of escort vessels encircled the Hard Luck Hermit as it made its approach to the hangar.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t look like you¡¯re quite as trusted as you used to be,¡± Tooley noted.

    ¡°It¡¯s for show,¡± Kamak assured them. ¡°If they wanted to take us they¡¯d have lockdown ships out already.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d feel a lot better about this if Apall had been more specific,¡± Corey said. His reply to Kamak¡¯s message had just been a text-only invitation, with no specifics beyond a time and place to show up.

    ¡°Timeka is as pissed about this whole Morrakesh thing as much as- almost as much as you are,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Nobody wants their brain getting hijacked after they¡¯re dead.¡±

    Tooley looked out the window at the heavily armed fighters escorting them. Somehow, Kamak¡¯s words failed to reassure her.

    ¡°Just relax and get this done,¡± Kamak said. ¡°We¡¯ll all be back on Centerpoint slamming shiiv¡¯s before you know it.¡±

    Ever the professional, at least when it came to flying, Tooley did her job and sent them drifting into the hangar with ease. The metal gates of the hangar bay slammed down behind them like a guillotine. Tooley stayed in her seat and toyed with a pistol in her lap while the rest of the crew disembarked. Just as before, they went in unarmed, save for Kamak, who kept a single small pistol on his waist. This time they were met by a contingent of armed drones, all with guns at the ready.

    ¡°Really rolling out the welcome wagon,¡± Kamak said, trying a little too hard not to sound nervous. One of the weaponized drones drifted away from the pack and scanned the crew with its camera lens.

    ¡°Kamak D-V-Y-B. To Vo La Su. Proceed forward. Others. Remain aboard your vessel.¡±

    Doprel tensed his massive arms and looked to Kamak for confirmation. The captain of the crew hesitated for a moment.

    ¡°You...do what they say,¡± Kamak said. ¡°I don¡¯t like it, but I want to argue with a person, not a robot.¡±

    Farsus and Corey accepted the call and stepped back up the boarding ramp. Doprel lingered a while, taking a moment to look over the crowd of drones and do some mental math before he too retreated up the ramp, leaving only a bewildered To Vo at Kamak¡¯s side.

    ¡°Sir?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have any answers for you, kid,¡± Kamak grunted. ¡°Let¡¯s get going.¡±

    Instinct told Kamak to keep his hand near his gun in a situation like this, and he forced himself not to listen. Partially out of respect for what Timeka represented, but mostly out of fear. The drones surrounding him could tear him and To Vo both to pieces if they felt like it.

    Kamak kept his cool while To Vo shuddered alongside him through the entire elevator ride to the office level. A Doccan bodyguard took over for the drones from there, and To Vo started shuddering in a slightly different way. The shuddering only stopped when the Doccan grabbed her by the shoulders and forced her into a lounge chair outside the office of Kiz Timeka.

    ¡°Outside. Ms. Timeka will speak to Kamak alone.¡±

    ¡°Ms. Timeka?¡± Kamak said. ¡°I wanted to speak to Apall.¡±

    ¡°Ms. Timeka has made her decision,¡± The Doccan said. It probably didn¡¯t even know what it was talking about, but Kamak knew what it meant. Kiz had intercepted his message somehow, and now she was taking matters into her own hands.

    ¡°Understood,¡± Kamak said through gritted teeth. To Vo just nodded along and tried to disappear into her seat. She tried even harder when she got left alone with the Doccan in the hallway, as Kamak stepped into the office.

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    Kiz Timeka was lounging at her desk, glass of expensive alcohol in hand, and occupied doing reports. She finished up her paperwork and finalized the document before bothering to address her guest. She gestured to a seat, but Kamak stayed standing.

    ¡°Kamak. Good to see you again.¡±

    ¡°Kiz. I was expecting a slightly different arrangement.¡±

    ¡°Yes, well, Apall¡¯s initial appraisal of the situation was limited in scope,¡± Kiz said. ¡°There isn¡¯t much need for discussion. In my capacity as Timeka¡¯s representative on this station, I have decided on our official course of action.¡±

    Kamak had heard that tone of voice before. Usually when he was about to get told to kill someone.

    ¡°What are you doing, Kiz?¡±

    ¡°We are saving your life, and making Timeka a tidy profit while we¡¯re at it,¡± Kiz said. She folded her hands together and leaned forward on her desk. ¡°I¡¯ve been looking into your grave robber theory, Kamak. There is some compelling evidence in its favor.¡±

    After Kamak had first proposed the theory to Apall, Kiz had started doing her homework. Every time a body disappeared, Timeka suffered a loss somehow related to what the dead employee had known or been working on, whether it was in the form of increased competition, being beaten to an opportunity, or just plain old fashioned sabotage. Having a common thread suddenly link their repeated losses of profit had given Kiz an idea.

    ¡°Okay, so what¡¯s the play?¡±

    ¡°We need Morrakesh, and we have something Morrakesh wants,¡± Kiz said. ¡°Your ship, and your crew.¡±

    Kamak leaned on the nearest chair. No further elaboration was required.

    ¡°You want bait.¡±

    ¡°In simple terms. Yes.¡±

    ¡°And you want it now,¡± Kamak said. That explained why she¡¯d kept everybody else on the ship.

    ¡°As soon as possible, preferably. It doesn¡¯t have to be now.¡±

    ¡°And what about the cop?¡±

    ¡°Legally speaking, the Galactic Council still considers To Vo your hostage,¡± Kiz said. ¡°Returning her will earn us some good will.¡±

    ¡°And the rest of my crew?¡±

    ¡°Your collection of unhinged galactic fugitives?¡± Kiz scoffed. ¡°We¡¯re already fighting an uphill battle trying to rehabilitate your image. Everyone else on that ship is either beyond saving or not worth the trouble.¡±

    ¡°You really think selling them out is the best option?¡±

    ¡°The best option available, Kamak,¡± Kiz explained. ¡°Frankly this is more effort than a lot of members of our family would¡¯ve put forth on your behalf, Kamak D-V-Y-B. You¡¯re useful, not popular. You got your start by assassinating a member of the Timeka family, if you recall.¡±

    ¡°I killed your dad because your grandma paid me to, Kiz, don¡¯t fucking put that on my head.¡±

    ¡°I know, Kamak, but it¡¯s bad optics,¡± Kiza said flatly. She spoke about ¡°optics¡± as if this were some kind of advertising campaign, not a matter of life and death. ¡°And it¡¯s all irrelevant for you right now. You can, however barely, get out of this in one piece. Your crew can¡¯t. That¡¯s the deal. Are you going to take it?¡±

    Kiz Timeka put her drink down on bare wood and waited for a response she wasn¡¯t getting. Kamak sat in his chair and looked at the wooden paneling of Kiz¡¯s desk. It looked expensive, or at least it had at some point. It was scuffed, scratched, and marked by wear and tear. Kiz probably didn¡¯t see a need to take care of it. She could always get a new one.

    ¡°I¡¯m waiting, Kamak.¡±

    She kept waiting, and never got her answer.

    A shockwave traveled through the room, and the station lurched so hard that Kiz nearly fell from her seat, and spilled her drink all over her desk. Kamak managed to grab his chair and hold himself steady, but the pulse left him mentally rattled anyway. Kiz looked down at the mess on her desk with disgust and then slammed a fist on the communications button built into it.

    ¡°What the fuck just happened?¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t know, ma¡¯am, we¡¯re working on it.¡±

    She grunted in disgust at the incompetence and hung up the call. Kamak was making a call of his own, to the comms center on the Hard Luck Hermit.

    ¡°Hey! Are you fuckers still alive?¡±

    ¡°For now,¡± Tooley snapped. ¡°The fuck was that?¡±

    ¡°Felt like some kind of shockwave,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°We¡¯re in space, Corvash,¡± Kamak snapped. ¡°There¡¯s no shockwaves.¡±

    ¡°Not unless it¡¯s a subspace pulse,¡± Tooley said.

    ¡°What the fuck is that and what causes it?¡±

    ¡°Short version, it¡¯s a really fucking big shockwave,¡± Tooley said. There were some complicated explanations involving subatomic particles and inertia, but nobody had time for that. ¡°And it usually happens whenever something really big exits FTL.¡±

    ¡°How big?¡±

    The station rattled again, more aggressively this time. Kiz was thrown forward and hit her head on the desk, while Kamak slid out of his chair and hit the floor.

    ¡°What was that? Another whatever pulse?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Farsus shouted through the comms. ¡°That was an impact.¡±

    Kiz lifted her head and looked at Kamak, who was looking at the door.

    ¡°Time to go,¡± Kamak said.

 Chapter 78: All Over Again

    Kamak barely made it out the door of Kiz¡¯s office before another impact rattled the station. To Vo was still waiting outside, but the Doccan guard was nowhere to be seen.

    ¡°Damn it, where¡¯s my guard?¡± Kiz shouted.

    ¡°He ran away,¡± To Vo said.

    ¡°Must¡¯ve decided it was logical to bail on you,¡± Kamak snapped back. He grabbed To Vo and shoved her towards the exit. ¡°Come on, move. We¡¯re leaving.¡±

    Another rattling impact and the sound of a large explosion emphasized Kamak¡¯s point. They started running in the direction of the hangar -followed, for some reason, by Kiz Timeka.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t your ships the other way?¡±

    ¡°Yes, the other way, the same direction as the explosions, Kamak,¡± Kiz said. ¡°Get me on your ship and off this station.¡±

    Kamak could¡¯ve made a large number of sarcastic comments about the irony of the situation, but he saved them for later. There¡¯d be plenty of time for mockery when, and if, they got off the station alive.

    ¡°Tooley, are you seeing anything on your end?¡±

    ¡°Not a fucking thing,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Guest hangar¡¯s on the far side of whatever the fuck is going on. Only thing I¡¯ve seen is some of Timeka¡¯s boys flying away as fast as they can. Or trying to, at least. They¡¯re mostly exploding.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re shooting down starfighters with kinetics?¡±

    The impacts shaking the station could only be caused by kinetic projectiles, a rare and highly impractical choice for stellar warfare. The station was a large, slow moving target, but it was also close to the gravity well of the nearby sun, which made aiming more difficult.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t look like it,¡± Tooley noted. ¡°Conventional energy weapons, as far as I can tell.¡±

    ¡°So, split munitions, or-¡±

    Another impact rattled the station, and Kamak decided that speculating on his opponents weaponry could wait. He took the lead, cursing his luck, cursing Morrakesh, and cursing the universe at large as he did so. This should¡¯ve been his masterstroke, and now it was just another disaster.

    As he sprinted down the hall, Kamak took a second to glare backwards at Kiz. She was half the reason the situation had gone to shit so badly. In an ideal world, Kamak¡¯s message would¡¯ve gone out to the entire Timeka board of directors. Instead, Kiz had intercepted it for herself, presumably to steal all the glory of stopping Timeka¡¯s graverobbing problem. Now all of Kamak¡¯s hopes for survival were pinned on one bitch. At least Tooley had gotten him used to that dynamic.

    The station rattled with a heavy impact once more, one that felt much closer this time. Curiously, only seconds after the impact, the klaxons blaring throughout the station fell silent. Somehow, the silence didn¡¯t make Kamak feel safe.

    His instincts proved reliable once again, when the lights went out. A few strips of safety lights illuminated the edges of the hallway, but other than their scant red glow, the hallway was pitch black.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s the central power shot,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Must¡¯ve hit the central core.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t be,¡± Kiz said.

    ¡°You have another explanation for why the lights are out?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but they can¡¯t have hit the core,¡± Kiz protested. ¡°The entire station is built around it. If they¡¯d bombarded that, the entire place would be falling apart.¡±

    Kamak stopped dead in his tracks and held up a hand, causing Kiz and To Vo to grind to a halt behind him. Kiz nearly questioned the sudden pause, but Kamak shushed her with one hand and drew his pistol with the other.

    ¡°Move. Fast. Quiet,¡± Kamak whispered.

    ¡°What the fuck are you doing, Kamak?¡± Kiz shouted. ¡°We need to get out of here now!¡±

    The moment her petulant screaming stopped, the sound of skittering limbs and strange, alien babbling echoed down the hall back at them. Kamak glared daggers at Kiz while he aimed his gun into the empty blackness.

    ¡°The power¡¯s down because it¡¯s been cut,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Those impacts weren¡¯t a bombardment-¡±

    The skittering sounds started to get louder and louder.

    ¡°-they were boarding parties.¡±

    The first spindly limb appeared in the dull red glow of the emergency lights, and Kamak took a shot at it. He heard a squeal of pain, and the limb retracted. One small arm retracted, and a hundred more emerged in its place.

    The many-armed alien they had seen on Morrakesh¡¯s ship lunged from the shadows, its circular body spinning in spirals as it skittered forward on all of its dozens of limbs. Based solely on the way it rapidly spun in their direction like a child doing cartwheels, Kamak might¡¯ve thought it amusing, but he¡¯d seen one of those things rip a grown man to shreds and eat the pieces. He took aim at the spinning alien and kept firing until it stopped moving. Kiz quietly gasped in horror as the unknown alien skidded to a dead stop at her feet, myriad limbs motionless and dead.

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    ¡°Quiet¡¯s shot,¡± Kamak snapped. ¡°Now move. Fast.¡±

    Kiz didn¡¯t stop to question him this time. All three broke into a dead sprint down the hallway as the shouts of incomprehensible alien tongues grew louder and more frenzied behind them. Kamak kept one hand on his gun and the other on his communicator as he ran.

    ¡°Farsus, those fucked up aliens are on the station,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Get the guys, get the guns, and shoot anything with more than four limbs. Do not let them get near the Hermit.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve seen no trouble so far,¡± Farsus said. When the violence had started, he¡¯d not sat around waiting for Kamak¡¯s approval to grab a gun. ¡°I believe most of the intruders are on your end of the station.¡±

    ¡°I believe it,¡± Kamak said. He could hear a cacophony of skittering behind him. The sheer number of limbs each alien had made it impossible to estimate just how many were after him, but he would hazard a guess at ¡°a lot¡±.

    Kamak¡¯s dead sprint through the dark halls took him to a crossroads in the station¡¯s corridors, with three hallways branching off from the now-inactive elevator entrance. That was good. Multiple options meant some of the aliens might go the wrong way. But before anyone else could go the wrong way, Kamak needed to know the right way.

    ¡°Alright, Kiz, which way are the stairs?¡±

    ¡°What stairs?¡±

    If not for the skittering horde of aliens that were no doubt all too close behind them, Kamak might have turned the gun on Kiz.

    ¡°The fucking stairs,¡± he snapped. ¡°The stairs you walk down when the power¡¯s out and the fucking elevator doesn¡¯t work!¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t-¡±

    ¡°Of course you fucking don¡¯t!¡±

    Kamak bent down and dug his fingers into the small crease between the elevator door and the floor. The elevator doors on the station opened by sliding upwards, adding the weight of gravity to the already difficult task of prying the door open. To Vo bent down to help, while Kiz pressed her back against the wall and stared fearfully at the darkness.

    ¡°Your station is in violation of GC Employee Health and Safety Guideline Ten-Twenty One B,¡± To Vo grunted. The elevator door actually started to budge after she said that, as if quoting bullshit regulations gave her strength.

    ¡°There¡¯s a ladder in the elevator shaft,¡± Kiz hissed.

    ¡°A ladder is not handicap accessible,¡± To Vo snapped back. The heavy metal door started to give way, and Kamak tugged with all his might to make it move just a few more inches.

    ¡°Kiz, fucking do something,¡± Kamak grunted. He could hear the horde getting closer, and the crack they¡¯d opened up was barely wide enough to stick a hand through.

    ¡°Give me your gun,¡± Kiz said. ¡°I¡¯ll hold them off.¡±

    ¡°How stupid do you think I am? You want to live, lift the door,¡± Kamak demanded.

    As the skittering got too close to ignore, Kiz Timeka bent down and very reluctantly did manual labor for what was very likely the first, and very likely the last, time in her life. Weak as she was, the extra pair of hands gave them the necessary strength to lift the door. It slid upwards with a loud groan, almost loud enough to disguise the sound of the approaching aliens.

    Kamak took one hand off the door and grabbed his gun. It was hard to aim and lift at the same time, but the alien¡¯s tangled mass of limbs made for a fairly easy target. He pulled the trigger until he felt the power cell overheating and watched the bodies drop. Every flash of plasma fire illuminated the dark hallway, lighting up the bodies of the dead -and the grasping arms of those yet to die, crawling over the bodies of their fallen brothers.

    Despite having dealt with the Doccan on more than one occasion, who also held no inherent fear of death nor concern for the lives of their kin, the horde¡¯s ambivalence to the massacre unnerved Kamak. The Doccan simply ignored the bodies and moved on with their objective, cold and clinical. They couldn¡¯t mourn if they tried. These many-armed freaks of nature clearly felt emotion, but did not let it interrupt them. They were driven¡ªand deranged¡ªin a way Kamak could not comprehend. He avoided thinking about it by making use of a few spare seconds to pull on the elevator door with both hands.

    With a satisfying metallic thud, the elevator door slid open just wide enough that Kamak could reasonably squeeze beneath it. He took a quick glance inside the empty shaft, and spotted the ladder on the far wall. It would be a short jump¡ªanother glaring health and safety violation from the Timeka corporation¡ªbut Kamak was confident he could make it. It would just be a matter of timing their jumps to make sure the heavy metal door didn¡¯t come crashing down on top of them. Kamak glanced over his shoulder to see how much time they had.

    A pair of snapping pincers inches away from Kamak¡¯s nose answered that question for him. None.

    A lifetime spent dodging, and firing, bullets had given Kamak a strong sense of situational awareness, and a stronger sense of rapid situational logistics. Every problem broke down into math one way or another. In this case, the problem was a horde of flesh-eating aliens, plus a jump across an elevator shaft. Zero time to shout a meaningful warning. One door that would rapidly close. One hand to grab the ladder rungs. One hand free to grab someone else. Two people to grab.

    One person left behind.

    Kamak didn¡¯t think. He acted. Solved the problem. One hand, one grab, one jump, one door closing. Act first, create a new situation, deal with new problems. He reached out a hand, grabbed, jumped, and let the elevator door slam down behind him. He managed to latch on to the ladder with his free hand, and let his guest on the jump swing low and manage to grab on to the rungs of the ladder as well. Only when he was safely in place, and heard the elevator door slam down with a sickening crunch, did Kamak appraise his new situation.

    To Vo was on the ladder. Kiz was partially crushed by the elevator door. Blood was leaking from her mouth, and the excited chattering of their alien enemies said they were right on top of her. Kamak was confused.

    He¡¯d had the option, the choice, between the one woman in the galaxy capable of solving all his problems and To Vo La Su, whose name he couldn¡¯t even remember half the time, and for some reason, he had chosen To Vo. His instincts had picked the paper pushing ex-cop over his best chance at survival. He couldn¡¯t wrap his head around his own logic.

    While Kamak struggled to make sense of his own actions, Kiz struggled with the consequences of them. She could no longer feel her legs, which may have been a blessing considering some of the sounds she could hear behind her. She tried to grab on to either side of the elevator doorway and pull herself free, but her mangled body lacked the strength to move. She struggled in vain, never moving an inch, until the desperate shock wore off, and she came to one inevitable conclusion. She looked up, and found that Kamak had traced this path to the same end.

    The barrel of a pistol pointed right between Kiz¡¯s eyes, though the hand that held it trembled. For the second time in his life, Kamak held a member of the Timeka family at gunpoint. Out of mercy, not malice, but that mattered very little. Against his better judgment, Kamak looked Kiz in the eyes. She couldn¡¯t even speak, but in that moment, Kamak knew exactly what she was thinking.

    Just like dad.

 Chapter 79: The Survivor

    ¡°Doprel, get to the elevator shaft and open the door,¡± Kamak snapped. He¡¯d put away his gun and immediately pulled out his communicator to call Doprel.

    ¡°Yeah. Kamak, is everything-¡±

    ¡°Fucking do it, Doprel,¡± Kamak snapped. He cut the call and shoved his communicator back into his belt. He needed to focus on climbing downwards, and on ignoring the sound of blood dripping down the other side of the elevator shaft.

    ¡°Kamak-¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± Kamak ordered. ¡°Don¡¯t talk.¡±

    The cold silence in the elevator shaft lasted about ten seconds. Kamak hated it, and more importantly, realized an important proviso.

    ¡°Unless you¡¯re warning me about something,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Then you can talk.¡±

    After all this, Kamak didn¡¯t want to die because To Vo took one of his orders too seriously. To Vo was not quite that stupid, but she knew now was not the time to argue the point.

    The elevator shaft trembled as the Timeka station shifted. The system failures caused by the invading aliens were starting to cascade and shut down essential systems, not just the main power. Kamak just hoped the gravity and life support lasted until they could make it to the ship. Or he hoped the life support went out soon enough the aliens didn¡¯t find him before he suffocated. Oxygen deprivation was a better way to die than being torn to shreds, or whatever other myriad horrors the universe might have in store for him.

    Of all the hundreds of horrifying options, being torn to shreds soon became the most likely. Spindly fingers found their way under the elevator door and began to lift. Where Kamak and company had struggled, the alien horde moved with ease, with a hundred limbs effortlessly lifting the heavy metal door. The sudden loss of tension caused Kiz¡¯s body to drop down and fall past them, a brutal reminder of something Kamak was already trying to force himself to forget. He didn¡¯t dwell on it, and kept climbing down.

    Only two stories to go. Kamak focused on that. Just two stories to climb down. He could probably even jump the last ten feet or so. Then he¡¯d be one step further away from imminent death. The ever-present spectre of death would always be there, of course, but there at least wouldn¡¯t be literal monsters nipping at his heels, eager to deliver said death slowly and painfully, piece by piece.

    ¡°Kamak, they¡¯re coming!¡±

    ¡°I know! Just keep climbing!¡±

    ¡°They aren¡¯t climbing.¡±

    Kamak looked up just in time to see two-hundred arms dropping towards him.

    All of the two-hundred limbs latched on to him, and the surprising weight of the alien tore him off of the ladder and sent him into freefall. A few of the needling pincers dug into his skin, but most failed to find purchase as the two fell together. Kamak used what little coherent thought he had left to focus on turning, using his weight to direct the fall, and landing on top of his attacker. When they hit the ground, the alien hit first, and went squish in a horrifically unpleasant way as Kamak¡¯s shoulder went ¡°pop¡± in an equally sickening manner. At least it wasn¡¯t his shooting arm. He kept that in mind as he laid on the floor, drew his gun, and took potshots at the rain of monsters pouring down at him.

    Two of the falling aliens caught To Vo by the shoulders and dragged her down as well. She had less distance to fall, so she survived unharmed, though the aliens did as well. They continued to grab at her, and she kicked, screamed, and struggled until she managed to free herself from one of their grasps. The other latched on to her back and started clawing at every exposed surface, though it mostly managed to pull out chunks of fur, not flesh.

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    ¡°Hold still!¡±

    Kamak hadn¡¯t dragged To Vo this far just to let her die now. She froze in place, letting Kamak grab the alien and hold it at the right angle to put a bullet through its circular central body without hurting To Vo. He turned his gun towards the other attacking alien while To Vo latched on to the dead body of the first one and tried to push it away from her. She held it in front of her face for a moment. Then a moment longer.

    ¡°What the-¡±

    The shrieking metallic groan nearly made her jump out of her hoots, though she held firm to the alien¡¯s corpse. Red illumination filled the dark elevator shaft as Doprel pried open the elevator door from the other side. Kamak bitterly noted how easy it was for him to lift the massive door.

    ¡°I¡¯m never leaving you anywhere again,¡± Kamak mumbled. ¡°Move!¡±

    As the mysterious aliens continued to fling themselves down the elevator shaft, Doprel, Kamak, and To Vo all broke into a dead sprint for the hangar. To Vo started to lag behind, as she was, for some reason, dragging an entire alien body with her.

    ¡°To Vo, you idiot, drop it!¡±

    ¡°No!¡±

    Kamak roared in frustration as loud as his hoarse voice would allow.

    ¡°Doprel, help her,¡± Kamak snapped. His hulking helper had been on his way to do so even before Kamak had ordered it. He nabbed the alien corpse and shouldered it, letting To Vo sprint full speed ahead. He figured there had to be something important about the dead body if To Vo was defying a direct order. Finding out what exactly was so important would have to wait until later.

    Kamak cursed once again, this time cursing Timeka¡¯s security policies. There had been an army of drones on the hangar paths on his way in here, now they were completely empty. Presumably all the drones had been diverted to more ¡°critical¡± areas, leaving the guest hangars defenseless. A pointless exercise, if Kiz¡¯s dead body at the bottom of the elevator shaft was anything to go by.

    The drones were gone, but Kamak still got covering fire, courtesy of Farsus and Corey. The two stood on the Hermit¡¯s boarding ramp and rained death on every pursuer while the other three stormed up the ramp.

    ¡°Time to go,¡± Kamak ordered. Tooley didn¡¯t need to be told twice. The boarding ramp started to lift before Kamak was even all the way up it. He let himself tumble forward and fall onto the wall of the cargo bay, barely on his feet.

    For the first time in what felt like a century, Kamak let his muscles relax. His pistol fell to the floor as shaking hands groped for his communicator and punched in a familiar number.

    ¡°Apall?¡±

    The line was silent.

    ¡°Apall, are you there?¡±

    ¡°Kamak.¡±

    His heart skipped a beat or two.

    ¡°Apall, where are you?¡±

    ¡°Executive meeting room of the production wing,¡± Apall said. His voice was shaking. ¡°I¡¯ve got a bottle of chatta with your name on it if you can get through the barricades. And the horde of monsters on the other side.¡±

    The Hermit shuddered to life beneath Kamak. He contemplated the possibility. But only briefly.

    ¡°I- I can¡¯t. I can¡¯t. I¡¯m sorry. I can¡¯t.¡±

    The pause on the other end of the call would haunt Kamak for the rest of his life.

    ¡°I understand,¡± Apall said. His connection was crackling, weak, as was his own voice. ¡°Kiz?¡±

    ¡°She¡­¡±

    Kamak trailed off. He knew the sentence didn¡¯t need finishing.

    ¡°Apall, please, tell someone this wasn¡¯t me,¡± Kamak pleaded. ¡°Anyone. This wasn¡¯t- I didn¡¯t-¡±

    ¡°I know, Kamak,¡± Apall said. ¡°I know. But long range comms are shot. I can¡¯t.¡±

    Kamak nearly threw his communicator the floor, but resisted the urge. It was the only link to Apall he had left.

    ¡°You¡¯ll get through this,¡± Apall said, doing his best to sound reassuring. ¡°You always were a survivor.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sick of it,¡± Kamak mumbled. He¡¯d outlived too many people already. ¡°I¡¯m so god damn sick of it.¡±

    Apall sighed. He wasn¡¯t exactly in the best place to be playing therapist. The scratching claws at his door made it hard to be too concerned about other people¡¯s feelings.

    ¡°Kamak. These things. Any chance they¡¯re interested in taking me alive?¡±

    ¡°If they are...you don¡¯t want to go where they¡¯d take you.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. Good luck, Kamak. I¡¯ll see you in hell.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. See you there.¡±

    The call ended. Silence reigned.

    Kamak threw his datapad so hard it exploded on impact, and a thousand shards of broken plastic and circuitry scattered across the floor.

 Chapter 80: Turning Point

    Kamak wasn¡¯t in the cockpit, but Tooley wasn¡¯t waiting on his approval anyway. She pulled out of the hangar and broke into evasive maneuvers right away.

    ¡°Strap in, this is not going to be a smooth ride,¡± Tooley warned the crew. The Timeka station¡¯s bulky frame was providing them cover for now, but they were between it and the sun. If they wanted to break free of the system, they needed to go around the station, and face off with whatever forces were attacking it.

    ¡°I will take the gun,¡± Farsus said. It was a small weapon, comparatively speaking, but the Hermit¡¯s sole cannon was better than nothing. ¡°The rest of you may assist by picking a god and praying.¡±

    To Vo clasped her hands together, but no one else did. Corey grit his teeth, kept his eyes on the cockpit window, and readied himself for anything. He still wasn¡¯t ready for what he saw.

    He was still an amateur when it came to stellar combat, but based on the firepower at play he had been expecting a fleet, perhaps a few massive frigates and accompanying fighter escorts. What he saw instead was a single ship, so massive its frame engulfed most of his view of the stars. The titanic battleship was built like a wheel, with massive metallic spokes supporting an outer ring loaded with bulbous gun emplacements, hangar bays, and defensive shielding. Farsus locked eyes on the goliath war machine and stared at it, mouth agape.

    ¡°The Great Wheel.¡±

    His revelation was silenced as Tooley swerved hard to the right, avoiding a burst of incoming laser fire. Except for the Hard Luck Hermit, the skies around the Timeka station were empty, meaning the massive wheel had only one target to focus on. Had it been anyone but Tooley at the helm, they would have been dead in seconds. Only she was skilled enough to keep them ahead of the hail of laser fire, and only she was recklessly confident in herself enough to recognize their way out.

    ¡®Tooley, why are we flying directly towards the giant death circle?¡±

    The Hermit was now barreling at full speed directly towards the Great Wheel, and showing no sign of stopping. Tooley gripped the controls and tried to focus on flying, even as she explained herself.

    ¡°It¡¯s a wheel,¡± Tooley said. ¡°All the guns are on the outside, so the safe space is on the inside.¡±

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    Corey took another look at the Great Wheel. The gaps in the ship¡¯s ¡°spokes¡± looked barely large enough to fit the Hermit, and the entire vessel was rotating, making it an even tougher needle to thread.

    ¡°And then what?¡±

    ¡°And then something,¡± Tooley said. ¡°I¡¯m working on it.¡±

    She executed a tight barrel roll to avoid the next salvo of laser fire and then checked her instruments. The Great Wheel was located just outside the sun¡¯s gravity well. Once she was past it, she¡¯d be free to make a light speed jump. Assuming she wasn¡¯t shot down first, and that she didn¡¯t crash into the wheel. And that she could actually make the calculations in time.

    Unless she didn¡¯t need to make calculations.

    ¡°Hey Corey, remember that wire I made you help me fix?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, the one that- oh no.¡±

    ¡°Oh yes,¡± Tooley said. She kicked the panel near her chair where the wire was hidden. ¡°We need a jump and we need it now, bud. You have twelve ticks.¡±

    Corey pried open the panel, which was thankfully still loose. Tooley had been too lazy to properly secure it after fixing it. The recently-replaced wire still stood out from the rest, and Corey grabbed it and sliced it in half. A jolt traveled up his knife and into his arm, but the mild shock didn¡¯t kill him. The jury was still out on whether any number of other factors in the current situation might kill him, though.

    ¡°Alright, wire¡¯s cut, now- fuck!¡±

    Corey got off his knees just in time to see a wall of dark green metal consume the entire cockpit. In response to Tooley¡¯s charge, the Great Wheel had reversed its rotational direction at the last second, in the hopes of disorienting her and causing her to crash. Tooley didn¡¯t even blink.

    The ship pitched hard to the right as Tooley veered hard in that direction, spinning the Hermit to match the Great Wheel¡¯s rotation. Their attempts to outwit her had only made her job easier. By changing direction, they had slowed their rotation speed, making it that much easier for Tooley to thread the needle and fly right through two spokes in the massive wheel.

    Seeing that their gambit had failed, the crew aboard the Great Wheel turned their weapons towards the opposite side of the battleship, hoping to catch the Hard Luck Hermit as it barreled the other direction. Dozens of high-powered cannons made ready to fire, and found themselves aimed at a blank void. The Hermit was gone.

    Exactly two point eight-three-nine lightyears away, straight down, Tooley finally took her hands off the controls. Veering straight downwards and making an immediate blind light-speed jump had been complicated even by her standards, but it had paid off. She could only imagine the Great Wheel was still trying to figure out where they had disappeared to.

    ¡°I really need you all to appreciate how good I am at this,¡± Tooley sighed. To Vo¡¯s head popped up from its hiding place behind her hands.

    ¡°We¡¯re still alive?¡±

    ¡°Hey.¡±

 Chapter 81: No Good Options

    Tooley had put them through several random FTL jumps to scatter their trail, and Farsus had swapped out their ship¡¯s transponder, making them virtually impossible to track by conventional means. Morrakesh, of course, had unconventional means at his disposal, but they¡¯d probably bought themselves a few cycles, at least. Their primary problem was that Kamak hadn¡¯t moved from his huddled position in the cargo bay, nor said a word to anyone who approached him.

    ¡°We don¡¯t actually need him to go places,¡± Tooley said. ¡°He¡¯s the captain, yeah, but I¡¯m the only one who can actually make the ship move.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s beside the point,¡± Corey said. ¡°Him not moving it all is a bit concerning.¡±

    ¡°Eh. Honestly it¡¯s about time someone else had a mental breakdown,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Kamak was the most likely candidate. Well, him or you again.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°You know I¡¯m right,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Come on. Let him have his fetal position time. We can figure out where to go on our own.¡±

    ¡°And where do you propose we go?¡±

    ¡°Well I don¡¯t really have an idea right off the bat,¡± Tooley admitted.

    ¡°We find ourselves unwanted almost anywhere we might go,¡± Farsus said. ¡°Paga For is our only possible haven, and even that comes with inherent risk.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I know. We could...fuck. This is hard.¡±

    ¡°Say what you will about Kamak, he¡¯s decisive,¡± Doprel said. ¡°Not always in the right direction, admittedly, but he¡¯s a conversation starter.¡±

    Tooley fumed at the idea that she might in any way be dependent on Kamak, but she could offer no alternatives. While she nursed her wounded pride, Corey took a step back.

    ¡°I only know like ten places anyway, and nine of them would get us killed for sure,¡± Corey said. The tenth was Paga For, firmly a ¡°maybe¡± get them killed, as Farsus had said. ¡°I¡¯m going to try talking to Kamak again. I can probably get him to call me a moron, at least. That might get him going.¡±

    No one objected to Corey¡¯s idea or to him getting called a moron, so he wandered off to the cargo bay. Doprel had done his best to sweep up the broken shards of Kamak¡¯s shattered datapad, but a few fragments still remained. Kamak had one held between his fingertips, and he was staring at the jagged edges with unnerving focus. At least he was moving, Corey thought to himself. He¡¯d been sitting against the wall with a dead-eyed stare for cycles in a row.

    ¡°Hey, Kamak, we were thinking-¡±

    ¡°Shut up.¡±

    Corey took that as a good sign. Kamak was talking. Talking rudely, but talking.

    ¡°Answer a question for me,¡± Kamak said. It was an order, not a request. ¡°When this whole thing really started to break bad, when that cop Mokai got blown to bits, why¡¯d you grab To Vo?¡±

    The question, while seemingly random, was not entirely out of left field. To Vo La Su had told them everything about what had happened in the elevator shaft, and just outside it. Corey didn¡¯t necessarily object to the decision, but he did wonder why Kamak had chosen to save To Vo before Kiz Timeka, the only woman in the galaxy who could¡¯ve solved their Morrakesh problem. Apparently Kamak himself didn¡¯t know the answer either.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Corey admitted. ¡°It seemed like the right thing to do at the time.¡±

    ¡°Even though the only thing she¡¯d ever done was hassle you,¡± Kamak mumbled.

    ¡°Yeah. It just...she was going to die if I didn¡¯t do something, so I did something.¡±

    Kamak just shook his head. Apparently the answer didn¡¯t satisfy him. Corey dug deep into the depths of his soul and pulled out something a little more substantial.

    ¡°And, I guess, on some level, I knew that she¡¯d at least try to do the same for me,¡± Corey said. That actually got Kamak to glance upwards for a second. ¡°I never met Kiz, but I¡¯ve learned enough to know rich bastards are the same across the whole universe. If things were the other way around, she wouldn¡¯t have even thought about you.¡±

    A provably true statement, given everything that had happened just before Kiz¡¯s death. She¡¯d gotten all the info she needed to prove that Kamak was desperate. Not just that, but that Morrakesh¡¯s schemes were putting intergalactic trade and billions of lives, and billions of cece¡¯s worth of Timeka¡¯s profit, at risk. She¡¯d even learned that the dead themselves were not spared. Kiz Timeka had learned all of that and not even hesitated before trying to screw it all up for her own benefit, and sacrifice Kamak¡¯s crew in the process.

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    Even knowing that didn¡¯t undo the tangled knot in Kamak¡¯s stomach. Saving Kiz was about more than just his feelings, or even his own life. Everyone on the ship could¡¯ve walked free if he¡¯d saved Kiz instead of To Vo.

    But he hadn¡¯t. And now he had to live in the mess he¡¯d made.

    ¡°Come on,¡± Kamak grunted. He pulled himself to his feet and stretched out aching legs. He¡¯d been sitting too damn long. ¡°Let¡¯s get this shit over with.¡±

    Kamak took a wobbly walk back to the common room. Tooley and Farsus were trying to map out all the most remote outposts in the galaxy for potential hiding places. Kamak took one step into the room, took a look at their holographic map, and wiped it clean.

    ¡°Good to see you too, asshole,¡± Tooley grumbled. She¡¯d worked hard on that map.

    ¡°Yeah, fuck you,¡± Kamak grunted. He took a seat on the couch and kicked his feet up. ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here. Every move we make, we make things worse. Time to find a place to quit moving.¡±

    Every time they tried to be smart, things got worse, and bodies piled up. Morrakesh¡¯s bloody scheme was getting bloodier every swap, and they had instigated some of his worst bloodbaths, intentionally or not. Kamak was no saint, but he didn¡¯t want to watch his hands get bloodier.

    ¡°We¡¯re bordering the Arkenne galaxy,¡± Kamak said. ¡°We can take the long shot through dead space and be at Centerpoint in a little less than a month. We¡¯ve got the supplies for it, if we ration.¡±

    ¡°And then?¡±

    ¡°Hope Morrakesh has either pulled off or flubbed its big plan,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Once it¡¯s done everything it plans to do, history should vindicate us. It¡¯ll be obvious what it was up to after the fact.¡±

    ¡°And if its plan isn¡¯t wrapped up?¡±

    ¡°We can always turn ourselves in to the GC Police,¡± Kamak said. His crew recoiled from the idea, and Kamak jumped in to explain himself further. ¡°As opposed to literally every other faction, they don¡¯t like immediately executing their prisoners. If we raise enough of a stink about corruption and have To Vo pleading our case, we can probably keep ourselves alive long enough for Morrakesh to realize there¡¯s no point killing us.¡±

    That decreased the overall level of disgust, but not by much.

    ¡°You know anyone else who¡¯s going to even try to keep us alive, feel free to name them,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°If we¡¯re just giving up the ghost, I could always pull a decoy strategy,¡± Tooley said. ¡°We¡¯ve still got that old dummy plug to remotely pilot a ship. We can land some place remote, like that unhab planet we found Wagam on, and fly the Hermit away without us in it. It¡¯d get people off our tail for a while.¡¯

    ¡°Firstly, no way in hell that fools Morrakesh, and then we¡¯re just some assholes stuck on a rock with no way out,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Second, even if it did work, I¡¯m sure as hell not spending the next few decades stuck with you scraping edible algae off rocks.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not saying forever, just long enough to get Morrakesh off our asses.¡±

    ¡°Not happening. Any other suggestions?¡±

    ¡°Well, if we want to talk about people who don¡¯t want us dead...¡±

    Corey took his time to say it. It was quite possibly the only idea less appealing than surrendering, or hiding out on some barren rock.

    ¡°There is Morrakesh.¡±

    Saying it out loud resulted in the exact amount of judgmental stares Corey had expected.

    ¡°Am I wrong?¡± Corey pleaded. ¡°Morrakesh actually helped us, and even offered us a job. I¡¯m not saying he¡¯s looking out for us, but he has a proven interest in keeping us alive. Maybe we can exploit that. Say we¡¯re desperate and we¡¯ll take the job, find out what his next move is and ruin it.¡±

    ¡°No way in hell is it going to be that easy,¡± Kamak said. ¡°And whatever the hell you think you¡¯re scheming isn¡¯t going to work either.¡±

    Corvash still had that glint of rage in his eyes, a glimmer of a long-held grudge. It had been present since finding out about his Uncle Richard¡¯s presence on Paga For, and had only intensified since realizing Morakesh had desecrated his mother¡¯s grave.

    ¡°Statistically, it seems as likely to fail as your plan,¡± Farsus said. Kamak tried not to take that personally. ¡°But it is more proactive. I favor striking out, to our last breath.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d like to die the way I lived: spitefully,¡± Tooley said.

    ¡°I¡¯m not a fan of dramatic last stands,¡± Doprel said. ¡°This whole scheming thing is going to blow over some day. We don¡¯t need to throw our lives away over it.¡±

    ¡°I agree. I know the Galactic Council Police is not perfect, but there are enough good people in it to protect you until the truth comes to light,¡± To Vo said.

    ¡°Oh look at that, a perfect tie, how nice,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Do we settle it with a coin flip or a fist fight?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve got Doprel on your side, we¡¯re doing the coin flip,¡± Tooley said.

    ¡°Okay, hold on,¡± Corey said. ¡°We don¡¯t need to decide shit right now. You said we¡¯d be taking the long way to Centerpoint, right? Same if we went to the Morrakesh Collective?¡±

    ¡°Avoiding Bang Gates feels like a good idea right now, yeah,¡± Kamak said. They¡¯d been able to get through security checkpoints with decoy transponders and bluffing so far, but Kamak didn¡¯t want to push their luck now that Timeka would be after them. Unlike the other rag-tag factions out to kill them, Timeka had trillions of cece¡¯s worth of assets and the will to use them on a grudge. The universe had just become a vastly more dangerous place.

    ¡°So let¡¯s just take a minute to think about it, yeah? We¡¯re between the two places right now anyway.¡±

    The Timeka station had been situated in a galaxy between Centerpoint and the borders of the Morrakesh Collective -presumably one of the reasons it had been attacked. The convenient location should have made it an obvious choice for Morrakesh to attack, in retrospect.

    ¡°If we are going through dead space, it¡¯ll take me a while to calculate a route anyway,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Got to compensate for galactic drift and all that.¡±

    ¡°Fine then. Take some time, calculate some trajectories, whatever,¡± Kamak said. ¡°We¡¯ll talk more once we have some plans.¡±

    ¡°Sounds like a plan.¡±

    Tooley made for the cockpit and sat down, glad to be free of the morose conversation. She had only just regained her will to live and now they were talking about which way they all wanted to die. It just felt like bad timing.

 Chapter 82: Unconventional Linguistics

    ¡°Alright, To Vo, time to justify your existence,¡± Kamak said. Him being sarcastic again felt like a good sign to To Vo. ¡°And also why you dragged a random alien corpse on to my ship. That thing-¡±

    Kamak paused as he fully entered their makeshift medical room. It was just an empty bedroom they kept relatively clean and stored all their medical supplies in, but it was the closest thing they had to an actual medical bay, and Kamak did not appreciate the mess To Vo had made of it.

    She froze in place, looking up from what appeared to be a full-scale dissection of the alien corpse she¡¯d dragged aboard. There was purple-grey ichor everywhere, several organs had been scattered around the room, and To Vo was currently fiddling with a large chunk of caparace attached to some sort of wiry mass of ganglion neurons.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t realize you were a surgeon.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m not,¡± To Vo said. ¡°I, well, back on my homeworld, when we killed something we had to make sure we used all of it. So I¡¯m very good at taking things to pieces.¡±

    ¡°Uh huh,¡± Kamak said. Looking at the massive amounts of ¡°blood¡± all over the room, butcher did make more sense than surgeon. ¡°You¡¯re very lucky I know you¡¯re going to clean all this up.¡±

    ¡°Absolutely, sir,¡± To Vo said. She saluted, and left a bloody imprint on her furry forehead.

    ¡°So, you find any important organs I should be shooting at?¡±

    ¡°No sir. As far as I can tell their nervous systems and sensory organs are mostly spread throughout their carapace, and they have a sort of hydraulic system that diffuses their blood and moves their limbs at the same time. The central body mostly contains their digestive system, which they don¡¯t seem to need to survive. At least, not in the short term. They¡¯d have plenty of time to rip you apart before they starved to death.¡±

    ¡°Not quite as hard to kill as Doprel, but still pretty fucking hard,¡± Kamak said. He didn¡¯t like that one bit. ¡°Any good news?¡±

    ¡°Yes! The whole reason I brought them on board in the first place,¡± To Vo said proudly. ¡°One moment, I was just about to finish.¡±

    To Vo took a pair of pliers and a scalpel and pried at the chunk of carapace she had been working on when Kamak walked in. With a little bit of effort, and a few careful cuts, she managed to remove the prize she had been seeking: a small, silvery computer chip, buried just beneath the carapace¡¯s outer layer. Kamak recognized the construction. He¡¯d bought one of these same devices for Corey not long ago.

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    ¡°A translation chip?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    ¡°You went to all this trouble to get that?¡±

    ¡°Of course! If it is plugged into this alien¡¯s nervous system, it means that it has their language loaded into it,¡± To Vo said. ¡°Next time we meet, perhaps we can communicate.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if you saw the part where they rip people into tiny little pieces, To Vo, but I¡¯m not sure I want to talk to those things.¡±

    ¡°Every species has outliers,¡± To Vo said. ¡°There¡¯s a chance. Either way, it will at least let us gather more information.¡±

    ¡°Sure. I think Farsus knows how to work those things, let¡¯s give it to him.¡±

    <hr>

    Farus did know how to upload information to translation chips, just as he knew many other seemingly random bits of trivia and technical know-how. In a few moments, everyone felt a slight stinging sensation behind their ear¡ªand heard a loud scream coming from Corey¡¯s bedroom.

    ¡°Oh right, I forgot he¡¯s sensitive to this shit,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Sorry Corvash.¡±

    Corey was too busy screaming to hear the apology, but he wouldn¡¯t have cared for it anyway. He rubbed an aching head and stormed out of his bedroom.

    ¡°A little warning, please?¡±

    ¡°You know a new language now, you¡¯re welcome,¡± Kamak said. Unfortunately, that knowledge was mostly passive. The translation chips did all the mental work for them. Farsus however, had made a copy of the linguistic information contained within, and was perusing it in document form on his computer.

    ¡°We have a name, at least,¡± Farsus said. ¡°They call themselves Horuk.¡±

    Their species name sounded a lot like someone throwing up, which Corey found appropriate.

    ¡°Any particular insights to be gleaned from their dictionary, Farsus?¡±

    If anybody could pull some sort of in-depth cultural analysis from a list of basic vocabulary, Farsus could. He pored over the data, finding it to be often incoherent and scattered. The sample of the Horuk language they¡¯d recovered from the translation chip wasn¡¯t perfect, and the tongue was difficult to translate in the first place, due to the alien race¡¯s unique biology. The differences in styles of communication created obstacles, but also opportunities: as the Horuk had entirely different phonetics, the translation also had to account for proper nouns.

    ¡°There are associations made for almost all of our technological and cultural mainstays,¡± Farsus said. ¡°Bang Gates, Galactic Council, even phrases to refer to races like Gentanian and Sturit. They have a great deal of information on our society.¡±

    ¡°Got to do your research before you start a trade war,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Surprising that the handsy bastards are so smart, considering they rushed us without guns. I figured these ones were some kind of attack dog.¡±

    ¡°You may be closer to the truth than you think,¡± Farsus said. ¡°There is terminology for some kind of caste-based system present. What we¡¯ve seen thus far might be the lowest caste of their society, the expendable shock troops sent to the front lines.¡±

    ¡°I really don¡¯t want to think about bigger, tougher versions of these fucking things,¡± Kamak sighed. Farsus nodded in agreement. The last thing they needed was even bigger monsters trying to kill them.

 Chapter 83: Something Out There

    ¡°Having fun?¡±

    Corey slipped into the cockpit and took a seat in the copilots chair. Tooley had been camped out in front of her sensory array for cycles.

    ¡°Time of my life, bud,¡± Tooley grunted. ¡°Scanning a couple million miles of dead, empty space.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this usually faster?¡±

    Tooley had calculated safe FTL jumps hundreds of times before, and it was usually a matter of ticks, with very little effort required on Tooley¡¯s part. This jump was taking cycles¡¯ worth of manual effort.

    ¡°Yeah, because I can cross reference it with recent scans from other travelers, or station security scans,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Nobody ever scans this dead space, though. I got to do hundreds of sweeps to ensure everything¡¯s going to be safe for as long as I need it to be.¡±

    Formulating a safe route through the void between galaxies wasn¡¯t the cakewalk one would expect it to be. While the vast abyss was ninety nine point nine nine nine (etc) percent empty, that last fraction of a fraction of a percentage point could kill them in a heartbeat. Rogue planets and drifting stars floated through the void, creating random obstacles in the otherwise featureless abyss. Tooley had been keeping her eyes out for any such obstacles for far too long.

    ¡°How many times have you blinked in the last cycle?¡± Corey asked. ¡°Your eyes look red.¡±

    Tooley stopped to rub her eyes for a moment. Now that Corey was pointing it out, they did sting.

    ¡°Son of a bitch,¡± Tooley mumbled. She¡¯d gotten lost in staring blankly at the endlessly repetitive readouts. ¡°I got to take a break, use the little pilot¡¯s room at least. Plug in and keep an eye on things for me, would you?¡±

    Corey tapped a screen near him, synching it with his translation chip and turning the readout into a language he could actually read. Though the symbols were now familiar, their construction and organization was still impossible to decipher. Apparently these complex mathematical readouts had something to do with gravitational masses, but Corey didn¡¯t know how to turn the numbers into actually helpful information.

    ¡°I have no idea how to read any of this, you know.¡±

    ¡°Consider this your first lesson,¡± Tooley said. She pointed to a row of the data readout that ended in a large red zero. ¡°That should say zero. Nothing. Sometimes it may say one, maybe even a two, for just a tick. If it says more than that, or for more than a tick, you start shouting, got it?¡±

    ¡°I can do that,¡± Corey said. He didn¡¯t know space flight, but he knew the difference between a zero and a one. Most days, at least.

    Tooley stepped out to stretch her legs, move around, and rest her eyes, and let Corey take over monitoring duty. It didn¡¯t take him long to see how Tooley had gotten sucked into the pattern. A new line of numbers appeared every few seconds, sprawling out into a blur of red symbols that danced before Corey¡¯s eyes. He made sure to keep an eye on each one.

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    A cycle later, Corey felt very close to falling asleep. His diligence, and his consciousness, were waning rapidly when he got just the wake-up call he needed. In a heartpounding turn of events, the readouts showed a five for a moment. Then immediately dipped down to zero.

    ¡°Hey Tooley, there was a five for a second there,¡± Corey said. Tooley started to shout back from the common room. From the sounds of things, she was lying on a couch.

    ¡°Probably just an asteroid rolling through. Is it gone now?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s-¡±

    Corey turned back to the monitor. The five was back. Then it left, and was replaced by a twelve.

    ¡°Uh. Tooley? The numbers are getting bigger.¡±

    Before Corey¡¯s eyes, a twelve turned into a twenty-seven, which turned into a forty-six.

    ¡°How big?¡±

    ¡°Well, we¡¯re up to, uh, sev- ninety.¡±

    ¡°Ninety!?¡±

    Corey could hear Tooley jumping out of her seat and storming to the cockpit. She slammed into her seat and reactivated her data readout to see what Corey was seeing. As she did so, a few more lines of data came in, hovering in the range of the mid-nineties, occasionally approaching one-hundred.

    ¡°What in the burnt¡­¡±

    ¡°Tooley? What does ninety mean?¡±

    ¡°This is all a measure of relative gravitational influence on local space,¡± Tooley said. She kept her eyes locked on the readouts as she explained. ¡°Zero is normal empty space, zero-gravity. One-hundred is a black hole.¡±

    ¡°And this is a ninety? What the fuck is it?¡±

    ¡°One way to find out,¡± Tooley said. She flipped on new panels, opening up new data streams and new room for more calculation. ¡°Farsus, did you already fix the long range scanners?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    ¡°Fix them again,¡± Tooley shouted. Farsus walked over to the helm, opened up the panel that contained all their scanning tools, and double checked his work.

    ¡°Everything appears to be in order,¡± Farsus said. ¡°Unless the parts Morrakesh gave us were fundamentally flawed. Is the scan not returning correct data?¡±

    ¡°I sure fucking hope not,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Take a look at this math for me.¡±

    The rest of the crew started filtering into the cockpit as well, though they held no hope of comprehending the readouts on Tooley¡¯s screen. Only Farsus could even begin to make sense of the complex physics on display.

    ¡°That¡¯s...odd.¡±

    ¡°Odd is an understatement. That¡¯s dead space. Something like that isn¡¯t supposed to be there.¡±

    Kamak looked at the math and saw a whole bunch of big numbers he couldn¡¯t understand, but which seemed to have Tooley very worried.

    ¡°So it¡¯s what, a rogue planet, wandering star, some other shit? Is that going to make travel hard for us?¡±

    ¡°No, the mass here is all wrong,¡± Tooley said. Her blue brows furrowed as she focused harder on the complicated readouts. ¡°It¡¯s smaller than a moon, but causing a mass distortion bordering on a black hole. Something like that...hold on.¡±

    Tooley turned the ship slightly to the right, aiming their scanners in a new direction, and collected a new set of data. One monitor continued to display the old set of numbers while new information rolled in. Though they still could not make sense of the numbers, the crew could see a concerning pattern forming. Whatever Tooley had just aimed at was a near-match to the anomaly hiding in dead space.

    ¡°It¡¯s a match,¡± Tooley mumbled. ¡°Bigger, but a match.¡±

    ¡°A match to fucking what, Tooley?¡±

    Tooley gripped the arms of her pilot¡¯s seat tight and looked up at Kamak.

    ¡°A Bang Gate.¡±

 Chapter 84: All The Pieces Put Together

    ¡°Okay. So we have a Bang Gate in dead space. Parked right outside Centerpoint.¡±

    Tooley had done more analysis of the gravitational anomaly, and confirmed without any shadow of a doubt that there was an active Bang Gate anchored just a few swaps worth of travel outside the Arkenne Galaxy. With how infrequently people scanned dead space, it was likely they were the only ones who knew about it¡ªother than those who had constructed it. Given its positioning between Centerpoint and the Morrakesh Collective, and the general fuckery they¡¯d been living through for weeks now, the crew had gone ahead and assumed it was Morrakesh that built the Bang Gate.

    ¡°What¡¯s that mean for us?¡±

    ¡°It means there¡¯s even more going on than we fucking thought there was,¡± Kamak said. He slammed a fist into the wall in frustration. ¡°Every god damn time we think we take a step forward we find out just how far behind we are.¡±

    ¡°What part does this possibly play? Aren¡¯t those Bang Gates super expensive?¡± Corey asked. Tooley nodded in confirmation. ¡°If he did all that work to make trade routes go around Centerpoint in the first place, why would he build a new one right outside the damn galaxy?¡±

    The inconsistent logic baffled them all. Farsus was the first one to connect the dots. They watched his thick red brows furrow in concentration for a moment before he pounded both fists on his chest and shouted loudly.

    ¡°Bastard,¡± Farsus screamed. He slammed his fist down on the table hard enough to shake it.

    ¡°Is something wrong, Farsus?¡±

    That kind of outburst was out of character for a man who usually embraced chaos in any form. For him to be frustrated, much less genuinely outraged, was rare.

    ¡°We¡¯ve been fooled, and fooled again,¡± Farsus said. ¡°Deception upon deception.¡±

    ¡°Then quit screaming about it and start explaining it,¡± Kamak demanded. Farsus gladly obliged.

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    ¡°Corey! Your uncle and his cult, they have been preaching madly about the Great Wheel,¡± Farsus said. ¡°Morrakesh put this in their heads to make it seem like a conspiracy theory, to discredit news of attacks by the same wheel ship that attacked Timeka.¡±

    Farsus was madly gesticulating now, to an almost frightening extent.

    ¡°The elimination of trade routes and control of Bang Gates was never focused on controlling trade, but transit,¡± Farsus said. He pulled up the map of the universe and pointed to the key routes that Morrakesh sought to sabotage, like those that traveled through Sturit or Doccan-controlled space. ¡°And attacking Timeka was not about disrupting a potential trade rival, but disrupting a supplier of valuable materials and production.¡±

    A red finger jabbed at all the various points of interest across the universal map. Corey could almost see a corkboard with a bunch of newspaper articles and red string manifesting behind Farsus as he unfurled this sudden change in the conspiracy. Yet so far, everything he said made sense. The Sturit and Doccan both controlled travel routes that might be vital in emergencies, and with the xenophobic Structuralist¡¯s in charge of Turitha, and the Doccan having destroyed a Bang Gate, those routes were now throttled or outright destroyed.

    ¡°And Morrakesh let us live,¡± Farsus said. ¡°Because we thought we knew what he was doing. Because even in our efforts to defy him, we were still distracting and misinforming his enemies.¡±

    Farsus stepped back from the map, took a deep breath, and placed his hands on his hips. He stared at the map with a mixture of defiant anger and revelatory joy in his eyes. Though he finally understood the grand plan, the inadvertent part he had played in advancing Morrakesh¡¯s scheme still made him burn with anger.

    ¡°Because we were telling his enemies it was all about trade routes.¡±

    The illusory corkboard Corey was imagining suddenly had all of its threads connected around two points. The Bang Gate, and their new alien friends, the Horuk. A species from beyond any known galaxy, unknown in number -or intent.

    ¡°Shit.¡±

    Corey didn¡¯t know how he hadn¡¯t put the pieces together himself sooner. Everything started to fall into place at once, and he could see looks of intense disgust, anger, and fear spread across the table. Tooley looked ready to kill someone, and Kamak suddenly appeared sick to his stomach. Only Doprel and To Vo proved immune to Farsus¡¯ contagious revelation. To Vo was the first one to admit her own naivete.

    ¡°Um. What is...happening?¡±

    ¡°All of this. Everything we¡¯ve been through. Morrakesh is not planning to manipulate trade routes.¡±

    Farsus crossed his arms across his chest and looked at the universal map, and imagined everything it represented. Dozens of galaxies. Hundreds of inhabited planets and space stations. Trillions of living beings.

    ¡°He is planning an invasion.¡±

 Chapter 85: Not That Bad

    To Vo stared at the universal map for a solid thirty ticks in complete, dead silence. Farsus was slowly drawing out new lines throughout the universe. Not trade routes, but potential angles of attack. With the Bang Gate situated outside the Arkenne Galaxy, they had a straight shot at the center of universal civilization, and from there, clear avenues to every major transit hub in the universe. With most reinforcements bottlenecked due to the restrictions on Structuralist and Doccan travel routes, a sudden surprise attack could cripple Centerpoint, if not outright destroy it, ripping out the heart of universal society and leaving Morrakesh and the Horuk free to spread across the known universe.

    ¡°We have to do something,¡± To Vo mumbled.

    ¡°You¡¯re damn right we do,¡± Kamak said. He reached out and manipulated the map controls, centering their view on the secret Bang Gate. Then he looked as far away from it as possible. ¡°You guys think Paga For is a good place to lie low? Thoth already likes us, and it¡¯s far away as all hell.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Not really a priority target for anyone invading,¡± Tooley agreed. ¡°Same if we could find Arf.¡±

    ¡°Earth,¡± Corey corrected. ¡°And what the fuck are we talking about?¡±

    ¡°Hiding places, Corvash, keep up,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Storm¡¯s coming, best place to be is where it isn¡¯t. To Vo?¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    A brief glimmer of hope flickered into her voice.

    ¡°Where¡¯s your homeworld at? If you¡¯ve just recently been uplifted it¡¯s probably way out there,¡± Kamak said. He quickly browsed the outskirts of the known universe for the furthest possible place from the oncoming war. To Vo clenched her fists as that flicker of hope died.

    ¡°I was born on the outskirts of this galaxy,¡± To Vo said, pointing to a far-flung cluster of stars. ¡°But my home is here.¡±

    To Vo put her hand on the map controls and forcibly put Centerpoint back in focus. Kamak tried to shove her hand away from the controls, but she latched on with surprising strength and held her ground.

    ¡°We have to do something,¡± To Vo repeated, far more insistently this time. ¡°We have to help.¡±

    ¡°Even if we could, why would we? And how? What the hell do you expect us to do?¡±

    ¡°We have to warn someone, at least!¡±

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s play that out,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Let¡¯s say we go to the Galactic Council, and we don¡¯t immediately get arrested, and we don¡¯t immediately have everything we say get dismissed as the ravings of some mad criminals, then what?¡±

    To Vo wrung her hands and recalled the protocol for situations like this. There hadn¡¯t been a large scale interstellar war in decades, so the knowledge was obscure even for a protocol-obsessed peon like her.

    ¡°Then...the galactic representatives would discuss the matter in a forum¡­¡±

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    ¡°Oh good. They can have a forum. Where we¡¯ll get, let me guess, thirty percent who are either bribed or blackmailed, thirty percent who don¡¯t care or don¡¯t believe us, and thirty percent more who want to make a half-assed response. And that¡¯s me being generous.¡±

    Democracy was Tooley¡¯s favorite style of government, if only by virtue of every alternative being worse, but that didn¡¯t mean she trusted the process. Even in the best case scenario, the complex bureaucratic tangle of the Galactic Council would only do too little, too late.

    ¡°There¡¯ll be a chance,¡± To Vo said. She knew better than to try and plead the Council¡¯s case in front of this particular audience. ¡°Even that¡¯s better than nothing.¡±

    ¡°Not by much, and especially not for us,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Because, again, that bullshit is the dream scenario. Most likely outcome is we all get arrested and no one believes us.¡±

    ¡°Nobody likes it, To Vo, but we¡¯re not in a position to play hero,¡± Kamak said. ¡°We can tell a bunch of people who won¡¯t listen or won¡¯t matter, and it won¡¯t change a damn thing. Every time we get involved we just make things worse.¡±

    To Vo La Su stomped her feet in a petulant display of frustration that did nothing to help her case.

    ¡°Doprel, please help,¡± To Vo whined. She could count on Doprel to have a conscience, though it turned out his conscience was pulling him in a very different direction.

    ¡°I don¡¯t...I think Kamak has a point,¡± Doprel said. ¡°We should stay away. Maybe warn Thoth, let them do the rest. But Morrakesh made us his targets for a reason. We¡¯re a lit match, and we need to stop throwing ourselves at powder kegs.¡±

    To Vo looked like she¡¯d been stabbed in the gut, and the betrayal only deepened when Farsus started to nod in agreement.

    ¡°Doprel is correct. Thoth has connections. They will handle this better than we can,¡± Farsus said. ¡°No matter our intentions, our presence antagonizes the situation.¡±

    ¡°I get what you¡¯re going for here, To Vo, I really do,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Maybe it¡¯d work if we were anything but pieces of shit, but that¡¯s what we are.¡±

    ¡°Fuck off.¡±

    To Vo turned to the side to see who had voiced the admittedly crude support. It had come from an unlikely source: Corey Vash. He stepped up, banished the map entirely, and put his hands flat on the table.

    ¡°You¡¯re some of the best god damn people I¡¯ve ever met,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°You¡¯ve got very low standards, then,¡± Tooley scoffed.

    ¡°Shut up. I didn¡¯t say you¡¯re good. You¡¯re awful. All of you,¡± Corey said. Nobody even bothered to be offended by that. ¡°I¡¯m awful too. But when you compare what we are to what we could¡¯ve been, we¡¯re fucking saints.¡±

    Corey pointed an accusing finger at Tooley.

    ¡°You could¡¯ve been a genocidal xenophobic fascist.¡±

    Tooley bristled at the comparison to other Sturit, but said nothing. Corey then turned his ire towards Kamak, Doprel, and Farsus.

    ¡°Soulless corporate assassin. Emotionless cannibalistic thief. Apathetic anarchist lunatic.¡±

    For fairness¡¯s sake, Corey put a hand to his own chest.

    ¡°And let¡¯s not forget the serial abuser cultist,¡± Corey said. ¡°Nobody here is good. But we¡¯re all better than we could¡¯ve been. We all got put in shit situations with no way out, and we got out. We can do that again. We can be better.¡±

    Corey paused, and waited. So did his audience. The silence proved hard to break.

    ¡°Everything else aside, half decent speech, Corvash,¡± Kamak finally said.

    ¡°Thanks.¡±

    ¡°I appreciate the sentiment,¡± Kamak said. It was nice to hear somebody thought he was anything other than a complete asshole. Didn¡¯t happen often. ¡°But it doesn¡¯t do much to change the logistics. Even if I wanted to play hero, I genuinely don¡¯t believe us getting involved is the right thing to do.¡±

    ¡°We have to try,¡± Corey said. ¡°At least think about it.¡±

    ¡°Look, kids, this¡¯d be hard enough to do under normal circumstances,¡± Kamak said. ¡°What¡¯re we going to do, rally the universe, whip up an army and save the day? Even if everyone already liked us, that¡¯d take ages, and a hell of a lot of work. And thanks to our good buddy Morrakesh-¡±

    Kamak froze mid-sentence. He had a look on his face like he¡¯d just struck gold. Slowly, a sly smile parted his lips.

    ¡°Everyone in the universe already hates us.¡±

 Chapter 86: Matches and Powderkegs

    ¡°Everything on the ship prepped?¡±

    ¡°Yes sir,¡± Tooley said. Farsus saluted in turn. They¡¯d been in charge of getting the Hard Luck Hermit ready for the big show.

    ¡°Alrighty, and the rest of you, done playing phone a friend?¡±

    Corey, To Vo, and Doprel saluted as well. Kamak smiled broadly and turned his chair back to face the helm.

    ¡°And is everything playing out as we¡¯d hoped?¡±

    ¡°Looks like it,¡± Tooley said. The long range scanners all showed about what they had hoped for. It appeared they¡¯d gotten the timing right.

    ¡°Well. Only thing left to do is make our entrance,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Tooley?¡±

    Without a word, Tooley executed their pre-planned route and sent them sailing into faster-than-light travel. It would be a short jump, but they still had some time to contemplate what they were about to do.

    ¡°So. Any last words?¡±

    Apparently not. Kamak waited in silence for several seconds.

    ¡°Well then. As the captain, traditionally I should say some kind of last rallying cry...but fuck if I know how.¡±

    ¡°Stellar job, cap,¡± Tooley said.

    ¡°Yeah, hold on,¡± Kamak said. He unbuckled himself and walked out of the cockpit, returning moments later with a fancy bottle of liquor. ¡°Here. Fanciest thing I got.¡±

    Kamak poured out a glass for everyone except Doprel, who still couldn¡¯t metabolize alcohol, even on special occasions. Kamak even poured one out for To Vo, and much to his surprise, the usually sober officer took it. She held the drink for a moment before taking one tiny sip of the dark liquor.

    ¡°This is terrible.¡±

    ¡°You get used to it,¡± Kamak assured her. He took a sip of his drink and tried to stop himself from making a face. It actually did taste terrible.

    Tooley slammed the rest of her drink without blinking and set the empty glass aside as proximity warnings started to beep. She began to flick controls and input commands as they approached their final destination.

    ¡°Bottoms up, folks, it¡¯s showtime,¡± she said. ¡°Dropping out of FTL in three, two, one¡­¡±

    She flipped a switch, and the beige blur of FTL travel faded back into reality. This far outside a galactic system, there were no stars in the sky, just a black abyss in every direction -and a circle of roiling red fire marking the location of Morrakesh¡¯s hidden Bang Gate. The Hard Luck Hermit drifted closer and closer to the fiery gateway as Tooley slowly pulled them to a stop. By the time the Hermit had stopped moving, they could make out the metallic border of the Bang Gate, and the fleet that surrounded it. Three of the Great Wheel ships were stationed at various points around the stellar gateway, joined by hordes of smaller ships, also circular in construction, but on a much smaller scale. Kamak counted out around thirty of the smaller vessels. He also saw, hovering in the middle of them all, a single speck of purple.

    ¡°Ooh, the guest of honor is here,¡± Kamak said. They¡¯d been hoping Morrakesh itself would be present, but they¡¯d had no way of knowing. Hopefully it was the first of many lucky breaks today. ¡°How¡¯s the long-range scanner looking, Tooley, everything on track?¡±

    ¡°Got a drop or two to kill, but everything¡¯s moving.¡±

    ¡°Great! Farsus, put us on open comms. All channels.¡±

    Farsus flipped the switch, and a slight electronic buzz presaged Kamak¡¯s broadcast. He took one more sip of his bitter drink before setting it aside.

    ¡°Captain Morrakesh of the Empyrean Absolutist, and, well, whoever the fuck you are piloting all those other ships out there,¡± Kamak said. ¡°This is Captain Kamak D-V-Y-B of the Hard Luck Hermit. I will now be accepting your unconditional surrender.¡±

    As one, all of the dozens of vessels floating idly in the space around the Bang Gate began to converge on their location. The purple speck of the Empyrean Absolutist grew larger and larger as it led the charge, before coming to a stop just outside of weapons range. All of the other vessels filed in behind it as the comm line finally crackled to life from the other end.

    ¡°Captain Kamak, Master Morrakesh commends you on your-¡±

    ¡°Hey there Ol-Voz, good to hear from you, now shut up,¡± Kamak said. ¡°We know Morrakesh is a Worm. If it wants to talk, it can talk to us itself.¡±

    The other end of the line fell silent. For a moment.

    ¡°Surprising work.¡±

    While clearly synthetic, the voice coming across the comm line was far clearer and more refined than the crude speech processor used by Thoth. It projected deep, resonating tones, each word dripping with gravitas. Morrakesh had clearly put a great deal of work into developing its own unique voice.

    ¡°I do sincerely commend you on exceeding my expectations,¡± Morrakesh said. ¡°Though I question what you think you are accomplishing here.¡±

    ¡°Same as always,¡± Kamak said. ¡°We¡¯re being assholes.¡±

    ¡°Always have been, always going to be,¡± Tooley said proudly.

    ¡°I wanted to get on to your ship and call you a dipshit face to face,¡± Corey said. ¡°Well, face to tentacles or whatever. But I¡¯m settling for this.¡±

    Morrakesh responded with a stiff, digitized laugh that was carefully programmed to sound entirely insincere.

    ¡°After everything you¡¯ve discovered, all the distance you have traveled, you say you¡¯re here just to lash out with petty spite?¡± Morakesh scoffed. ¡°Tell me the truth, Kamak.¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    That earned a long silence.

    ¡°Perhaps I simply underestimate how spiteful you can be,¡± Morrakesh said.

    ¡°Oh you have no idea,¡± Doprel said. ¡°I bought him the wrong kind of soup once, twenty years ago, and he still brings it up now and then.¡±

    ¡°It was shakoda soup, I asked for Be-e soup! It¡¯s not even the same color!¡±

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    ¡°Technically they are both shades of brown,¡± Farsus said.

    ¡°It¡¯s more of a reddish color,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°Wait, shakoda? I¡¯ve had that before,¡± Corey said. ¡°It¡¯s shit. Why would you want that?¡±

    ¡°We have different taste buds, Corvash, you eat those weird seed thingies all the time for the same reason,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°Enough!¡±

    Moorakesh had ten-thousand times the intellectual capacity of the average sentient lifeform, and yet he still had no patience for their bullshit.

    ¡°What do you hope to gain by stalling?¡±

    Tooley glanced sideways at their proximity sensors. A few warning signs were starting to flash. Good news. Morrakesh was catching on to their bluff too late. She gave a thumbs up and then spun her finger a few times to indicate that Kamak needed to keep it going a little while longer.

    ¡°A few more ticks alive, mostly,¡± Kamak said. ¡°I¡¯d beg, but I¡¯m medically incapable of doing so. Actual thing, you can call Dr. Theddis, he¡¯ll verify.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m growing bored of this, Kamak.¡±

    ¡°Well what else do you think I could possibly do, Morrakesh? You got me against a wall here,¡± Kamak said. He glanced at Tooley¡¯s monitor. More alarms were starting to flash. ¡°Even knowing your entire plan to sic your weird Horuk buddies on the universe and then betray them-¡±

    ¡°What does he speak of?¡±

    ¡°Oh good, you¡¯re listening too, we didn¡¯t actually know if you used the same type of communications,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Hi, nice to meet you all, allow me to be the first to welcome the Horuk to our little chunk of the universe. Also, go fuck yourself.¡±

    ¡°You understand us?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, we pried a translation chip out of one of the little guys you sent into the Timeka station,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Hope you aren¡¯t offended by that -actually, no, I do hope you¡¯re offended by that, fuck you.¡±

    ¡°The deaths of the Numberless mean nothing to us,¡± the Horuk speaker said. ¡°But your accusations offend. You speak of betrayal.¡±

    ¡°Yes, your buddy over there in the purple ship-¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t listen to them, One,¡± Morrakesh chided. ¡°This is a last spiteful effort to induce infighting. They cannot hope to match us, and so they seek to turn us against one another. Laughable.¡±

    Morrakesh did intend to betray the Horuk eventually, but that was a long-term plan, after they had already exhausted themselves in an invasion. Kamak didn¡¯t actually know any of that, but he needed to kill a few more ticks. As his stalling tactics continued to work, Kamak looked to Tooley. She held up a few fingers and started counting down.

    ¡°Well, you can¡¯t fault us for trying,¡± Kamak said. ¡°I mean, not a lot of other options here, guys, we¡¯ve been backed into a corner. I mean, come on, Morrakesh, you poured how many millions of cece¡¯s and how many weeks worth of work into making the universe hate us?¡±

    ¡°Less than one would expect,¡± Morrakesh said. ¡°It required surprisingly little effort to turn the entire universe against you.¡±

    ¡°Understandable,¡± Kamak said. He looked at Tooley again, and she pointed at the monitor. Every alarm was turning red. ¡°Hey, Morrakesh, just one question, real quick.¡±

    ¡°Go on.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve made the entire universe hate us,¡± Kamak said. ¡°So what do you think is going to happen now that we¡¯re parked right in front of you?¡±

    On cue, Tooley flipped a switch, and unmuted the proximity sensor. A backlog of a few dozen warnings started to play in a long queue, and each individual notice was broadcasted across space for Morrakesh and all his Horuk friends to hear. In that moment, Kamak would¡¯ve given all the money in the universe to see the looks on their faces -if either of them had had faces to see looks on.

    The first proximity warning to reach a crescendo fell silent just as quickly. In a relativistic blur, a large warship bearing Galactic Council colors dropped out of FTL and began to drift through space near the Hard Luck Hermit. A pair of escort vessels soon followed it, flanking it on either side.

    ¡°Kamak D-V-Y-B of the Hard Luck Hermit, power down and- what in the¡­.?¡±

    As the crew aboard the GC warship noticed they were not alone out in the void, all guns turned away from the Hermit and towards the Horuk fleet. Two more sets of warships and escort vessels also dropped out of light speed and joined it in an armed standoff with the alien fleet.

    They were the first, but far from the last. Seconds later, the heavily armed, utilitarian warships of the Structuralist fleet appeared, followed shortly thereafter by a legion of high-tech Timeka fighter craft. The ragtag collection of retrofitted ships used by the Anti-Doccan Front swarmed into space moments afterwards, with the jury-rigged hulks of the Doccan themselves following shortly behind. Gaps in the makeshift fleet were soon filled in by a random assembly of ships from the pirates of Paga For, and the personal crafts of numerous bounty hunters.

    ¡°Kamak. Should¡¯ve known this wouldn¡¯t be that easy.¡±

    ¡°Hey Ghul, good to see you,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Would¡¯ve called you myself, but that might¡¯ve thrown off the whole gambit.¡±

    Making sure everyone showed up on time¡ªand that no one suspected they were being manipulated¡ªhad been a herculean undertaking, but good bait was good bait. Morrakesh had given everyone the motivation, all the crew had to do was provide a time and place.  Once their scanners detected a Bang Gate that wasn''t supposed to exist, it had been all but guaranteed that the various factions would come looking, and bring their big guns when they did so.  With a little help from Thoth¡¯s information network, and a few choice messages sent out to the right people at the right time, every major faction in the universe had come looking for the Hard Luck Hermit, all at once.

    Keeping in mind that the ¡°fleet¡± at his back had technically come here to kill him specifically, Kamak cleared his throat and prepared to convince them to not do that.

    ¡°Howdy everybody, this is Kamak, and if you¡¯re here, you probably want to kill me,¡± Kamak said. ¡°However, you might also be noticing a Bang Gate that isn¡¯t supposed to exist, and a fleet of warships belonging to an unknown alien race. You may have questions about that, luckily my helpful buddy To Vo La Su has some answers!¡±

    ¡°Hello! I am Officer To Vo La Su, and I am not a hostage,¡± To Vo said. She felt it important to clarify in advance. ¡°I have been voluntarily assisting the crew of the Hard Luck Hermit in preventing an invasion plot by Morrakesh, the details of which I am currently uploading on an open server.¡±

    With a few quick taps of a button, To Vo put every detail of Morrakesh¡¯s conspiracy out into the world. Whether anyone else bothered to read it was out of her hands, but she had done her best.

    ¡°Now, I don¡¯t expect you to be fully convinced by a few documents,¡± Kamak said. ¡°But the basic facts are, I¡¯ve got me and my five assholes on this one dinky little ship, and over there there¡¯s a fleet of unknown alien killing machines parked outside the heart of universal civilization, and I think we can all assume they¡¯re not here to play tourist. Which do you think is the higher priority?¡±

    The various ships floated idly in space. Even without being able to see any of the crew on the other vessels, Kamak and company could sense their hesitation, confusion, and fear.

    ¡°None of you came here looking for this kind of fight,¡± Corey said. ¡°I know that. But trust me when I say this fight would¡¯ve come looking for you.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a lot of bad shit in our universe, but these bastards actually manage to be worse,¡± Tooley said. She glanced sideways at the unrefined, artless design of the Structuralist vessels and sneered.

    ¡°Not everyone here agrees on everything,¡± Doprel said. He was keeping a close eye on the Doccan vessels and the ragtag mercenaries and renegades who opposed them. ¡°But right here, right now, we all have one thing in common: an enemy.¡±

    The mismatched fleet of vessels finally showed a single sign of life. One of the smaller vessels drifted to the fore, orienting itself towards the Horuk fleet. Farsus took a quick look and recognized it as the barebones, cylindrical vessel used by Khem. He cast a glance at Kamak, and shared a knowing nod.

    As Khem¡¯s movement broke the ice, the first Galactic Council vessel that had appeared raised its cannons and began to drift forward.

    ¡°Unidentified vessels,¡± the captain said. ¡°Power down or retreat though the Bang Gate.¡±

    Every other Galactic Council vessel followed suit, readying their weaponry and moving into position. Slowly, the Timeka fighters and the bounty hunters moved into position as well. In moments, the entire makeshift fleet had assembled itself against the Horuk invaders.

    Tooley grabbed on to the ship¡¯s control. Farsus spun slowly in his chair and opened up his weapon console.

    At the helm of two opposing fleets, the shining purple hull of the Empyrean Absolutist reflected the beaten-down metal shell of the Hard Luck Hermit. Neither moved. No one moved.

    With her hands latched firmly around the Hermit¡¯s controls, Tooley looked at her discarded glass of liquor and watched a bead of condensation roll down the side, all the way to the bottom.

    ¡°Nobody wants to break the ice,¡± Corey said. The tension of the inevitable battle was present, but both sides were too cautious to make the first move.

    ¡°Tooley,¡± Kamak said. ¡°I think it¡¯s time for you to do what you do best.¡±

    ¡°Fly?¡±

    ¡°No, dipshit,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Cause problems.¡±

    Tooley gripped the controls and split her face into a manic grin.

    ¡°I can do both.¡±

    She slammed the controls forward, and all hell broke loose.

 Chapter 87: The Tooley Maneuver

    ¡°Bad idea!¡±

    Tooley¡¯s sudden acceleration had triggered both fleets into action -an action that mostly consisted of walls of laser fire barreling in either direction. Tooley swerved downward and ducked below the volleys of destruction, then swung wide to the sidelines of the battle. The first volley was mostly negated by shielding, chaff, and other defensive measures, but a second soon followed, and Tooley watched as a few of the smaller vessels on either side were consumed by violent explosions.

    ¡°Off to a great start,¡± Tooley said. Their makeshift ¡°alliance¡± outnumbered the Horuk by a moderate margin, so as long as losses were kept fairly equivalent, they¡¯d come out on top. She kept to the outskirts of the fighting, close enough that Farsus could take potshots at the enemy without putting them in too much danger. ¡°Fars, you¡¯re the chaos expert, what¡¯s your take?¡±

    ¡°On a personal level, I am delighted! On a tactical level, give me more than a few ticks to think,¡± Farsus said. The battle had only just begun, and it was far too early to call for either side. Farsus took a few shots at one of the smaller circular Horuk vessels and watched as it matched up against a patchwork Doccan cruiser and a flock of smaller bounty hunter ships. What should¡¯ve been a one-sided slaughter turned into a protracted battle as the makeshift allies failed to coordinate. The disorganized skirmish lasted long enough that the lone Horuk vessel called in reinforcements and turned the tide. Farsus watched with great concern as the fighters were picked off, and the damaged Doccan hulk began to take on heavy fire.

    ¡°It would appear our fears were not entirely unfounded,¡± Farsus said. ¡°We have the advantage of numbers, but not coordination.¡±

    The disparate factions were killing in the same direction, but not truly working together. The Horuk vessels were running circles around their scattered foes, picking apart stragglers and encircling isolated factions.

    ¡°We always knew this was a possibility,¡± Kamak said. Luring in a half dozen different factions under false pretenses didn¡¯t exactly engender good teamwork. Especially seeing as at least two of the factions very specifically hated each other. ¡°We don¡¯t need a decisive victory, we just needed to make sure the Horuk didn¡¯t get a surprise attack. Mission accomplished, universe saved. Probably.¡±

    Some of the smaller ships that had arrived on the scene had already fled, and Kamak had no doubt that a lot of distress signals and warnings were being sent. Even in the worst case scenario, the Horuk and Morrakesh had been deprived of the element of surprise, giving Centerpoint, and the rest of the universe, time to muster a defense.

    ¡°On that note, should we get the fuck out of here?¡±

    Tooley watched as one of the three Galactic Council warships got bombarded with enough firepower to destroy one of its engines. It was still firing, but with no ability to maneuver, it was as good as dead.

    ¡°I feel like we¡¯ve got to at least stick around for most of it,¡± Kamak said. ¡°If we run away a few ticks in we still look bad.¡±

    Tooley swerved hard to avoid a potshot from one of the Horuk ships. She swung the ship wide and took cover behind the massive frame of a Doccan cruiser for a moment.

    ¡°Longer we stick around, bigger chance we end up dead,¡± Tooley said. ¡°I¡¯m fine looking like an asshole if I¡¯m a living asshole.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not leaving until we shoot that purple bastard out of the sky,¡± Corey said. Morrakesh¡¯s flagship was still weaving through the battlefield with ease, occasionally joining in combat on the side of the Horuk. ¡°If Morrakesh gets out of here, we¡¯ll never find it again. It¡¯s smarter than anyone here and it¡¯ll outlive us all.¡±

    ¡°Good point, Corvash, I have decided I also want vengeance,¡± Tooley said.

    ¡°And I don¡¯t want it trying to take revenge, either,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Corey¡¯s right, we don¡¯t get out of here until that bitch is dead.¡±

    To Vo had been prepared to make a plea on behalf of all the innocent people aboard the ships they had lured here, but she was pleasantly surprised to see the crew had found their own motivation. Very bitter, spiteful motivation, but it at least overlapped with a good cause.

    ¡°That said, anyone got any ideas on how to do that?¡±

    ¡°We just need to get the people rallied behind a single guiding authority,¡± To Vo said. ¡°Kamak, you¡¯re captain, you could-¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare finish that sentence,¡± Kamak snapped. To Vo shut up.

    ¡°I think our specialty lies on the other end of the spectrum,¡± Doprel noted. ¡°Causing chaos, not creating order.¡±

    ¡°Indeed! We must wreak havoc on the enemy,¡± Farsus said, his voice filled with thunderous enthusiasm. ¡°But how?¡±

    Even the expert on chaos struggled to come up with any ideas, given the resources available to them. Tooley kept her mind focused on flying, as the Doccan vessel she was sheltering behind started to take heavy fire. Half a dozen of the Horuk ships were focusing fire on it, blowing massive holes in the patchwork hull. As Tooley flew away, the Doccan aboard apparently assessed their situation and discovered that they were doomed. Then they did the logical thing: accelerate and use the doomed ship itself as a weapon. The lumbering space hulk burst forward and slammed into the spokes of one of the Great Wheel ships, snapping the circular war machine in half in a massive explosion.

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    Tooley bared sharp teeth in a worrying grin.

    ¡°I have an idea!¡±

    ¡°I hate the way you sound right now,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°You should!¡±

    With a quick flick of her wrist and a sharp pull on a lever, Tooley sent them careening away from the battlefield. Taking advantage of the fact that she¡¯d never bothered to repair the cut wire that bypassed their light-speed safety systems, Tooley made a quick jump into the void, barely more than a drop long. From this far out, the battlefield wasn¡¯t even visible. She bared her teeth and reactivated their communication channel -this time focused solely on the frequencies used by Morrakesh and the Horuk.

    ¡°Howdy there, you fucking oversized houseplant,¡± Tooley said. ¡°If you¡¯re so smart, can you guess what I¡¯m about to do?¡±

    ¡°Continue running?¡±

    ¡°Close but not quite, Morry,¡± Tooley said. She swung the Hermit around to face directly at the Bang Gate in the distance. ¡°I am going to take a page out of our Doccan friend¡¯s book and ram your Bang Gate at full speed.¡±

    ¡°Tooley, that¡¯s not supposed to-¡±

    ¡°Shut up and let me do my thing, captain,¡± Tooley snapped.

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t,¡± Morrakesh said. ¡°You¡¯d obliterate your own allies and yourself.¡±

    ¡°In case you haven¡¯t been keeping track, Morrakesh, everyone within a hundred lightyears came here specifically to try and kill me,¡± Tooley said. ¡°And, as you might remember from my time aboard your ship, I barely want to be alive to begin with.¡±

    Something that had hopefully changed since Tooley had been aboard Morrakesh¡¯s ship, but the brief silence that followed said Morrakesh didn¡¯t know that. The brief silence from her crewmates said they weren¡¯t sure they knew that either. Tooley ignored them all -though she did take a brief glance at Corey. For some reason, that steadied her nerves.

    ¡°Your confidence is remarkable,¡± Morrakesh taunted. ¡°But I know a bluff when I see one, Tooley Keeber Obeltas.¡±

    ¡°Apparently not.¡±

    Tooley gripped her controls, lined up to the Bang Gate, and jumped into FTL.

    The torrent of obscenities flowing from Kamak¡¯s mouth was something for the history books. In what he firmly believed to be his last few ticks of existence, Kamak fully intended to call Tooley every possible negative adjective in the dictionary. While he screamed and raged, Doprel and To Vo held on for dear life, Farsus laughed like a madman, and Corey sat in stunned silence. Tooley sat at her controls and counted down the ticks.

    It would be easy to just stop counting. Let go of the controls, let herself slam right into the Bang Gate. She¡¯d be disintegrated so fast she wouldn¡¯t even feel it, and suddenly all her problems would be evaporated in the blink of an eye. It¡¯d be easy.

    Too easy. She wanted a challenge.

    Tooley slammed a fist down on the controls so hard the Hermit shuddered as it abruptly decelerated from faster-than-light speeds. The trademark wall of beige light that came with FTL suddenly melted into a wall of solid gray metal: the Bang Gate, rushing towards them at several thousand miles an hour. Kamak¡¯s torrent of screaming curses turned into regular screaming. Tooley joined him, though her scream was one of enthusiastic, utterly unrestrained delight.

    ¡°Fuck this!¡±

    Tooley slammed the controls hard to the side, and the ship rolled with them. The Hard Luck Hermit went into a diving roll, narrowly avoiding the massive Bang Gate¡¯s metal ring. At speeds like this it should¡¯ve been impossible to maneuver at all, much less maneuver with precision through an active warzone. Tooley did it anyway.

    ¡°Fuck you!¡±

    The absurd speed the ship still traveled at allowed them to traverse the battlefield in the blink of an eye, bypassing dozens of scattered Horuk ships. As Tooley had hoped, they had fallen for the bluff. As soon as Tooley had accelerated, they had scattered, hoping to flee the battlefield before the Bang Gate detonated. She dodged and weaved through the scattered enemy fleet, hurtling around warships and spinning through the spokes of a Great Wheel ship at speeds that would¡¯ve had a lesser pilot crashing and burning instantly.

    ¡°Fuck everything!¡±

    Processing all the input from her navigational readouts at speeds almost as fast as the ship itself was traveling, Tooley found her target and swung the ship around, making use of their momentum to close the distance faster than anyone could flee. She only started to decelerate when she saw her target on the outskirts of the battlefield: the tail end of the Empyrean Absolutist, engines flaring as it too tried to flee from the destruction Morrakesh had assumed was coming. Morrakesh¡¯s flagship had made it further from the scene of the battle than any other, and might¡¯ve even escaped the hypothetical destruction. But there was no escaping Tooley, or her ego. She made sure her next taunt was broadcasted across all channels.

    ¡°I am Tooley Keeber Obertas, and I am the best pilot in the fucking universe!¡±

    Still laughing like a lunatic, Farsus got himself back on track. Having Morrakesh¡¯s ship flanked was an opportunity to be seized. The insane acceleration made it hard to aim, but even so, Farsus managed to fire off three clean shots at the Empyrean Absolutist. The tracking systems in the missiles did the rest, striking the purple vessel and disabling most of its propulsion systems.

    ¡°And that is everybody¡¯s least favorite tree served up on a silver platter,¡± Tooley said, tensed muscles relaxing as the ship started to slow to normal speeds. ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡±

    Kamak turned in her direction, teeth bared in a horrified grimace that seemed to be frozen on his face.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    All around them, the tide of the battle started to turn as the makeshift alliance seized on the sudden scattering of the enemy fleet. The Horuk¡¯s defensive formation around the Bang Gate had broken, and their opponents flowed into the empty space, circling the wagons and putting their backs to the Bang Gate to avoid being flanked. Though their coordination went no further than taking up a defensive formation, that alone was enough to shift the tides of battle in favor of the odd allies.

    ¡°Your gambit appears to have worked, Tooley,¡± Farsus said. ¡°I offer my sincere congratulations and my sincere hopes you will never do that again.¡±

    ¡°Yeah I don¡¯t plan on it,¡± Tooley said breathlessly. The adrenaline high was wearing off, but she could still feel her heartbeat in her eyeballs. That couldn¡¯t possibly be healthy. She decelerated them into a slow drift as they surveyed the battlefield -and the disabled Empyrean Absolutist. Kamak glared daggers at the crippled purple vessel.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s our turn to do something stupid,¡± he said. ¡°Tooley, take us in.¡±

    Kamak unbuckled his seatbelt and put a hand on the pistol strapped to his hip.

    ¡°And prepare to board.¡±

 Chapter 88: Boarding Party

    ¡°You sure about this, Kamak?¡±

    ¡°Relatively,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Compared to a lot of decisions I¡¯ve made recently, I¡¯m very confident about this one.¡±

    ¡°We know what we¡¯re doing,¡± Corey said. ¡°Mostly.¡±

    While waiting for their plan to come to fruition, the crew of the Hard Luck Hermit had discussed several possible plans of action. Boarding Morrakesh¡¯s ship had been one of the less likely options, but they still had a few ideas. If only a few.

    ¡°Only mostly knowing what we¡¯re doing is better,¡± Doprel said. ¡°Morrakesh can¡¯t read our minds if even we don¡¯t know what the plan is.¡±

    ¡®The master of optimism, ladies and gentlemen,¡± Tooley said.

    Farsus finished up preparing the guns and handed them out to his comrades. Hopefully the high-powered rifles would be more effective against the Horuk than Kamak¡¯s pistol. To Vo kept the edge of the crowd, never stepping forward to receive a weapon. There wasn¡¯t one waiting for her anyway.

    ¡°Apologies for not handing you a weapon, To Vo La Su, but someone else must stay aboard the ship with Tooley, in case of emergencies,¡± Farsus said. ¡°The boarding tunnel goes both ways, after all.¡±

    Tooley had secured them to Morrakesh¡¯s ship, and the boarding apparatus was in the process of carving a hole in the Empyrean Absolutist¡¯s hull. It was a surprisingly long process, as the durable purple shell of Morrakesh¡¯s flagship resisted any intrusion.

    ¡°I understand,¡± To Vo said.

    ¡°So you will be using this gun,¡± Farsus said. He reached into his armory one last time and withdrew a repeating blaster so massive even he struggled to lift it. Doprel assisted him in hauling the gun into place in front of the boarding tunnel and deploying mounted legs, turning the massive weapon into a stationary turret emplacement. Farsus gave the gun¡¯s rotating barrels a quick spin and slapped the side of the gun for good measure.

    ¡°Be careful with that thing, though,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Don¡¯t blow any holes in my ship.¡±

    To Vo cautiously brushed a finger against the turret. It was almost as large as she was.

    ¡°Mind the recoil and you¡¯ll be fine,¡± Farsus said. From behind him, the boarding apparatus started to make a loud grinding noise. ¡°It is almost time. Are we fully prepared?¡±

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    ¡°Locked and loaded,¡± Kamak said. Doprel shouldered his gun and nodded as well. Only Corey showed any hesitation.

    ¡°Uh. One second.¡±

    Since he had no way to make a graceful exit, Corey decided to embrace the gracelessness. He grabbed Tooley by the elbow and pulled her back towards the cockpit. She let out a small yelp of surprise as Corey slammed the door shut behind him. Kamak set his gun aside and crossed his arms.

    ¡°Better be fast about it,¡± he said. ¡°Should be no problem for him, right?¡±

    To Vo didn¡¯t get it. Doprel and Farsus got it, but they still didn¡¯t laugh.

    Inside the cockpit, heedless to Kamak¡¯s mockery, Corey cleared his throat and steeled his nerves.

    ¡°Listen, Tooley, before I go...¡±

    ¡°I do not want to hear any ¡®deathbed¡¯ love confessions from you, Corvash.¡±

    ¡°Well I want to-

    Tooley slapped Corey in the face, then grabbed him by the collar and gave him a kiss that was almost as sudden and violent as the slap.

    ¡°I love you too,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Now go murder some aliens and save our lives!¡±

    ¡°Right, murder, be back soon,¡± Corey said. Tooley¡¯s face had turned a shade of blue that Corey now recognized as a blush. He might¡¯ve joked about that, except he knew he was blushing too. Tooley all but threw him out the cockpit door.

    As Corey stumbled his way across the Hermit, the boarding tunnel gave out one final hiss and finally broke through the hull of Morrakesh¡¯s ship. Corey seized on the excuse to get moving and started hustling down the tunnel. Kamak followed behind and gave Corey a firm punch on the shoulder.

    ¡°Really appreciate the energy you¡¯re bringing today,¡± Kamak said. ¡°I appreciate the injection of weird, horny confusion into this life or death situation.¡±

    ¡°You jest, but it actually will be quite useful,¡± Farsus said. ¡°Every thought turned towards Tooley is a thought not lingering on our plans.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s- oh god damn it, you¡¯re right.¡±

    The full capabilities of Morrakesh¡¯s mind-reading was yet unknown, but thanks to Thoth, they knew one thing: it was damn near impossible for a Worm to read anything other than what one was actively thinking about. To that end, it would actually be very useful for Corey to be lingering on relationship issues. By extension, it might, unfortunately, be useful for Kamak to be angry about said relationship issues.

    ¡°Alright, keep talking,¡± Kamak sighed. ¡°Tell me all about you and Tooley¡¯s totally healthy and definitely not co-dependent relationship.¡±

    They reached the end of the boarding tunnel and dropped into Morrakesh¡¯s ship, pulled through the air for a moment as the source of artificial gravity changed. The quartet landed on their feet and examined their surroundings. In retrospect, Kamak wished he¡¯d done more than just cower in the hangar last time he¡¯d been aboard this ship. Having some sense of where he was would¡¯ve helped the mission a lot.

    ¡°You know what to do,¡± Kamak said. They didn¡¯t know if Morrakesh could read their minds, but he could definitely hear them, so rehashing the plan out loud would only get them killed. He had to trust his team to do what was best -even as he was forced to listen to Corey rant about his feelings.

 Chapter 89: Shell Game

    ¡°Capital of the Doccan homeworld?¡±

    ¡°A treacherous question,¡± Farsus said. ¡°The Doccan do not name their cities, nor do they have a capital.¡±

    ¡°Excellent work,¡± Doprel said. ¡°Your turn.¡±

    ¡°Biological classification of the Bacchun Antelope?¡±

    ¡°I have no idea,¡± Doprel admitted. That put their trivia score at seventeen to two. Farsus¡¯ favor.

    As neither of the two had complex interpersonal relationships to distract their brains, they had kept their minds off the plan by engaging in a game of trivia. It was more distracting for Doprel than Farsus, as the scholar of chaos seemed to know almost everything about everything. Doprel was trying his best to stump him and failing at every turn.

    The plan they were currently trying their hardest not to think about was to find the slaves and get them off the vessel. The rest of their plan would go a lot smoother without innocent captives aboard. Farsus and Doprel were in charge of scouring the vessel for every captive and getting them off the Empyrean Absolutist, so that Kamak and Corey could do their part with a clean conscience.

    It was a noble mission, but Farsus found it difficult to focus on the task while not actually focusing on the task. Every time he began to examine his surroundings, Farsus had to forcibly make himself not think about possible clues or leads. He was running out of trivia facts.

    The labyrinthine design of the Empyrean Absolutist¡¯s interior was not helping their cause. It was filled with identical hallways and rooms, and none bore any meaningful markings. It was confusing, but Farsus could admit the intelligence behind it. The deliberately confusing architecture would make it difficult to navigate for anyone not guided by the superior intellect of a Worm like Morrakesh. Enemies would find it difficult to assault, and slaves would find it nigh impossible to escape.

    Luckily for Farsus, he was well-versed in the oral traditions of many cultures, and almost every species had some storied equivalent of a ¡°trail of breadcrumbs¡± to see where one had traveled. Farsus did not have breadcrumbs, but he did have a gun.

    After reaching a four-way intersection in the twisted halls, Farsus aimed his rifle near the floor and fired a shot. The searing plasma scored the wall and left a half-melted burn mark on it, marking their path. Farsus nodded in approval, then picked a direction at random and began to walk. He repeated the process at the next crosswalk they came to.

    ¡°This process of elimination thing is going to take a while,¡± Doprel said.

    ¡°I am not relying on process of elimination,¡± Farsus said. He fired off another shot at another wall, sending the echoes of the gunshot through the empty hall. This time, the echoes were answered.

    ¡°Find them! Kill them!¡±

    Farsus shouldered his gun and smiled.

    ¡°I am relying on that.¡±

    Moments later, a tide of Horuk bodies thundered around the corner. Farsus and Doprel barely needed to aim as they raised their guns and held the trigger down. Sweeping waves of laser fire cut down the vanguard of the ravenous alien hordes. Then the hordes returned fire.

    Somewhere behind the wall of bodies, someone was using a gun, and using it well, judging by the three direct hits on Doprel. Only his outer layer was damaged for now, but the fact that the Horuk had guns was a long-term concern.

    ¡°Kamak was right,¡± Doprel said, as they ducked behind cover. ¡°Looks like some of them are smarter.¡±

    ¡°Foolish of them to deny their lower castes even basic firepower,¡± Farsus noted. He returned fire even as he contemplated Horuk military culture. ¡°Surely a massive volley is worth more than a simple tide of flesh.¡±

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    ¡°Maybe they breed fast,¡± Doprel said. ¡°Production can¡¯t keep up with population, it becomes more viable to use the lowest class as cannon fodder instead of trying to keep them equipped and fed.¡±

    ¡°A clever insight,¡± Farsus said. ¡°One that demands further study.¡±

    A few of the Horuk bodies skidded to a halt after they were shot down mid-sprint. Farsus glanced at the sturdy carapaces and smiled.

    ¡°For now, I believe it best we turn their tactics against them.¡±

    ¡°How do you mean?¡±

    Farsus grabbed one of the Horuk corpses with one hand and held it out towards Doprel.

    ¡°Ah, I see.¡±

    Hidden behind their tide of subservient cannon fodder, the gun-wielding Horuk barely noticed when the laser blasts fired their way suddenly slowed. While they did not care for the fates of their fallen footsoldiers, they definitely cared when some of those dead soldiers started coming back the other way -at ramming speed.

    Shielded by the bodies of the dead Horuk, Doprel charged upstream, laser blasts bouncing off the hides of the dead. It was deeply uncomfortable on a moral level, but also very effective. Doprel swarmed the entire horde within moments, crushing the lesser ranked Horuk underfoot and then crashing down on the gun-wielding soldiers with hammering blows. Farsus followed in his devastating footsteps, finishing off survivors with quick bursts of rifle fire. The armored bullrush crushed the strike force, and soon the halls were quiet once again.

    ¡°And now we go this way,¡± Farsus said, pointing in the direction the Horuk had come from. They followed the path and found themselves at an intersection more distinct than the dozens they had passed before.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s different, at least,¡± Doprel said.

    ¡°Critical sections of the ship are likely more visually distinct,¡± Farsus said. ¡°Even Morrakesh would still want his slaves to be able to find the engine room on their own, for example.¡±

    Even the universe¡¯s most powerful mind still hated micromanaging. Farsus followed one of the paths and found what appeared to be some kind of food storage and kitchen area. Given the lackluster conditions and poor food quality, it had to be for the slaves. They were likely getting close, but still had to find the right path.

    ¡°Try luring in more Horuk, maybe?¡±

    ¡°No. Morrakesh knows what we have done now,¡± Farsus said. ¡°It will advise them not to fall for the same trick twice. Won¡¯t you, Morrakesh?¡±

    ¡°Perhaps. A very clever analysis, Farsus,¡± Morrakesh said. The Worm¡¯s voice boomed over the ship¡¯s speakers, proving their firmly held suspicion that it had been listening all along. ¡°With a few critical facts overlooked. The first being that I do not consider your success likely. The second being that I do not value the lives of the Horuk.¡±

    The intercom cut out, and shrieking battle cries echoed down a nearby hallway. Farsus rolled his eyes and took cover around the corner, waiting for the horde to arrive. It never did.

    Three Horuk, the same size as any other, but slightly different in coloration, broke around the corner, making no effort to hide as they brandished their guns in Farsus¡¯ direction. He thanked the universe for the easy targets and aimed at the center of the many-armed alien¡¯s bodies.

    The first round of laser fire barely made the Horuk flinch. Farsus took exactly half a second to be worried about that before dodging backwards to avoid the return fire. His instincts failed him only slightly, and a plasma round grazed his shoulder. Doprel held his ground long enough to aim and fire at another Horuk, and found it equally resistant to his fire. He joined Farsus in hiding.

    ¡°They¡¯re tougher now,¡± Doprel said.

    ¡°I noticed. There must be something different about their carapace,¡± Farsus said. Their different coloration likely connoted a change in chemical composition, or some other structural difference that made them more durable. Farsus already had a few ideas on how to handle that. The first required accuracy. The Horuk were content to hold their ground and keep Farsus and Doprel trapped in the dining hall, so Farsus took his time to calculate his options. He pulled out his datapad, aimed the camera around the corner, and did some mental math about possible trajectories and targets.

    Then he yelled a brutal war cry at the top of his lungs. A traditional shout of the Torokoro, designed to instill fear in enemies. In the Horuk¡¯s case, it resulted in only a matching scream of defiance. Just as Farsus had hoped.

    He whipped around the corner, took quick aim, and fired a round into the open mouth of the screaming Horuk. The heavily armed alien¡¯s central body glowed white-hot for a moment, and the creature toppled over dead, smoke emitting from its ruined body. Farsus returned to cover while its two comrades were still processing the death of the third.

    ¡°No matter how heavily armored the outside, a creature¡¯s innards are almost always vulnerable,¡± Farsus said, basking in his triumph.

    ¡°Okay, good, but I¡¯m pretty sure the other two are going to keep their mouths shut now,¡± Doprel said. ¡°Now what?¡±

    ¡°Now we see how well their armored shells transfer blunt force trauma,¡± Farsus said. He grabbed one of the rickety tables in the dining hall and held it in front of him like a shield.

    ¡°And that means?¡±

    ¡°We are going to rush the Horuk, grab them, and then slam them into walls until they stop moving.¡±

    It was an insane plan, but it did end up working. Eventually. Even Doprel¡¯s arms were tired by the time the Horuk stopped moving.

 Chapter 90: Emancipation and Seafood Preparation

    Farsus gently pushed open the door and peeked inside. The communal living space was crammed tight with furniture, empty beds and barren chairs surrounding what appeared to be an uncovered toilet and a trough of water presumably used for bathing. It was a squalid barracks, exactly like the others, identical even down to the fact that it was empty.

    ¡°Every slave is gone,¡± Farsus said.

    ¡°Morrakesh probably figured out what we were up to,¡± Doprel said. ¡°It must have moved them somewhere.¡±

    ¡°That I have,¡± Morrakesh said, over the ship¡¯s intercom. ¡°Your preoccupation with morality makes it all too easy.¡±

    ¡°So much for not talking about our plan out loud,¡± Doprel said. Farsus thought there might still be some value in talking, though.

    ¡°Where have you taken them, then?¡±

    ¡°Down the hallway on your right,¡± Morrakesh explained. ¡°Take the third door on your left.¡±

    Farsus took a look down the indicated hallway. There were scratch marks on the floors leading to it. Someone had resisted being dragged down that hallway.

    ¡°Not the first time we¡¯ve walked into a trap,¡± Doprel said. Farsus didn¡¯t even hesitate to walk down the path Morrakesh had indicated. They¡¯d always been expecting some kind of trouble at their destination, so the prospect of Morrakesh having an ambush waiting didn¡¯t bother them in the slightest. They walked past a few more empty slave barracks to find their destination. Doprel went through the door first.

    No bullets or explosions met him as he stepped through. He entered some sort of storage room, stripped bare and repurposed as a makeshift prison for dozens of slaves, sitting hunched at the far side of the room. Terrified obedience to their lord kept them cowed even when the hope of rescue was at hand. Even Ol-Voz, Morrakesh¡¯s apparently loyal manservant, was kneeling at the far side of the room, separated from the other slaves.

    Between Doprel and the hostages, a single Horuk stood alone. It had a nearly jet black carapace, so dark it seemed to absorb light, and stood slightly larger than most of the Horuk they had seen so far. Its many arms undulated in a wavelike pattern as it stepped forward to appraise the new guests.

    ¡°You are here. Then you have killed those of the Sixteen.¡±

    ¡°Presumably,¡± Farsus said.

    ¡°Disordered things,¡± the Horuk snarled. It held no weapon, though the flexing of sharp appendages proved threat enough.

    ¡°Your people speak of numbers often,¡± Farsus noted. Even facing an enemy like this, Farsus had to satiate his curiosity. ¡°The One, the Numberless, the Sixteen. What does that mean?¡±

    ¡°It is the Ordered Count,¡± the Horuk said. ¡°The One is above us, the Two, who stand above the Four, who stand above the Eight, as the ranks continue onward down to the Two-Thousand-Forty-Eight. Below them, the Numberless, meaningless and expendable. And below even them, there are the Disordered Things. You, and every other fleshy thing beyond the Horuk.¡±

    ¡°Even Morrakesh?¡±

    ¡°The Morrakesh is a plant,¡± the Horuk said. ¡°It is a resource, not ordained among the Ordered Count.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for the explanations,¡± Farsus said. It even helped explain how Morrakesh had become an ally to these strange beings. ¡°You are surprisingly forthcoming.¡±

    ¡®The Count is the way and the truth,¡± the Horuk said. ¡°As one of the Two, I am obligated to spread its message. Even to those who would be consumed by it.¡±

    ¡°At least your zealotry is polite,¡± Doprel said. He¡¯d have to tell Corey about this later. Hearing that they¡¯d been killing insane cultists all day would really lift his spirits.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad you and the Horuk are coming to an understanding,¡± Morrakesh said. Its voice boomed in the cavernous room. ¡°Now, lay down your weapons.¡±

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    ¡°I am fond of my weapon,¡± Farsus said. He gripped his rifle even tighter. ¡°I refuse.¡±

    ¡°Then the slaves will die,¡± Morrakesh said. Doprel watched all of the slaves visibly flinch as it spoke, but they lived for the time being. ¡°You know that each one is fitted with an explosive collar. It will only take a thought.¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes, I do know. That reminds me.¡±

    Farsus grabbed one of several devices strapped to his belt. Morrakesh had assumed it was yet another piece of weaponry, or another tool at his belt. Between the battle outside and the situations rapidly developing within its own ship, Morrakesh¡¯s powers of observation were stretched thin. It realized all too late that there were familiar components in the tiny device, as Farsus switched it on.

    ¡°It is always helpful to keep spare parts,¡± Farsus said. ¡°Such as those from Corey¡¯s own slave collar. I believe yours still broadcast on the same frequency?¡±

    The absence of any exploding heads proved Farsus¡¯ suspicion correct, and proved his jamming device was well-built. The slaves showed no signs of relief yet.

    ¡°I was so hopeful we could resolve this sensibly,¡± Morrakesh said. ¡°Esteemed member of the Two, I believe these ones have outlived their usefulness.¡±

    Unleashing a predatory rage that had only barely been kept in check, the Two hurled itself forward, arms splayed out and curled like cobras about to strike. Farsus took a few shots at the charging Horuk, but was not surprised when they bounced off ineffectively. Doprel put his gun to much better use by swinging it like a club and batting the Horuk away. The apparent invulnerability of its carapace did nothing to increase the creature¡¯s mass, and the simple impact was enough to knock it aside.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can do another round of beating an alien to death,¡± Farsus said. The last round of Horuk they¡¯d tried that trick on had taken a while to die, and fought back the entire time. Doprel still had some chunks missing out of his forearm.

    ¡°Keep the creature at bay,¡± Farsus said. ¡°We will find another way. Ol-Voz!¡±

    As Doprel swatted the Horuk away again, Farsus sprinted across the room and found Morrakesh¡¯s majordomo. The slave immediately recoiled from his would-be rescuer¡¯s presence.

    ¡°What makes these creatures so durable?¡±

    ¡°I-I- I can¡¯t tell you that,¡± Ol-Voz said. ¡°Master Morrakesh-¡±

    ¡°Will kill you either way,¡± Farsus said. ¡°Your only hope for survival now is through me. Tell me how to kill the Horuk!¡±

    Ol-Voz visibly weighed his options, stared Doprel fighting the Horuk for a moment, and came to a conclusion.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Ol-Voz admitted. ¡°It¡¯s something in their skin. Caratazin? Carapathin? Something. It grows in their skin and the more of it they have, the more durable they are. The higher ranked ones eat the shed skin of the lower ranked ones, so by the time you get to the top they¡¯re nearly indestructible.¡±

    ¡°Fascinating. Are there weaknesses?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve killed them, you know better than me,¡± Ol-Voz said. Farsus grit his teeth. This Horuk was better at keeping its mouth shut, which meant attacking from the inside was unlikely to work, and they had neither the time nor the energy to try slowly beating it to death.

    ¡°Do the Horuk breath? Can they drown?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Ol-Voz stammered. ¡°I¡¯ve seen them spend a long time in water. They either don¡¯t breath or they can breath water somehow.¡±

    ¡°Perfect. One final question.¡±

    Farsus leaned in so close that the bristles of his beard scratched against Ol-Voz¡¯s face.

    ¡°How hot does the bathtub next door get?¡±

    The whispered conversation probably wasn¡¯t quiet enough for Morrakesh not to overhear, but Farsus tried anyway. The plan would work better if it was a surprise. Doprel, at least, was surprised when Farsus left the room, then re-entered a few moments later and interrupted his melee with the Horuk by hitting it with a chair.

    ¡°Time to go,¡± Farsus said. ¡°Follow me.¡±

    Doprel kicked the Horuk towards the door, and it chased after Farsus as he ran into the next room. It caught up to him, leapt on to Farsus¡¯ back, and tore out a few small handfuls of flesh as it tried to rip Farsus to pieces. Doprel caught up in time to pry it off his back and hold it aloft.

    ¡°Into the trough!¡±

    That was a confusing command under any circumstance, but in the middle of a fight even more so. Doprel looked to his right and saw the room¡¯s lone bathtub churning as the water within boiled. That seemed unsafe, but at least it was to their advantage. Doprel reached over and slammed the raging Horuk into the trough. The splash of boiling water burned Doprel¡¯s hand, but not as bad as the entire tub full burned the Horuk.

    The Two let out a shriek of distress that turned into a bubbling gurgle as it sank into the boiling water. It attempted to claw its way out of the tub, but Farsus grabbed another chair and slammed it back down into the water, repeating the process a few more times as necessary. The Horuk¡¯s jet black skin began to shift in color, becoming dark purple, as it boiled alive. Doprel watched the last few twitches of the Horuk¡¯s hundred limbs, and his mandibles clicked with concern.

    ¡°That felt unethical,¡± Doprel said.

    ¡°Yet necessary,¡± Farsus said. ¡°It would surely have killed us in an equally horrific manner.¡±

    ¡°Still. Why would you even think of that?¡±

    ¡°Corey Vash once told me of a carapaced earth creature called a ¡®lobster¡¯, which they kill in a similar fashion.¡±

    ¡°They must really hate those lobsters,¡± Doprel said.

    ¡°Indeed. Come. We should escort the slaves back to the Hermit, and pry Ol-Voz for useful information.¡±

 Chapter 91: Split the Party

    ¡°And another thing, like, what¡¯s the family situation going to be like? I never really wanted kids, and I doubt she does, but who knows, maybe when we get older we might both change our minds.¡±

    Kamak and Corey had been patrolling the upper sections of the Empyrean Absolutist for a while now, and, just as they had planned, Corey had filled the time by ranting about his and Tooley¡¯s complicated emotional dynamic. He was starting to run out of material, but otherwise the plan was working. Kamak had spent more time thinking about killing Corey than about killing Morrakesh.

    ¡°I know there¡¯s always adoption, but that feels really complicated,¡± Corey said. ¡°I¡¯m not sure I want to adopt an alien. Oh, wait, god, is it racist of me to say I don¡¯t want an alien kid?¡±

    ¡°Little bit.¡±

    ¡°I just think it¡¯d be a cultural challenge, you know, like there¡¯s a lot of things I don¡¯t know about raising a kid in space,¡± Corey said. ¡°It¡¯d just be-¡±

    ¡°Shut the fuck up,¡± Kamak said. He¡¯d been waiting ten drops to say that, and now he finally had a good reason. Farsus was messaging him. ¡°Apparently they¡¯re getting the slaves out. Found Morrakesh¡¯s housekeeper too.¡±

    ¡°Nice. They get anything useful out of him?¡±

    ¡°Some advice on the Horuk, and a map,¡± Kamak said, as he forwarded both to Corey. ¡°Now we finally know where we¡¯re going.¡±

    ¡°Looks like we¡¯ve got more places to go than we thought,¡± Corey noted. Farsus had marked out their targets -all seven of them. That was more than anyone had been expecting.

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s a pain in the ass,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Guess we¡¯re splitting up again.¡±

    ¡°Really? You sure about that?¡±

    ¡°We have to get this done,¡± Kamak said. He sounded unusually determined. ¡°I¡¯m not worried. You¡¯re a fucking psychopath, you won¡¯t die until you¡¯ve avenged your mom.¡±

    ¡°That was almost a compliment.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t get used to it,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Get your gun up and get moving. I¡¯ll take those two up top, you head towards the ship¡¯s center.¡±

    ¡°Got it. Good luck, Kamak.¡±

    ¡°Same to you. Stay alive, Corey,¡± Kamak said. To avoid belaboring the point any further, Kamak turned sharply and started stomping off towards the upper decks of the ship. Corey followed suit, descending deeper into the bowels of the vessel.

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    Kamak managed to make it a full two drops before a Horuk rushed him. Thankfully it was one of the conventional varieties, and not one of the borderline indestructible high ranking ones. Kamak blasted a few of its limbs off and then put a shot dead-center in its circular core, for good measure.

    ¡°Really looking forward to you fuckers not being around anymore,¡± Kamak sighed. He waited for the corpse to stop twitching before he walked past it. That momentary delay proved prudent in more ways than one.

    A few steps ahead of Kamak, a chunk of the ship¡¯s hull concaved and collapsed downwards, slamming down with a cacophonous metal crash. Kamak jumped back and readied his gun again, but didn¡¯t fire yet. That was a breach-boarder, a more explosive variant of the same tech the Hermit used to carve a hole in the Empyrean Absolutist¡¯s hull. Somebody else was boarding the ship.

    ¡°Hey, watch your explosives, you could¡¯ve crushed me,¡± Kamak snapped.

    The heavy thud of the boarding party descending made Kamak shut up. The wall of leather skin and massive limbs staring down at him with six eyes didn¡¯t seem to be in the mood for banter.

    ¡°Oh. Khem.¡±

    The massive bounty hunter¡¯s mandibles parted as they let out a slight hiss of frustration.

    ¡°Play nice.¡±

    The moment of tension was immediately defused by the arrival of Ghul. She had a stern look on her mostly synthetic face and a large gun in her hands -as did the small group of bounty hunters in matching uniforms behind her.

    ¡°Ghul. Nice to see you. Khem. You¡¯re here. Why are you here?¡±

    ¡°Situation¡¯s getting worse outside,¡± Ghul explained. ¡°One of those big wheel ships came through the Bang Gate and flanked the fleet. It¡¯s down, but odds are there¡¯s more coming.¡±

    ¡°Sounds like it¡¯s about time to pack up and leave, then,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Help me kill Morrakesh and lets get out of here.¡±

    ¡®That was the plan,¡± Ghul said.

    Kamak lowered his gun for a moment and pointed to the group of matching bounty hunters who¡¯d followed Ghul aboard.

    ¡°Hey, you in the red shirts, follow this map and track down my buddy Corey Vash,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Wish you bastards had showed up a few drops ago, never would¡¯ve split up with him in the first place.¡±

    As the larger group of bounty hunters departed, Ghul and Khem stood their ground near Kamak. He had mixed feelings about that. He shared the info and the map with them as well. Ghul¡¯s mismatched eyes narrowed in confusion.

    ¡°Why are there markings all over this map? Shouldn¡¯t he be at the helm, or something?¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah, long story short, Morrakesh is a Hakkidian Worm. He¡¯s spread through the ship¡¯s whole substructure.¡±

    ¡°A Worm? How the fuck do you plan on killing something like that?¡±

    ¡°If I told you, the Worm would know too,¡± Kamak said. He pointed at the walls and ceiling. ¡°Assume it can see and hear everything. Including what you¡¯re thinking.¡±

    ¡°Fantastic,¡± Ghul said. ¡°Anything else I should know?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s a legion of little bug-looking bastards with like one hundred arms. Some of them are really hard to kill.¡±

    ¡°Shit like this is why I wanted to stay retired,¡± Ghul sighed.

    ¡°They will all fall,¡± Khem grunted. He readied two massive spears and started stomping down the halls towards the nearest node Kamak had marked on the map. Kamak himself made sure to stay a few steps behind, and stay quiet.

    ¡°Why¡¯s he playing nice all of a sudden?¡±

    ¡°As the leading authority on this little excursion, I¡¯ve temporarily reinstated you,¡± Ghul said. Khem glanced over his shoulder with a harsh glare in all of his many eyes, which would¡¯ve normally sent a chill down Kamak¡¯s spine, but not today. He was just glad to be a bounty hunter again. Protection from Khem was a nice bonus, though.

 Chapter 92: The Hanged Man

    One of Khem¡¯s massive spears sailed through the air, and impaled three Horuk as it flew. It embedded itself in a wall for only a moment before Khem ripped it free and sent it hurtling towards another group of Horuk.

    ¡°Fuck am I glad I¡¯m on his side again,¡± Kamak said.

    The battle against the Horuk was going very well thanks to Khem and his titanic spears. The heavy weapons were surprisingly effective at piercing even the tough-shelled hides of higher ranking Horuk. They had yet to meet one of ¡®the Two¡¯, as Farsus and Doprel had, but Kamak was actually optimistic for once. Worst case scenario, he could always just leave and let the invincible alien kill Khem instead of him.

    ¡°Alright, Khem, if you¡¯re done impaling,¡± Kamak began. Khem was not done impaling, and he speared a few more Horuk even as Kamak spoke. ¡°Well. I think our first nerve center is around here.¡±

    Kamak opened the door, took a look inside, and immediately got shot in the chest. He fell backwards as the armed Horuk stepped forward, standing atop Kamak¡¯s body, and brandished its weapon. The thick-carapaced Horuk shrugged off the blaster fire from Ghul, and even the hurled spear from Khem, roaring in triumph as it endured their blows. The roar came to an end when Kamak stopped playing dead and shoved his pistol in its open mouth and pulled the trigger.

    ¡°Dipshit,¡± Kamak mumbled. He tossed the dead Horuk aside and brushed the blaster scorchmarks off his chest armor. ¡°Fell for the oldest trick in the book.¡±

    ¡°Maybe they don¡¯t have the same books,¡± Ghul said. ¡°You alright?¡±

    ¡°Been better, but I¡¯ll live,¡± Kamak said. The shot had actually broken his chest armor entirely. He grabbed the dead Horuk¡¯s gun and took a quick look at it, then strapped it to his hip. He didn¡¯t like the look of the alien gun, but Corey had a thing about collecting weapons.

    ¡°So is this actually what we¡¯re looking for, or did you get shot for nothing?¡±

    ¡°No, this is it,¡± Kamak said. ¡°See for yourself.¡±

    The room on the other side of that nearly-lethal doorway was covered wall to wall in complicated machinery -and in the rootlike growths of Morrakesh¡¯s massive body. The myriad sensory blossoms coating the room swayed in the direction of Kamak as he entered, guns drawn.

    ¡°Pick a branch and get pruning, folks,¡± Kamak said. He aimed and fired at the nearest offshoot of plantlike growths. A few of the blossoms withered and curled in on themselves as the quick burst of laser fire hit them. The other blooms didn¡¯t even flinch.

    ¡°This is your plan?¡± Khem scoffed. ¡°Take a few potshots at something the size of a starship?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s death by a thousand cuts,¡± Kamak said. He made a few of those thousand cuts as he spoke. ¡°Classic strategy. What¡¯s the issue?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re lying.¡±

    The voice of Morrakesh over the intercom caught Khem off guard, and he hurled a spear into the ceiling on reflex. The spear at least cut into one of Morrakesh¡¯s tendrils, so it wasn¡¯t a complete waste.

    ¡°Okay, yes, obviously I¡¯m lying,¡± Kamak admitted. He never stopped blasting away at the exposed tendrils. ¡°But only because you¡¯re obviously listening.¡±

    ¡°You do have an actual plan, though, right?¡± Khem asked. ¡°You¡¯re not just flying by your ass and hoping something works out?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I have a plan,¡± Kamak said. ¡°A good plan.¡±

    Khem and Ghul exchanged a quick, skeptical look. Kamak rolled his eyes.

    ¡°Look, I didn¡¯t ask you to come with,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Feel free to ditch and do your own thing if you¡¯re so smart. I¡¯m going to keep doing my plan, and you¡¯re just going to have to trust me.¡±

    The idea of trusting Kamak in any way shape or form clearly made Khem sick to his stomach. Ghul was more amenable to the idea, though not exactly happy with it. Their protests stayed internal.

    ¡°No objections? Alright,¡± Kamak said. He fired off one last shot at Morrakesh¡¯s exposed body and then lowered his gun. ¡°Come on, and keep your eyes open. Next objective¡¯s through the hangar.¡±

    The massive hangar bay was the shortest route between this location and the next hub of Morrakesh¡¯s exposed body. Kamak was hardly eager to return, since he¡¯d watched a doppelganger of himself get ripped to shreds on his last visit, but they could not afford inefficiency. He took the lead once again and opened the hangar bay doors. Kamak didn¡¯t get shot this time, which he considered an improvement.

    There was only one gun-wielding Horuk in the hangar. They had their odd weapon trained on Kamak as he stepped forward, but did not fire. Kamak took cover behind one of the few remaining ships in the hangar anyway, as did Ghul and Khem. They knew from experience that such restraint was almost always temporary.

    ¡°So, judging from how you look, I¡¯m guessing you¡¯re one of the Two?¡±

    ¡°I am,¡± the black-carapaced Horuk said. ¡°And I am obliged to speak to you of the Ordered Count, and the perfect system of-¡±

    Kamak ducked out of cover and shot the Two right in the center of its body. The single blaster shot didn¡¯t hurt it, but it did make it shut up, which had been Kamak¡¯s real objective. He¡¯d had enough proselytizing for ten lifetimes, and he had a long lifetime, so that was saying a lot.

    As the Horuk started to return fire, Khem hurled a spear at it, which predictably did nothing. The Two flinched slightly as the bladed weapon made impact, but was soon back to laying down a persistent blanket of suppressive fire.

    ¡°Alright, one indestructible alien, three very destructible us¡¯s,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Any ideas?¡±

    ¡°Farsus killed one, didn¡¯t he?¡± Ghul said. Kamak had kept them appraised for Farsus¡¯ discoveries, just so he wasn¡¯t bearing the burden of knowledge all on his own.

    ¡°Yeah, but he boiled it alive,¡± Kamak said. ¡°I don¡¯t see any water around.¡±

    ¡°They can be killed by biological means, then,¡± Khem said. ¡°I have chemical weaponry on my ship.¡±

    ¡°You have chemical weapons?¡±

    ¡°I do not use them in systems where they are illegal,¡± Khem said. That was most systems, so he didn¡¯t use them much.

    ¡°That¡¯s a long walk,¡± Ghul said. They¡¯d breached the hull quite a ways away. Kamak looked back at the door. It would be a long detour, and they were already on a tight timetable -and getting tighter. The door was opening.

    ¡°Shit, move,¡± Kamak snapped. The warning gave Khem and Ghul enough time to dodge out of the way as the flanking squad of Horuk entered the hangar and began to fire. These ones were more vulnerable, and a single spear from Khem took out a bulk of the new arrivals. Each one that was cut down was soon replaced by another, forcing the bounty hunters to retreat and find new cover.

    ¡°God I should¡¯ve stayed home today,¡± Ghul said. ¡°Bounty hunting¡¯s bad enough if it¡¯s one, maybe two guys, sometimes a dozen if you¡¯re after some fucking pirates or something. I do not do well with hordes!¡±

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    Ghul shot down three of the swarming Numberless Horuk and pulled back further.

    ¡°You know what the worst part is?¡± Kamak asked.

    ¡°We¡¯re not even getting paid for this,¡± Ghul said. In spite of herself, she managed to laugh.

    A hundred black hands grabbed on to the edge of the starship they took cover behind, and the nigh-indestructible Horuk pulled itself upwards. It held a gun in its spare hands and took aim at Ghul.

    Kamak found himself caught in another situation where he had to act immediately, and on instinct. With a mind frozen in time, he rapidly analyzed the situation, considered every possibility, and then said ¡°fuck it¡±.

    The volley of blaster fire aimed at Ghul mostly bounced off the armored plating on Kamak¡¯s back as he dove in front of her. One hit him on the left shoulder in a small gap between plating, and he felt the sting of burning energy sear a hole right through his flesh. He let out a sharp scream of pain, one matched by Ghul as the shots Kamak could not block struck her in the leg, arm, and stomach.

    The volley came to an end as Khem swung his spear like a club and batted the Two aside, sending him flying across the hangar. The short rampage gave Kamak enough time to grab Ghul and get moving, limping across the hangar towards relative safety. Kamak appraised her injuries as they moved, and was surprised by their severity.

    ¡°Come on, Ghul, where¡¯s your kit, you could¡¯ve taken those shots,¡± Kamak said. He¡¯d been expecting her to be wearing concealed body armor, just like him and most of his crew.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t come here looking for a fight, Kamak,¡± Ghul grunted. Conversation made it easy to compartmentalize the pain.

    ¡°Then what the hell did you come for?¡±

    Ghul glared right at him.

    ¡°Shit.¡±

    The low level of guilt Kamak had felt this entire time suddenly crossed over acceptable thresholds. He looked at the massive hangar bay doors, then back at the horde of Horuk that was still pouring into the hangar. He was starting to form ideas. None of them good.

    ¡°Up here, come on,¡± Kamak said. He dragged Ghul upwards, towards the cockpit of one of the ships still in the hangar. ¡°Get inside.¡±

    ¡°Not sure this is where I want to be, Kamak,¡± Ghul moaned. ¡°Not a lot of firepower here.¡±

    The shuttle had only a single small turret mounted to its front, barely of use in a space battle and only slightly more useful in the confines of the hangar.

    ¡°It¡¯s bigger than the gun you¡¯ve got and easier to shoot with one hand,¡± Kamak said. ¡°And sheltered.¡±

    Kamak knocked on the thick plastic cockpit to reinforce his point. That could take a few hits, and it was airtight.

    ¡°And if shit gets real bad you can fly right out of here,¡± Kamak said, a little too insistently.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere until the job¡¯s done,¡± Ghul said.

    ¡°Fuck that, you need a doctor,¡± Kamak said. He slammed the cockpit shut to seal Ghul in. She held up her one good hand in a quick wave to Kamak, and he tried to ignore all the blood on her palm.

    ¡°Khem, you too, pick a ship and get in,¡± Kamak shouted.

    ¡°These vessels lack the firepower needed,¡± Khem shouted back. He was still struggling to deal with the horde of Horuk, led by their nigh invincible leader. He¡¯d managed to disarm the Two, which reduced his threat significantly, but the sheer numbers were starting to overwhelm.

    ¡°We just got to clear the chaff first, don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Kamak said. ¡°We¡¯ll handle the tough one later.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re up to something again, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    The honesty was a refreshing change of pace, at least. Khem held a very low opinion of Kamak in general, but even he respected Kamak¡¯s ability to improvise under pressure. With no other plans, and an ever-increasing horde of Horuk pouring into the hangar, Khem decided he might as well play along and see what Kamak had in store. He clambered into the nearest cockpit, crammed his massive body into the small space, and looked to Kamak.

    Khem cursed under his breath as he saw Kamak running, not towards another ship, but towards the hangar controls.

    If the Horuk realized what Kamak was doing, they realized too late. They thought little of the hangar doors opening. Between that and Kamak¡¯s allies jumping into the spare ships, they thought it was just an attempt at escape. They were slightly more confused when Kamak bashed open a panel below the controls and started pulling on and reconnecting wires.

    Their confusion came to a dead halt the instant the hangar went cold. They had a half second to process the change in temperature before the cold pulled them into the abyss.

    When the hangar doors were open, a pair of energy barriers and a buffer of empty space between them usually kept the atmosphere inside while still allowing ships to pass through. Thanks to Kamak¡¯s hotwiring, those barriers had been tricked into thinking the door was still closed, opening the hangar to the cold void of space.

    For the Horuk, whose movement operated on a liquid hydraulic system, the loss of atmospheric pressure was an immediate death sentence. They could not even move their limbs to hold on for dear life, and their scattered bodies were pulled into the abyss with no resistance. They might have been screaming as they drifted into deep space, but there was no air to carry their cries. Kamak liked it better that way. He had enough problems without having to hear five dozen death wails.

    In plotting out this plan to eject the Horuk into space, he had been relying on his more conventional, no-pressure-required muscles to hold him in place. The plan might have worked -if he still had full use of both his arms. The hole burned in his shoulder was making that hard. The failsafes had activated, and the hangar door was closing again, but the massive door moved slowly. Kamak didn¡¯t know if he could hold on that long.

    As it turned out, he could not. Kamak whispered a quiet curse into nothingness as his hand slipped free.

    The first impact should¡¯ve just been a warning sign of worse things to come. Kamak had probably just hit the door on his way out, and the gradual drain of the atmosphere in the hangar would soon pull him into the void, just like the Horuk. Then whatever had impacted started to push back.

    Never too surprised to want to stay alive, Kamak latched on, and found he was holding on to the wing of one of the shuttles. If he hadn¡¯t been so focused on holding his breath to avoid explosive decompression of his lungs, Kamak would¡¯ve breathed a sigh of relief. He waited until the hangar door fully closed, and the hangar pressurized with a loud hiss.

    Kamak almost wanted to jump for joy upon realizing he had survived his own idiotic plan. The urge got a little easier to resist when he realized how much pain he was in. Getting shot, nearly having his arms pulled out of their sockets by the call of the void, and then getting slammed around the hangar had not done his body any good. He hit the ground and took a breather as his rescuer exited their ship.

    To his surprise, it was Khem. They locked eyes for a second. Khem betrayed no emotion.

    ¡°I was expecting Ghul,¡± Kamak said. ¡°No offense, I¡¯m just surprised you could even fly that thing. The controls are all tiny, and your hands are like fucking tumpa fruits.¡±

    Kamak held up his hands, fingers splayed, to emphasize the size. Khem rolled all six of his eyes.

    ¡°And, uh...thanks,¡± Kamak said. Khem didn¡¯t respond, so Kamak slowly got to his feet, shaking out aching knees and bruised ribs. ¡°Alright, Ghul, come on, showtime, let¡¯s get you a medical kit.¡±

    Kamak looked to the ship he¡¯d stashed Ghul in. It hadn¡¯t moved, and continued to not move as he watched it.

    ¡°Ghul?¡±

    In spite of his injuries, Kamak hustled over to the cockpit and threw it open before Khem could reach it.

    ¡°Ghul, come on-¡±

    Kamak froze in place, as motionless and silent as Ghul herself. Both the natural and synthetic halves of her face were frozen in a placid expression, staring into nothingness forever. Kamak was staring at her, watching, waiting, for a sign of life that never came.

    ¡°God damn it!¡±

    Kamak hurled himself away from the cockpit and slammed his fist into the side of the small ship.

    ¡°God fucking damn it,¡± he repeated, punching the side of the ship again. ¡°I did everything right!¡±

    He stopped punching the ship long enough to slam his fist into his wounded shoulder a few times.

    ¡°I played hero! I took the shots, I put my ass on the line, and people still drop dead around me! What the fuck is wrong with me?¡±

    He¡¯d run around like a madman trying to save Ghul, and she¡¯d bled to death in the darkness all the same. Kamak hated her for it, but not as much as he hated the universe, and nowhere near as much as he hated himself. Khem watched the self-flagellation, and his mandibles curled into a close approximation of a frown.

    ¡°The universe reserves no reward for the benevolent,¡± Khem said. ¡°We do what we think is best. And we live with the consequences.¡±

    Kamak glared up at Ghul, briefly focusing his mournful rage.

    ¡°That why you stick to your fucking codes so hard? So that when things go wrong it¡¯s the codes fault, not yours?¡±

    Khem said nothing. None of his six eyes blinked. The defiant rage was pulled out of Kamak faster than the Horuk had been pulled from the hangar. With a defeated sigh, he leaned against the side of the shuttle that had become Ghul¡¯s coffin.

    ¡°She came here to save me,¡± Kamak mumbled. ¡°I didn¡¯t even thank her.¡±

    Khem grit his flanged jaws. He understood the need to mourn, on some level, but he preferred to respect the dead by avenging them.

    ¡°You have friends who yet live,¡± Khem said. ¡°Do not lose the living to mourn the dead.¡±

    Kamak gave the cockpit one more gentle punch, and grit his own teeth. Khem had a point. Doprel, Farsus, and Corey were still on the shop somewhere. Kamak once again drew his gun, holding it in his one good hand, and took a look at Ghul¡¯s motionless face.

    ¡°Sorry I can¡¯t get you out of here,¡± he said. Between his wounded state and the chance of an active firefight, there was no way he could haul a corpse around. ¡°But I promise I¡¯m going to give you one hell of a funeral.¡±

    With a gun in one hand and Khem by his back, Kamak limped onward, towards vengeance.

 Chapter 93: The Final Blow

    ¡°Kamak? Kamak, are you there?¡±

    The communicator was as dead silent as everything else around Corey.

    ¡°Kamak, all that backup you sent- shit, man, they¡¯re all dead,¡± Corey said. Two ambushes by the Horuk had completely wiped out the bounty hunters that had arrived to help. Corey had only escaped by the skin of his teeth. ¡°I¡¯m still on track, but I could use some help. This is harder than we thought.¡±

    ¡°There is no one there to answer,¡± Morrakesh said. His voice was quieter than usual. Instead of booming out over invisible speakers, Corey felt like it was whispering right into his ear. Morrakesh wanted it that way. Of all the bounty hunters on the ship, it believed Corey to be the most vulnerable, the easiest to break. The isolation from jamming his comms was just the first step. ¡°Even the Hard Luck Hermit has been overrun.¡±

    Corey glared at the ceiling and kept limping forward.

    ¡°Tooley Keeber Obeltas still lives,¡± Morrakesh said. ¡°For the moment. Your behavior will affect how long she survives.¡±

    ¡°Go fuck yourself, houseplant,¡± Corey said. ¡°If you¡¯d already won, you wouldn¡¯t be talking.¡±

    Corey knew a bluff when he saw it, even coming from a plant talking through an intercom. Morrakesh secretly bristled at the called bluff. Its position was growing more tenuous by the moment. Kamak¡¯s stunt in the hangar had vented the bulk of the Horuk aboard his ship, and the battles with the bounty hunters were gradually whittling away what few were left. It had almost nothing left to defend itself with, though it still had quality, if not quantity.

    ¡°I simply wish to convince you not to throw your life away, Corey Anathedus Vash,¡± Morrakesh said. The mispronunciation of his middle name made Corey¡¯s eye twitch. ¡°Ah, the rage. Your suspicions are correct, you know. She is part of me now.¡±

    Corey barely resisted the urge to aim and fire at the ceiling. Save the shots for when it mattered, he reminded himself.

    ¡°Her knowledge has been delightfully illuminating,¡± Morrakesh said. ¡°Her condition. ¡®Lung cancer¡¯, you call it? The Galactic Council possesses a cure for that, you know.¡±

    Corey did know. It had been one of the first things he¡¯d looked up. The bitterness had occupied a small corner of his mind ever since.

    ¡°You tell yourself there was nothing to be done, but there was,¡± Morrakesh said. ¡°The Galactic Council knew of Earth. They knew of your world, and all its residents, all the suffering they had the power to prevent, and they did nothing.¡±

    In spite of himself, Corey missed a step. He had long told himself that he was from an unknown world in the far reaches of space, that no alien visitor could possibly have known, possibly have saved his mother. If that was a lie-

    ¡°You fight so hard for a universe that has done nothing for you,¡± Morrakesh said. The ill-timed taunt only served to remind Corey of Morrakesh¡¯s true goals. Nothing he said could be trusted, especially not now.

    ¡°I could give two shits about the universe right now,¡± Corey said. ¡°I¡¯m not leaving this ship until you¡¯re dead.¡±

    ¡°Then come,¡± Morrakesh said, before falling silent. Even it had underestimated Corey¡¯s defiance. Mental defiance, at least. Breaking the body did wonders for breaking the mind.

    Corey¡¯s furious march towards his target took less time than anticipated. Morrakesh had deliberately cleared the Horuk out of his path -save for one.

    The door to Corey¡¯s destination opened, and he found the tangled mass of Morrakesh¡¯s roots he was looking for. The only obstacle was a single Horuk, with a carapace so black it almost seemed to devour the light around it. They held a small metal rod, but no other visible weapon.

    ¡°Corey Anathedus Vash, allow me to introduce the One. The leader of the Horuk horde.¡±

    Corey introduced himself in the form of a few shots from his rifle. The laser bolts seemed to vanish into the light-drinking hide of the Horuk. Corey briefly considered retreat, but the automatic door slammed shut behind him.

    ¡°Do remember to manage your pace, oh mighty One,¡± Morrakesh said. ¡°I would prefer to break him without killing him.¡±

    The One grabbed on to its metal rod with two of its hands, and used the remaining hundreds to skitter towards Corey at top speed. He tried to shoot it a few times, and then to kick it away, but the Horuk just grabbed on to his leg and then used it to hurl him across the room. Corey impacted one of the tangled roots of Morrakesh, crushing a few sensory blossoms on impact. As an afterthought, Corey fired a few rounds into one of the other exposed branches.

    ¡°Come on then, bastard,¡± Corey said. ¡°I¡¯ll take you with me!¡±

    Corey fired off a few more shots, and burnt a few more holes in Morrakesh¡¯s body. The lights in the room actually started to flicker. Their plan was working. The synaptic spark of delight in Corey¡¯s mind clued Morrakesh in to the fact his deadline was drawing nearer.

    ¡°One. Faster.¡±

    The Horuk leader obliged. Corey was in the middle of firing at Morrakesh when a white-hot blur of light cut his gun in half. He stared at the glowing fragments of what had once been his gun, and then looked back at the Horuk.

    The metal rod in his hand had ignited, shooting out a concentrated beam of energy. It emanated an overpowering heat that already had Corey beginning to sweat. He barely registered that, fixated as he was on the thin blade of energy cutting through the air.

    ¡°Lightsaber,¡± he mumbled.

    The One laughed, and Morrakesh laughed with him. Corey tore his eyes away from the sword long enough to glance at the Horuk¡¯s open mouth. The interior was not armored in light-eating black. Just like Farsus had said.

    ¡°You admire this?¡±

    The One waved its weapon tauntingly, and Corey¡¯s eyes tracked it perfectly, like a cat tracking a laser pointer.

    ¡°It is a weapon born of the First One, crafted with a heart of pure carathatin.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about explaining,¡± Morrakesh said. ¡°He will become intimately acquainted soon enough. Start with the fingers on the left hand.¡±

    The threat broke Corey out of his hypnotic focus on the sword.

    ¡°Wait. Wait, hold on, don¡¯t-¡±

    Heedless to his pleas, the Horuk strode forward and grabbed on to his arm. Corey struggled, but the One overpowered him, drew his hand outwards, and swung its one of a kind blade down to his hand. Corey didn¡¯t know if the sheer heat made it better or worse. The blade cauterized wounds before they were even cut, burning the flesh of his hand black as all four fingers on his left hand were sliced off just below the knuckle, taking a chunk of his hand with them.

    The Horuk released Corey, throwing him to the ground to let him writhe and scream. The One and Morrakesh laughed at him again, his muted screams of agony still quieter than their mocking laughter.

    ¡°Shall we move on to his legs, then, or the other hand?¡±

    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

    ¡°The legs, I think,¡± Morrakesh said. ¡°Start with the right boot. That¡¯s where he keeps that little knife of his.¡±

    The Horuk and Morrakesh laughed again. Their arrogant mockery cut through the pain and gave Corey some focus. The knife. He watched the One¡¯s open mouth, laughing at his expense. It all sounded familiar. Across the vastness of space, across strange alien species, the laughter was still that same arrogant, belittling laugh. The laugh of an arrogant bastard trying to make someone else feel small.

    Just like dad.

    Even Morrakesh was a little surprised when Corey stood up, ignoring his mutilated hand, burying the pain, burying any schemes and secrets, behind a wall of sheer, blistering hatred. Try as Morrakesh might, he could see nothing but seething rage in Corey¡¯s mind as he used his remaining hand to draw the knife from his boot.

    ¡°Alright, alright,¡± Corey said. The searing pain in his cauterized hand made it difficult to talk, but he pushed through the agony. ¡°You want to see my ¡®little knife¡¯?¡±

    Corey held his knife out sideways, showing off the blade.

    ¡°This is a little trinket from back home,¡± Corey said. ¡°Indestructible, just like you. Solid vibranium, from tip to handle.¡±

    The reference was lost on Morrakesh, as was any attempt to read Corey¡¯s thoughts, but he could still sense that the knife was nothing special. He laughed again, and Corey grit his teeth.

    ¡°It¡¯s a basic carbon steel composite,¡± Morrakesh said.

    ¡°What, you don¡¯t believe me? Come on then,¡± Corey said. He flexed his hand and waved the knife in the One¡¯s direction. ¡°Come on and try it. My knife versus that fancy sword of yours. We¡¯ll see what happens.¡±

    The One tapped several of its many limbs together in an expression of apparent amused delight. It walked forward confidently, blade extended, and Corey matched its pace until they were standing face to circular face.

    Corey held out his knife once more. The One reached out and gingerly tapped its laser sword against the metal edge. In an instant, the blade of the knife warped and began melting into white-hot slag. Morrakesh and the One once again began to laugh their arrogant laugh.

    The laughter stopped when Corey reached out and shoved the white hot-knife right into the One¡¯s open mouth.

    A burning shriek of agony bubbled past the molten blade, and the One reached towards its mouth with every hand -dropping the laser sword in the process. Corey snatched the metal handle out of the air as it fell, hefted it over his head, and brought the impossibly hot blade down on the One¡¯s body.

    The One became two as the Horuk fell apart, sliced into two perfectly even halves right down the middle. The buzzing blade of the sword rested against the floor. It was the only sound in the room. Until Corey took his turn to laugh.

    ¡°Ha!¡±

    Corey raised his new trophy aloft and waved it at the ceiling, pointing it at random sensory blossoms to make sure Morrakesh got a good look.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got your lightsaber, motherfucker!¡±

    Once he was done gloating, Corey got to his real priority -killing. He took his new laser blade and plunged it into one of Morrakesh¡¯s roots. The burning sword cut through it like butter, and with a mere flick of his wrist, Corey severed the root entirely.

    ¡°Stop!¡±

    There was genuine fear and agony in Morrakesh¡¯s voice now. In the past, he had only ever used this vocal setting to feign vulnerability. For the first time in centuries of existence, his terror was genuine. It was also ignored. Corey picked another root in arms¡¯ reach and cut through it again, making sure to sink the stolen blade deep.

    ¡°Stop this!¡±

    Corey didn¡¯t stop. Morrakesh could feel the toxic cocktail of hatred and delight flowing through Corey¡¯s mind as he hacked Morrakesh to pieces.

    ¡°You are killing us,¡± Morrakesh pleaded. ¡°All of us! Everything we are!¡±

    Corey did not stop, but the plea at least made him hesitate. Morrakesh latched on to that small hesitation.

    ¡°I know what your mother knew,¡± Morrakesh pleaded. ¡°Everything she knew, everything she was, lives in me now.¡±

    The reminder of Morrakesh¡¯s grave robbing did the opposite of what he intended. Corey pulled the stolen saber back and plunged it deep into another root.

    ¡°I know what she wanted to say,¡± Morrakesh said. ¡°Those final words you could never hear! I can tell you!¡±

    Corey stopped again. His mother had mouthed some words as her lungs gave out, trying to impart some final message. A message that went unheard. Corey froze with his blade stuck to the hilt in a root.

    ¡°I can give you the answers you need, Corey Anathedus Vash.¡±

    Corey¡¯s grip on the blade tightened.

    ¡°Amadeus,¡± he corrected. ¡°My mom named me Corey Amadeus Vash!

    Corey pulled the blade back and severed another root. There was no more hesitation.

    ¡°I know what she wanted to say,¡± Corey shouted, more to himself than Morrakesh. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to hear it!¡±

    The flaring blade sliced an entire chunk of Morrakesh¡¯s plantlike body out of the walls, severing it from the circuitry and mechanisms in the ship. Inside the burning cauldron of rage in his mind, Corey focused on what his mother had wanted. What she¡¯d always wanted: for Corey to live. Safe, happy, and free of bastards like his father. Like Morrakesh.

    Corey made another cut, and Morrakesh let out a shriek of pain.

    ¡°Fine then,¡± Morrakesh screamed. ¡°Flail with your stolen sword, cut a few feet of limbs, and think you¡¯ve accomplished anything! A single root, a single branch, is all I need to regrow. Even that blade cannot reach a heart that does not exist.¡±

    Corey deactivated the blade and stumbled through the door. The pain in his hand was starting to catch up to him, make him light-headed.

    ¡°You cannot kill me in any way that matters,¡± Morrakesh taunted.

    ¡°Well that sounds dramatic,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Picked the right time for the sound to come back on.¡±

    Corey looked around, and found the source of the voice at his waist. He had left his communicator on, hoping for a response, and apparently the comms had just kicked back on.

    ¡°Kamak, hey,¡± Corey said. ¡°I¡¯ve been a little busy.¡±

    ¡°I think we all have,¡± Kamak said. ¡°We¡¯ll talk about it over drinks. I think we cut Morrakesh out of the comms system, we might be on track.¡±

    ¡°Looks like it,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Dummy plug is online and not registering any resistance.¡±

    ¡°Dummy plug?¡±

    Wracked with pain, even Morrakesh did not grasp the ominous meaning. At first.

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, you leafy bitch,¡± Corey said. ¡°All this shooting and slicing isn¡¯t us trying to kill you.¡±

    ¡°Only cut your nervous system out of the ship¡¯s controls,¡± Farsus added. ¡°Leaving it free to be piloted remotely by our esteemed Tooley Keeber Obertas.¡±

    ¡°Best pilot in the universe,¡± Tooley boasted. ¡°Not that I¡¯ll need all those skills to crash your pretty purple ship right into that Bang Gate at faster-than-light speeds.¡±

    ¡°And no bluffs this time,¡± Doprel added.

    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Corey concluded. ¡°What do you think, Morrakesh? Does obliterating you on an atomic level count as ¡®killing you in a way that matters¡¯?¡±

    Morrakesh was silent for two seconds. Then the ship erupted into a shrieking, overpowering noise. Morrakesh¡¯s first, and last, scream of terror.

    <hr>

    ¡°God damn that¡¯s a lot of bodies,¡± Kamak said. He actually had to shove the pile of Horuk corpses aside so he and Corey could get up the boarding ramp.

    ¡°I have been very busy,¡± To Vo La Su said. Kamak gave her a pat on the shoulder and headed for the cockpit.

    ¡°Khem¡¯s already clear and there¡¯s no one else alive aboard,¡± Kamak said. He felt a moment of bitter regret for Ghul, and moved past it. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    ¡°Already spread the word to our allies,¡± Doprel said. ¡°They¡¯re in full retreat, and Horuk are closing ranks around the Bang Gate.¡±

    ¡°Then let¡¯s do this,¡± Tooley said. Farsus disengaged the boarding ramp as she pulled away. Her first priority was making a short range jump away, putting them into light speed for a few ticks to get to a safe distance. For some of them, it was the first moment of even partial safety in a long time. The reprieve gave them a moment to reflect on their current status -which was not all positive.

    ¡°Ow,¡± Corey said. The nerve damage on his hand was starting to wear off, letting him feel the pain all over again.

    ¡°Oh, fuck,¡± Tooley said. She¡¯d taken a second to glance at Corey and immediately saw his burnt-black hand and missing fingers. ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    ¡°Relatively! Lost a few fingers I¡¯m not getting back, but I got this cool sword,¡± Corey said. He ignited his stolen lightsaber, and everyone in the cockpit immediately recoiled from the heat.

    ¡°Kickass,¡± Tooley said. ¡°And speaking of kickass things¡­¡±

    She pulled the ship out of FTL and parked it in the void. From this distance, the Bang Gate wasn¡¯t visible even as a speck in the distance. Tooley started to fiddle with a remote while Kamak grabbed the bottle of fancy liquor and poured another round of drinks for everyone. Doprel tended to their allies, and gave a thumbs up once he¡¯d confirmed everyone had reached the minimum safe distance -and their enemies hadn¡¯t.

    ¡°Just say the word, Tooley,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°Which word?¡±

    ¡°Whichever one you want,¡± Kamak sighed.

    ¡°Fucker.¡±

    Tooley slammed her hand down on a big red button. Everyone aboard took a sip of their drinks.

    And waited.

    ¡°Taking a bit, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re pretty far away, even at the speed of light there¡¯ll be a slight-¡±

    The wave of blinding light washed over them, and a subspace pulse rocked the entire ship with such fury that Corey dropped his drink.

    The initial shockwave passed, and the blinding light faded, leaving behind a blossom of celestial fire that slowly expanded in every direction. Waves of starlight flared and vanished into the abyss. Corey sat back and ignored his wounded hand, and the broken glass around his feet, and enjoyed the show.

    ¡°Best fireworks in the universe,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°Best view in the universe,¡± Tooley said, as she glanced at Corey¡¯s smile.

    Kamak took another sip of his bitter drink, and stared at the cosmic fireball as it started to collapse on itself.

    ¡°We better get paid for this.¡±

 Chapter 94: What Comes After

    ¡°Tell me when you¡¯re ready,¡± Dr. Theddis said.

    ¡°We both know you don¡¯t give a shit,¡± Corey snapped.

    ¡°You¡¯re right, I don¡¯t,¡± Theddis said. ¡°That¡¯s why I already did it.¡±

    ¡°You wha- oh.¡±

    Corey held up his left hand, and wiggled a set of brand new fingers. There was still some visible burn scarring below the prosthetic, but it had been minimized.

    ¡°Damn. That was easy.¡±

    ¡°Prosthetics were mastered long ago,¡± Farsus said. He emphasized his point by removing the middle finger on his left hand and then reattaching it.

    ¡°You¡¯ve had a prosthetic finger this whole time?¡±

    ¡°Did you really think a man with my habits had kept all his fingers?¡±

    ¡°Fair,¡± Corey said. ¡°Do I need to do anything with this?¡±

    ¡°Most amputees say putting lotion on the scars helps with chafing,¡± Dr, Theddis said. ¡°But unless it actually breaks, no, doesn¡¯t really require maintenance. Just don¡¯t do anything with it you wouldn¡¯t do with regular fingers.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll try. Thanks, doc.¡±

    Kamak¡¯s shoulder had already been patched up, so they had nothing else left to do at Theddis¡¯s office. They left and headed straight for the center of Centerpoint.

    The several swaps it had taken for them to travel from the battlefield to Centerpoint had allowed plenty of time for news to spread, and apparently for some important decisions to be made. The ruling body of the Galactic Council had invited them to come for a personal audience, which Kamak was choosing to interpret as a special occasion just for them. Maybe a parade. Definitely a paycheck. A big one, with lots of zeroes. It was an optimistic appraisal, but the universe owed him some good karma. Even so, Kamak made sure not to look excited as he rode the elevator up to the council chambers.

    ¡°Good afternoon, crew of the Hard Luck Hermit.¡±

    They¡¯d been hoping for a much larger welcoming committee, maybe with some applause and confetti thrown in, but To Vo La Su was a nice surprise anyway. She was wearing a crisp new uniform, with a fancy hat and a few shiny badges.

    ¡°Hey, To Vo,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Didn¡¯t waste any time getting your old job back, I see.¡±

    ¡°Oh, no. I¡¯ve actually asked for, and been granted, a promotion,¡± To Vo said. She grabbed the hems of her uniform and tugged at them awkwardly.

    ¡°Oh, I see,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Took over Mokai¡¯s old spot, right?¡±

    ¡°Oh, no...again,¡± To Vo said. ¡°Internal Affairs, actually.¡±

    ¡°Investigating corruption and abuse of power within the Galactic Council itself,¡± Farsus said. ¡°An admirable goal.¡±

    ¡°Aww. It¡¯s cute you think that¡¯ll help,¡± Kamak said. Doprel reached to punch him in the shoulder, remembered his injury, and then reached further to punch him in the other shoulder. ¡°Ow.¡±

    ¡°It won¡¯t be easy,¡± To Vo said. ¡°And maybe it won¡¯t even be productive. But I want to try. And if it ends up not working out...well, there¡¯s always bounty hunting.¡±

    ¡°Heh. We¡¯ll see if we¡¯ve got the budget for you.¡±

    ¡°Oh no, I was thinking about Khem,¡± To Vo said. ¡°I¡¯ve heard he¡¯s seeking new recruits, and I really admire his rules based approach.¡±

    Kamak raised an eyebrow. To Vo La Su didn¡¯t blink. She started giggling after a few ticks. Kamak dignified her with a single chuckle, while Tooley mocked him with a full-on laugh. She¡¯d pay for that later.

    ¡°It¡¯ll work out,¡± Corey said. ¡°You¡¯ll do fine.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Corey. And thank you again, Corey, and all of you, for saving me,¡± To Vo said. ¡°And, of course, the whole universe. But you¡¯ll probably hear that a lot soon.¡±

    She waved towards the door to the council chambers.

    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t hold you up anymore. Good luck, and see you all soon.¡±

    To Vo waved goodbye and waved them inside as the council doors opened. The room looked like it seat hundreds in the many circular booths that lined the towering cylindrical room, but only half a dozen currently occupied it, arranged in a short row around the opposite sound of the room. The harsh-faced and visibly elderly aliens appraised the crew of the Hermit quietly as they walked in.

    ¡°Welcome, crew of the Hard Luck Hermit,¡± The grand councilwoman said. ¡°On behalf of the United Council Races, we would like to thank you for your intervention in a potential crisis. And to apologize for suspicion and accusations levied against you as the late Morrakesh¡¯s deception was carried out.¡±

    Kamak bowed gratefully. He wanted to rub their noses in it a little, but that kind of behavior might cost him a paycheck. Just hearing the words ¡°the late Morrakesh¡± was a nice little delight, for now. The Collective that bore its name was already collapsing, with a few worlds defecting to the Galactic Council and those that remained splintering into warlord states vying for power. Just a few swaps, and the ¡°eternal empire¡± was already collapsing.

    ¡°We also assure you that all charges against you have been dropped, and proper accounts of recent events will be spread to exonerate you in the court of public opinion.¡±

    They¡¯d already received messages from the Bounty Hunters Guild and Timeka saying that their names were effectively cleared -though Timeka¡¯s message hadn¡¯t exactly been friendly. Kamak would take ¡®not trying to kill him¡¯ as a good baseline for his relationship with Timeka going forward. He¡¯d kind of wanted to cut ties anyway.

    Corey folded his recently repaired hands behind his back and waited. Then kept waiting. The council members stared at the crew blankly.

    ¡°You may go,¡± the councilwoman said.

    ¡°Sorry?¡±

    ¡°You are dismissed,¡± the grand councilwoman said. ¡°Unless you have questions?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I have a question,¡± Tooley said. ¡°We saved your lives, and by extension the entire universe, are we, like, getting paid for that?¡±

    ¡°Charges have been dropped and your names will be cleared,¡± the council repeated.

    ¡°Yeah, no shit, that¡¯s like, the default,¡± Tooley said.

    ¡°Given your current reputation, the extensive campaign of image rehabilitation we are performing on your behalf is a much needed and resource-intensive effort.¡±

    Something in Kamak¡¯s brain clicked.

    ¡°We saved the fucking universe and you want to pay us in good publicity? Could we skip the publicity tour and give me a paycheck, maybe?¡±

    ¡°Your actions, while unarguably intended as heroic, have incurred significant losses to the Galactic Council military,¡± another council member said. ¡°The losses in starships and manpower alone total in the billions, and the longterm diplomatic consequences will no doubt increase that deficit.¡±

    ¡°What consequences?¡±

    ¡°We united the universe against a common enemy,¡± Farsus said. ¡°Surely that does more good than not?¡±

    ¡°Briefly united,¡± the grand councilwoman droned. ¡°To answer your summons, the Doccan violated several travel restrictions and skirmished with local security forces across the universe. Additionally, the Structuralists are suing the Council for their losses incurred, as well as demanding the immediate capture and surrender of one Tooley Keeber Obeltas, self-proclaimed ¡®greatest pilot in the universe¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Hey, you drop that ¡®self-proclaimed¡¯ shit, I got other people proclaiming it now,¡± Tooley said. She held up her datapad, displaying an interview she¡¯d done with a piloting news site.

    ¡°The point remains,¡± the councilwoman said.

    ¡°I suppose it was too much to hope we¡¯d all make friends and hold hands,¡± Doprel said.

    ¡°Even without the Bang Gate, the threat of the Horuk remains,¡± Farsus added. ¡°They would be wise to dispose of such petty grievances.¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, the people are not always wise,¡± the councilwoman said.

    ¡°Case in point,¡± Kamak said, glaring in his direction. ¡°Can I at least get a god damned medal? Something I can point to so people buy me drinks? Doesn¡¯t have to be solid gold or anything, just has to look nice.¡±

    The six council members looked at each other.

    ¡°We will discuss this,¡± the councilwoman said. ¡°In the meantime, there is one additional opportunity we have to discuss with you.¡±

    ¡°Lay it on me,¡± Kamak said. The councilwoman quickly interfaced with a computer in her podium and sent some information to Kamak. A list of names, specifically. ¡°And these are?¡±

    ¡°A list of Morrakesh¡¯s known associates,¡± the councilwoman said. ¡°Given your experience with his methods, and your previous line of employment¡­¡±

    Kamak stared at the names. When he spoke again, it was through gritted teeth.

    ¡°After all this,¡± he hissed. ¡°You want us to get right back to bounty hunting?¡±

    ¡°The bounty prices are well above standard Galactic Council rates.¡±

    Kamak looked at the price tag. Those actually were some pretty nice paydays. And without the support of Morrakesh¡¯s brain and the overall might of the Collective, a lot of them actually would be pretty easy to collect¡­

    ¡°Alright,¡± Kamak said. ¡°But this is an exclusive contract! I don¡¯t want any other hunters on this.¡±

    ¡°And we¡¯re getting medals,¡± Corey insisted.

    ¡°And we¡¯re getting medals!¡±

    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    The grand councilwoman rolled her eyes.

    ¡°You have a deal,¡± she said. ¡°You are dismissed.¡±

    She said it more forcefully this time, letting the crew know it was no longer optional.

    ¡°Uh, wait, one more quick question, please,¡± Corey said. ¡°Hi, Corey Amadeus Vash, the guy who singlehandedly killed the indestructible leader of the hostile alien army?¡±

    Tooley snickered when he said ¡°singlehandedly¡±. Corey flexed his recently repaired fingers and ignored that.

    ¡°I just had a question. I¡¯m from Earth. Morrakesh said you knew about that planet.¡±

    The council members had become very good at hiding their emotions over years of debate, but their faces tilted slightly towards the ground when Corey mentioned Earth.

    ¡°Do you really know? And if you did...why didn¡¯t we get uplifted?¡±

    The councilwoman took a deep breath before she spoke.

    ¡°Corey Amadeus Vesh, you must understand, the Uplifting process is slow, and involved. Proper methods must be taken to ensure that unique cultures are not quashed by oppressive alien influence, and that technology is not introduced in such a way that disrupts-¡±

    ¡°Oh for stars sake, woman,¡± another council member said. He turned to Corey and spoke directly at him. ¡°Earth was far away, and we were over budget. It¡¯s as simple as that.¡±

    Corey took a few seconds to process that.

    ¡°Heh. Yeah, that tracks,¡± he said.

    ¡°It will be the first planet on our list as soon as we begin another campaign,¡± the councilwoman said. Her pale face was flushed red with embarrassment.

    ¡°Yeah, sure, you do that,¡± Corey said. He turned his back on the council and started to walk away, prompting the rest of the crew to join him.

    ¡°All that trouble and all that pain, and we got one shitty answer and a few dozen pretty-good bounties to show for it,¡± Kamak said. ¡°I truly hate being alive.¡±

    ¡°Cheer up, Kamak,¡± Doprel said. ¡°We all made it out inta- mostly intact.¡±

    Doprel glanced nervously at Corey¡¯s hand.

    ¡°We¡¯ve got everything we need to make this a new start. We made it through with our lives, our stuff, and our ship.¡±

    <hr>

    ¡°Legally speaking, I can¡¯t let you fly this.¡±

    Kamak gave his usual mechanic a good, long stare. He¡¯d been coming to Turka¡¯s shop to get the Hard Luck Hermit repaired for years, and trusted his judgment, but that statement demanded a hell of a lot more information.

    ¡°Obviously I couldn¡¯t stop you if I tried, but I really got to say I do not recommend it,¡± Turka said. He gestured the Hermit and waved one of his tools at it. ¡°The old girl could snap in half if I looked at her funny.¡±

    Turka retrieved a datapad displaying the Hard Luck hermit¡¯s internal superstructure. Kamak was familiar with the shop¡¯s visual shorthand, so he knew that red was bad, and there was a whole lot of it. A good forty percent of the ship was colored in red, and most of the remaining sixty percent was black, which he¡¯d never seen before.

    ¡°What¡¯s the black mean?¡±

    ¡°Oh well that¡¯s usually reserved for when we do damage assessment on crashes,¡± Turka said. ¡°I¡¯ve never actually seen a ship be in that bad of a shape and still fly.¡±

    Kamak scanned the fatal assessment of his ship¡¯s structural integrity and sighed heavily. In a way, he wasn¡¯t surprised. After months of frequent battles, high-speed chases, and risky maneuvers, it was no surprise the Hermit was suffering severe stress damage.

    ¡°So what do we do?¡±

    ¡°In my professional opinion, you take the loss,¡± Turka said. ¡°Doing a full repair on this magnitude would pretty much mean disassembling the ship and rebuilding it from scratch. You could buy two, maybe three ships of the same model for what it¡¯d cost you in parts and labor.¡±

    The Hard Luck Hermit had already been an older model when it had been gifted to Kamak decades ago, so it was a difficult repair job even under the best circumstances. The parts needed, and the expertise to work with them, were in short supply and came with a significant price tag. Kamak double checked his bank account, and the bounties he¡¯d been offered lately. Both came up short.

    ¡°Shit.¡±

    ¡°If you want some good news, that last stunt you pulled turned it into some official war memorabilia,¡± Turka offered. The Horuk Invasion would hopefully consist of only one battle, but it was still technically a war. ¡°Some weird old collector types love that stuff. You would¡¯ve gotten pocket change for this as scrap, but I know a fella who¡¯d give you at least two million for it, easy, even non-functional.¡±

    ¡°Well, there¡¯s that,¡± Kamak sighed. He looked to his crew and found them to have similar defeated looks on their faces. Except for Tooley, who was frantically tapping away at her datapad, probably already looking for new jobs. ¡°Any objections from the crew?¡±

    ¡°It is your ship, captain,¡± Farsus said solemnly.

    ¡°Your call to make,¡± Doprel agreed.

    Kamak hated when things were on his shoulders. At least there was only one call to make, really.

    ¡°Look around for a buyer and let me know,¡± Kamak sighed. ¡°But don¡¯t sell it until I say so. I got a friend who might want to come and say some goodbyes.¡±

    Turka nodded, and returned to his tools. Kamak took a long look at the Hermit. It was a boxy, ugly, slow, poorly armed piece of shit -and it had been his only real home for decades.

    ¡°Wish I¡¯d known you were taking your last flight,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Would¡¯ve made an occasion out of it.¡±

    ¡°Sometimes things don¡¯t take you as far as you want them to,¡± Corey said. ¡°Only as far as they need to.¡±

    There would always be journeys left untaken -and words left unsaid. Corey, for his part, was ready to start letting things stay in the past.

    ¡°Don¡¯t try to get poetic, Corvash,¡± Kamak snapped. ¡°Help me get all our shit off the ship.¡±

    They had some maglev sleds ready to move most of their gear, and Turka provided a dumpster for their trash -and then a second dumpster, to contain the surprising quantity of empty alcohol bottles, spent power cells, ruined outfits, and other detritus the ship had accumulated. After a few cycles of labor, Kamak did one last scan of the ship, made sure everything was in order, and kicked the wall on his way out. He grabbed one of the sleds full of their stuff and started hauling it down the halls of Centerpoint.

    The shameful march lasted exactly twenty ticks before he realized he had no idea where he was going.

    ¡°Fuck. Do we have to get a hotel, or what?¡±

    ¡°Good luck finding one with a bed Doprel¡¯s size,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°I could sleep on the floor.¡±

    ¡°Oh hell,¡± Kamak said. ¡°How are we going to get to the fucking bounties? You can¡¯t bounty hunt taking public shuttles!¡±

    ¡°Well, we could surely get to some of them, then use the profits to-¡±

    Their nightmarish situation veered sharp to the left as Tooley put her datapad away and shushed them all.

    ¡°Gentlemen. If you¡¯ll follow me for a moment.¡±

    Even Kamak wasn¡¯t in the mood to protest now, and he followed along as Tooley took charge and led the makeshift caravan of crew and equipment towards the outskirts of Centerpoint. Towards the hangars, specifically.

    ¡°Tooley¡­¡±

    ¡°One moment, please let me make the dramatic reveal on my own terms,¡± she said. She took a quick look at a map of all the hangars and made a beeline for one near the edges of the hangar cluster. A green humanoid with scales across his face met her going the other way.

    ¡°Tooley Keeber Obeltas?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s me,¡± she said. ¡°Best pilot in the universe.¡±

    ¡°So I¡¯ve heard,¡± the scaly alien said. A broad smile crossed Tooley¡¯s face. ¡°Glad she¡¯ll be in good hands. Here you go.¡±

    The alien tossed over a small rod, which Tooley caught out of the air and held firmly in her hand. She pressed a thumb down and let some kind of scan begin, and Kamak finally realized what was happening. That was a bio-encoder. The kind used to put a DNA lock on a ship. Tooley held a short aside with the scaly alien, finalizing a few business details, and then bid him goodbye as she continued towards the hangar.

    ¡°My friends¡ªand Kamak¡ªplease feast your eyes on my new ship!¡±

    She threw the hangar door open wide and swept her hands towards a shining new star cruiser. It was a broad, boomerang shaped ship with a silvery sheen, more than twice the size of the Hermit, and in much better condition. The new vessel was sleek, heavily armed, and looked fast even when sitting completely motionless. Farsus actually whistled in admiration.

    ¡°Shin-Copa Thirty Eight Multipurpose Star Cruiser,¡± Tooley said, beaming from ear to ear. ¡°Luxury style, racer speeds, and military armaments. Always wanted one of these bad bitches.¡±

    Kamak could actually see his reflection in the hull. He stared at himself for a moment before turning to Tooley.

    ¡°How the fuck did you afford this?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve always had some money pigeonholed for a new ship,¡± Tooley said. ¡°That, and for the past couple swaps every spacer show in the universe has been hitting me up for interviews. Every pilot wants to know how I pulled off the ¡®Tooley Maneuver¡¯.¡±

    The sudden light-speed dash into sub-light maneuvering she¡¯d pulled off in the battle against the Horuk was the kind of flying most pilots only dreamed of. And probably should have kept only dreaming of.

    ¡°Is that safe?¡±

    ¡°Oh absolutely not,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Literally everyone else who¡¯s attempted it has died.¡±

    Approximately thirty-seven people across the universe had already tried and failed to imitate her stunt, and every single one of them had been reduced to a fine atomic mist. Thankfully they¡¯d all been trying the evasive maneuver on asteroids, not Bang Gates, so they hadn¡¯t taken anyone else with them.

    ¡°I do say ¡®don¡¯t try this at home¡¯ in every interview, so I¡¯m legally in the clear. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±

    Corey might have said something about ethics, but he got the feeling Tooley wouldn¡¯t really care.

    ¡°Your savings and interview fees paid for all this?¡±

    ¡°Well, mostly,¡± Tooley said. ¡°There are also some very significant loans involved.¡±

    Kamak raised an eyebrow. That explained everything. He could see where the conversation was going now.

    ¡°So, I was kind of hoping for that ¡®saved the universe¡¯ payday to take care of the loans, but since that¡¯s not happening,¡± Tooley said. ¡°I am willing to contract out my shiny new ship to, say, a crew of bounty hunters looking for a ride?¡±

    Kamak walked over to Tooley, stared her down, and cross his arms.

    ¡°I¡¯ll give you a ¡®saved the universe together¡¯ discount,¡± Tooley said, locking eyes with Kamak. ¡°Twenty percent increase over my old rate.¡±

    ¡°Ten.¡±

    ¡°Eighteen.¡±

    ¡°Eleven.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Fine, Twelve.¡±

    ¡°Seventeen.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Fine. Fifteen,¡± Tooley said. ¡°And you remember that it¡¯s my ship, my rules now.¡±

    Kamak looked at the new ship, back at Tooley, and rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

    ¡°Your ship,¡± Kamak said. ¡°My crew. You make the rules on the ship. I give the orders on the job.¡±

    ¡°Fine,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Partner.¡±

    ¡°Good deal. Partner.¡±

    Both briefly contemplated shaking on the deal, and decided against it. This was bad enough without having to touch each other. Tooley grabbed the control rod for the ship instead, and opened up the loading bay.

    ¡°Alrighty, let¡¯s load up and get comfortable,¡± Tooley said. ¡°I get first dibs on picking quarters, the rest of you get to fight over whatever¡¯s left.¡±

    Tooley asserted further dominance over her new ship by being the first to walk aboard, and benevolently allowed Corey to trail just behind her. The interior of the ship was as sleek and futuristic as the exterior, a far cry from the cramped, grungy halls of the Hard Luck Hermit.

    ¡°Holy shit,¡± Doprel said. ¡°I can go through the doors without having to bend over!¡±

    He walked back and forth through one such door, basking in the novelty of not having to duck his head. The new ship was more spacious in every way, not just in headroom. Farsus began to array some of their food and supplies in the full sized kitchen, and Tooley snatched a bottle of shiiv off the top of one of their coolers and cracked it open.

    ¡°Can¡¯t say I won¡¯t miss the Hermit,¡± Tooley said. ¡°But looking at all this is really helping me get over it.¡±

    She ran a hand along the interior metal paneling and took a seat on one of the plush couches of the ship¡¯s common room. Like the Hermit, it had a central living space, but the rooms were spread out across long hallways in each of the ¡°wings¡±. The extra privacy would be a nice boon alongside the extra space.

    ¡°Hell of a pick, Tooley,¡± Kamak said. ¡°You named her yet?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m still contemplating,¡± Tooley said. ¡°I reserve the right to make the final choice, but I¡¯m open to suggestions.¡±

    Corey stepped up to the cockpit, and took a look out the window. The hangar door was open, and Corey peered through the energy barrier out into the stars. His thoughts drifted for a moment to Earth, somewhere out there in the stars, and everything he had left behind there.

    ¡°A name, huh?¡± He said. ¡°How about ¡®Matilda¡¯?¡±

    Tooley had been midway through sipping on her drink, and she nearly choked on it.

    ¡°What the fuck is wrong with you?¡±

    Kamak¡¯s hand had skipped to his gun, and Doprel¡¯s mandibles were contorted in horror. Even Farsus looked offended.

    ¡°What? That¡¯s my mom¡¯s name!¡±

    ¡°Your mom¡¯s name is Ma-¡±

    Tooley caught herself midsentence. She couldn¡¯t bring herself to say it. The tension in the room defused slightly, though Corey¡¯s confusion didn¡¯t change.

    ¡°Oh. Mom¡¯s name. Yeah that sort of makes sense,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Different languages, and all that.¡±

    ¡°You should be aware, Corvash, that word is one of the most offensive and vile slurs in the known universe,¡± Farsus said.

    ¡°Yeah man, even the Structuralists wouldn¡¯t say shit like that,¡± Tooley said. ¡°That¡¯s just wrong.¡±

    ¡°My mom¡¯s name is an ultra-slur?¡±

    ¡°Looks like it,¡± Doprel said. ¡°Good thing you didn¡¯t say that earlier. Kamak might¡¯ve shot you if he liked you less.¡±

    Corey was not in any way comforted by Kamak nodding when Doprel said that.

    ¡°Okay. Maybe I don¡¯t get to name the ship, then,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°Maybe not.¡±

    Corey distracted himself from the accidental hate crime he¡¯d just committed by burying his face in his datapad. The long list of bounties they¡¯d just acquired showed promise as a way to keep himself occupied, as he scanned a long list of names and faces he had no context for and did not recognize.

    Until he found one he did.

    ¡°Huh.¡±

    Corey tabbed into the bounty listing to show more information.

    ¡°Hey, so, I don¡¯t get to pick the name, obviously,¡± Corey said. ¡°But can I put in a vote for our first target?¡±

    ¡°What you got?¡±

    Corey turned the tablet around to display his target. Kamak and Tooley took one look at it, and a broad smile spread across both their faces.

    ¡°I think we can swing that,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°And even make a quick detour after,¡± Tooley said.

 Chapter 95: What Comes Next

    ¡°Get back,¡± Kacey snapped. ¡°Don¡¯t fucking touch me!¡±

    Kacey had a pointy-looking rock in her hands, and the four members of the Church of the Guiding Truth facing her down had rifles in theirs, but she never backed down, if only because she was out of room to run. The cultists were ahead of her and a canyon ledge was behind her, leaving her nowhere to go.

    ¡°Where¡¯d you learn to talk like that?¡±

    ¡°Same place she learned to talk back in the first place, I imagine.¡±

    The chatter among the church members came to a halt as their ringleader raised his hand and stepped forward.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough of this, Kacey,¡± he said. ¡°Time to come home.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not going back,¡± Kacey stammered. She held up the rock as if it could possibly threaten a man with a high-powered assault rifle. ¡°I want to leave. I want to find my sister.¡±

    The casual, concerned demeanor of the ringleader broke as he failed to restrain a single bark of laughter. The low chuckling from his fellow cultists made Kacey¡¯s blood run cold.

    ¡°You want to find your sister? Take a step back.¡±

    Kacey¡¯s heel scraped the edge of the cliff as she flinched.

    ¡°Or we could give you an express ticket,¡± one of the cultist¡¯s said, as he tightened his grip on his gun.

    ¡°No,¡± Kacey gasped. ¡°No, no, no, you¡¯re lying! Shut the fuck up!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you talk to us like that,¡± the ringleader snapped. ¡°You sit down, shut up, and do as you¡¯re told, before you get what your sister got.¡±

    The grief on Kacey¡¯s face transformed in an instant, as wide, fearful eyes trailed upwards, above the heads of the cultists.

    ¡°No no, don¡¯t look at God,¡± the ringleader said. ¡°Look at me.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s not looking at God.¡±

    A bolt of white hot fire tore a hole through one of the cultist¡¯s chest and raced off through the night. The ringleader traced the bolt back to its source and found, to his bone-chilling shock, Corey Vash, smoking laser pistol still in hand.

    ¡°She¡¯s looking at me,¡± Corey said. He holstered his pistol. ¡°Hi, Dad.¡±

    The initial shock of seeing his presumed-dead son wore off, and Corey¡¯s father finally registered the wall of blue standing behind the not-so-dead man. The alien mandibles of the behemoth twitched with rage as they stared downwards at the humans cowering below it. Corey also glanced up at his monstrous companion.

    ¡°Well, actually, she¡¯s probably looking at my friend here. You can imagine why. Doprel, if you wouldn¡¯t mind?¡±

    The hulking abomination reached out and grabbed the two surviving cultists on either side of Corey¡¯s father, grasping them so tight everyone around could hear their ribs snap. They barely had time to register the pain of that before Doprel hefted them off the ground and slammed their heads together so hard it created a cloud of fine red mist and pulp. Doprel tossed the bodies aside, and Corey brushed a chunk of brain off his shoulder.

    ¡°Thank you Doprel,¡± he said. ¡°Now. Let¡¯s talk. How have you been, dad?¡±

    At this point, the instinctive terror of seeing his dead son and an alien behemoth wore off, and Corey¡¯s father remembered he had a gun. In a panicked, flailing frenzy he almost managed to aim the gun in Doprel¡¯s general direction before a searing flash of white light sliced the gun in half.

    ¡°Rude,¡± Corey said. He took a step back and let the blade of light sizzle in the air for a moment, just to show it off, before he deactivated the blade and continued. ¡°I was trying to have a nice father son chat.¡±

    The deactivated hilt of the blade stayed firmly pointed at Corey¡¯s father as Corey himself took slow steps closer and closer. Unarmed and alone, his dad slowly backed up, until he too was at the cliff¡¯s edge, just a few inches away from where Kacey still stood, frozen in shock at the scene unfolding before her.

    ¡°Like I said, dad, how have you been? Still been doing the same old same old, beating women, children, the elderly, everyone who doesn¡¯t give you exactly what you want when you want it? Still getting shitfaced drunk every night despite spending every sunday preaching about how alcohol is the devil¡¯s communion?¡±

    Corey¡¯s father backed up as far as he could, and nearly stepped over the edge of the cliff. As he caught himself, the business end of the laser sword¡¯s inactive hilt pressed into his chest. It was still hot enough to singe his skin through his shirt.

    ¡°Still being the same old piece of shit?¡±

    ¡°I-¡±

    Doprel stepped forward and let loose a series of clicking growls, sharp whistles, and a loud snarl. Corey¡¯s father shut up.

    ¡°Thanks, Doprel,¡± Corey said. ¡°In case you haven¡¯t figured it out, dad, this isn¡¯t actually a conversation. I¡¯m just getting some shit off my chest before I decide what to do with you.¡±

    With one hand on his gun and one hand on the hilt of a laser sword, Corey had everything he could ever need to fulfill several of his many fantasies about killing his shithead father. Though the laser sword was admittedly a recent addition to the fantasies. He¡¯d kept it more conventional in the past.

    ¡°I¡¯ve spent a lot of time thinking about this,¡± Corey said. ¡°But I¡¯ve spent a lot of time thinking about other things too. And I¡¯m starting to think maybe I don¡¯t need to kill you. I just-¡±

    Corey¡¯s stinger got interrupted when Kacey reached out, grab his dad by the throat, and then hurled him over the edge of the cliff. He screamed a pitiful scream all the way down, before landing with a loud crunch. A small smile appeared on Kacey¡¯s face when the scream ended.

    ¡°What the hell, lady!¡±

    ¡°Maybe you didn¡¯t need to kill him,¡± Kacey said. ¡°But I did.¡±

    ¡°I was still going to,¡± Corey said. ¡°I was just making it a twist, you know, getting his hopes up before I stabbed him anyway.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Uh. Sorry.¡±

    ¡°Ugh, it¡¯s fine,¡± Corey said. He rolled his eyes. ¡°Dead is dead.¡±

    Kacey jumped as the giant alien started to click and whistle again, reminding her of its presence. Corey looked up at Doprel and then down towards the canyon.

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    ¡°Really?¡±

    He walked to the chasm¡¯s edge and peered over it as well.

    ¡°Oh shit, he really is still alive.¡±

    Kacey peered over the edge as well. Sure enough, Corey¡¯s father was still alive, lying on a ledge just a few dozen feet down the chasm. Though judging by the twitching of his limbs and the rapidly expanding pool of his own blood he was lying in, he would not be alive for long. Doprel clicked and whistled again.

    ¡°Well, we could just leave him-¡±

    Doprel clicked at Corey again, more harshly this time.

    ¡°Okay, fine. But we¡¯re doing it my way,¡± Corey said. He pointed to a large boulder near the ledge. ¡°Give me a hand with that.¡±

    Doprel did the bulk of the lifting, but Corey did the steering. Kacey also put her hands on the boulder, just to feel like she was helping.

    ¡°One, two, three,¡± Corey said. ¡°Alley oop!¡±

    The trio tossed the boulder over the ledge and waited for a very satisfying crunch and splat. Corey brushed the dirt off his hands and gave a satisfied sigh. He was glad to have that behind him. A lifetime of physical and mental abuse from his father hadn¡¯t exactly been resolved in the healthiest manner, but it was resolved.

    Kacey, who was still in the midst of several ongoing crises, jumped again when Doprel pointed at her and started to growl. Corey stepped up between them to assuage her fears.

    ¡°No, no worries,¡± Corey said. ¡°This is Doprel. He says he likes you.¡±

    Kacey did a double take between Corey and the titanic six-eyed alien that resembled some horrifying hybrid between a gorilla, a fish, and an insect.

    ¡°Thanks, Doprel. I, um, like the way you smashed those guys.¡±

    The thoroughly smashed bodies were starting to attract flies. Kacey took a quick step away, and Doprel started clicking and whistling again.

    ¡°He also has a sewing kit if you want your skirt repaired,¡± Corey said. ¡°I¡¯d take him up on the offer. I know he¡¯s got huge hands and everything, but he¡¯s surprisingly good at sewing.¡±

    Kacey looked at the hems of her skirt, which had been torn to shreds by the brittle underbrush of the Utah badlands. It was a mess -but then again, this was the ¡®modest attire¡¯ the Church had thrust upon her.

    ¡°No thanks,¡± Kacey said. ¡°I am never wearing this again.¡±

    ¡°Fair enough.¡±

    A small device at Corey¡¯s belt clicked on, and an odd, guttural string of syllabic gibberish started pouring out.

    ¡°Understood,¡± Corey said, before returning his attention to Kacey. ¡°We¡¯re going to start heading back to the Church compound now, if you want to join us.¡±

    ¡°Fuck no,¡± Kacey said. ¡°I am never going back.¡±

    ¡°Oh really? Because I have some friends doing some redecorating.¡±

    Corey pointed into the distance. They weren¡¯t all that far from the compounds gates, and Kacey could still see the outlines of buildings in the distance

    ¡°I think you¡¯ll like what they¡¯ve done with the place.¡±

    The giant blue alien started strolling in the direction of the Church compound, and Corey followed. Kacey decided against standing around alone in the desert with a bunch of corpses, and trailed behind. Eventually her nerves caught up with her, and the presence of the big alien started to seem a little more normal.

    ¡°So...you¡¯re Corey Vash?¡±

    ¡°Corey Amadeus Vash, pleased to meet you.¡±

    ¡°They used to tell us about you, you know,¡± Kacey said. ¡°About how you and your mom left, and God punished you both.¡±

    ¡°I imagine they would,¡± Corey said. ¡°What do you think they¡¯re going to try and spin this story as, huh?¡±

    As they got closer, one of the church window¡¯s exploded in a large fireball. Corey shielded his eyes from the flare and then took off running.

    ¡°Hey! Save some for me!¡±

    Corey dashed off with surprising speed, with Doprel close behind. The still-exhausted Kacey took much longer to catch up, arriving just in time to cross paths with a musclebound red alien hurling a firebomb into a nearby barracks. The residents within had long since fled into the night, some of them still audible as they screamed in the distance.

    ¡°You were right, Corvash, these guys had a pretty good stash,¡± Kamak said. He had a crate of alcohol under one arm and a gun in his off hand. ¡°Excited to see if Earth booze is worth a shit.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve got some good stuff,¡± Corey said. He¡¯d always figured the Church leadership had a stash of ¡®devil¡¯s communion¡¯ lying around. Hypocrites. Dead hypocrites now, which made it much easier to stomach. With Corey¡¯s guidance, the crew had killed off the worst of the worst and left everyone else to be sorted out by the others. Corey knew there had to be at least a few good people trapped within the ranks of the Church of the Guiding Truth, so he¡¯d saved his avenging fury for the absolute worst. With one exception.

    ¡°Hey Aunt Betty, how you doing?¡±

    Corey¡¯s aunt had always been something a middle ground in his mind. Absolutely a piece of shit, but she¡¯d never been physically abusive to him or his mother in any way. Just mentally. Corey didn¡¯t want her dead, but he did want her to feel exactly as bad as she¡¯d made his mom feel. Kamak had wrangled her up and left her kneeling in the dirt outside the burning church.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what devil brought you back, Corey Vash, but our Almighty Lord will put you all in your place!¡±

    ¡°Damn. Least you¡¯re a true believer,¡± Corey said. Another reason her fate was complicated. Unlike the rest of the leadership, who were just using faith as a cover for their heinous crimes, Aunt Betty actually believed in every bit of shit she was spewing. ¡°How¡¯s Uncle Richard?¡±

    ¡°The Lord bore him up on a bright light, something you will never-¡±

    ¡°About that. Doprel?¡±

    Doprel reached into a large pouch at his belt and withdrew a morose trinket. He tossed it to Corey, all too glad to be rid of the grim gift.

    ¡°Brought you a present, Aunty Betty,¡± Corey said, as he plopped Uncle Richard¡¯s severed head into the dirt in front of her. The matron of the church shrieked at the top of her lungs and sprinted away as fast as her legs would carry her. Corey watched her run with a smile on his face, and then punted his Uncle¡¯s head to the side. As a ¡°known associate¡± of Morrakesh, he¡¯d been made a bounty target, and provided some very helpful inspiration for Corey¡¯s current stunt.

    ¡°Got plenty more shit to burn, if you¡¯re in the mood,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Church is mostly gone, but there¡¯s a lot of little buildings around here.¡±

    ¡°I think we¡¯re good,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°Okay. This has been incredibly fucked up, by the way,¡± Tooley said. Then she grabbed him and pulled him in for a kiss. ¡°I love it.¡±

    The mood was spoiled by flashed of red and blue on the horizon. Corey looked that way and rolled his eyes.

    ¡°Shit. Cops.¡±

    Kacey looked at the flashing sirens too.

    ¡°What are you going to do?¡±

    ¡°Run away, obviously,¡± Corey said with a shrug. ¡°What¡¯s the Church going to do? Tell them a dead kid showed up with a bunch of space aliens and burned their shit down?¡±

    With their leadership dead, their resources burned, and more than a few mysterious corpses to explain to the police, Corey was confident the Church of the Guiding Truth was done for. Whatever was left of them would be dealing with the fallout of this incident for years to come.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get moving, it¡¯s better if we¡¯re out of sight before the cops show up,¡± Corey said.

    Farsus threw one last firebomb and started to pack up, bringing an end to the chaos. Kamak appraised his collection of stolen booze one more time before he noticed the way Corey and Kacey were locking eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯m not adopting another human,¡± Kamak grunted.

    ¡°What¡¯re they saying?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re saying we might be able to give you a lift, if you want to get out of here,¡± Corey said. She didn¡¯t have a translator chip, so he was free to make some light embellishments. He¡¯d get Kamak to forgive him later.

    Kacey took a look around at the dust and rubble of the Church, and the building itself, which was not yet done burning.

    ¡°I¡¯m okay,¡± Kacey said. ¡°I¡¯m going to...try and help people get out, I think.¡±

    Even with the Church collapsed, there would still be many people stuck in the mindsets it had taught them. They would need a way out, and more often than not, someone to help them on that path.

    ¡°Good luck with that,¡± Corey said. He turned around and followed his friends back to the ship. Tooley got them airborne and out of the atmosphere before the police had time to see them. Or at least she sure hoped so. Either way, Corey didn¡¯t care. Earth was behind him now, in more ways than one.

    As the pale blue dot became a pale blue speck and then faded into nothingness, Corey found his way to the cockpit, hung his jacket over the back of his chair, and took a seat. Tooley finished up calculating their route out of the system and then kicked her feet up on the dash.

    ¡°Satisfied, Corvash?¡±

    ¡°More than you can imagine,¡± Corey said. He dropped his gun to the ground and grabbed a bottle of shiiv, then stared out at the stars.

    ¡°We can always go for another bombing run, if you really want to,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Or probably conquer the whole planet, actually. You guys are seriously behind in the tech field.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m good,¡± Corey said. He had no desire to run a planet, especially not Earth. ¡°We got shit to do.¡±

    ¡°Work to do, booze to drink, people to kill.¡±

    ¡°Yep.¡±

    Corey leaned back and relaxed. The new ship had much comfier seats.

    ¡°You thought of a name yet?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, actually,¡± Tooley said. ¡°What do you think of Wild Card Wanderer?¡±

    ¡°Sounds good to me.¡±

    ¡°Good, because I already picked it and I wasn¡¯t going to change it. Just asked to be nice,¡± Tooley said. She took a sip of her drink and flipped a switch to send them racing off into the stars.

 Book 2 Chapter 1: The Life of the Party

    Corey Vash did not like being surrounded, but it kept happening. Since becoming a bounty hunter a few years back, he¡¯d been surrounded by what felt like half the aliens species in the known universe, and at least one from outside the known universe. Right now he was staring down no less than two dozen gray-skinned strangers. One among them stepped forward and drew a saber of blue-grey metal that shimmered in the light, and waved it towards Corey.

    In response, Corey drew a saber of his own. His did not shimmer in light, it created light. The one trophy he¡¯d claimed from the Horuk invasion was an energy sword, the only one of its kind in all the universe. The blade of light and heat reflected against the metal blade held by his opponent as the two squared off.

    With a single flick of his wrist, Corey sliced right through the other blade, turning the long metal saber into a white-hot stump of scrap metal. The owner of the blade stepped back, mouth agape -and then started to laugh.

    The rest of the circle surrounding Corey started to laugh, rattling expensive jewelry and liquor glasses as they did so. Corey laughed along with them, just to be polite.

    ¡°So much for grandfather¡¯s indestructible saber,¡± the debutante laughed. He kicked the fallen half of the blade aside and handed the molten hilt to a servant to carry away.

    ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate it,¡± Corey said. ¡°Molten metal like that is how I got this sword.¡±

    As the crowd ooh¡¯d and aah¡¯d about his anecdote, Corey deactivated the blade and put it back on his belt. As cool as having his own lightsaber was, the blade gave off an uncomfortable amount of heat. Having it on for too long gave him something akin to a sunburn, and he was starting to get worried it might be giving him skin cancer. No one he¡¯d talked to was quite certain how the blade worked, so there was no way to be sure it wasn¡¯t.

    After offering a few more quips and stories of the Horuk invasion, Corey finally managed to break free from the crowd of wealthy socialites and get back to the party at large. Unfortunately, most of his crewmates were similarly encircled.

    While the crew of the Wild Card Wanderer (formerly of the Hard Luck Hermit) had been hired as ¡°security¡± for this event, they were being treated more like guests of honor. While they had never been paid for their role in saving the galaxy, word of the Horuk Invasion, and the random crew of bounty hunters that had managed to thwart it, had eventually spread. The crew were perhaps the first people in the universe for whom being paid in exposure had actually worked out. Only a few months after thwarting the invasion, the money had started pouring in. Wealthy citizens across the galaxy were suddenly willing to pay a premium for their services -many even wanted them to act as ¡°security¡± at events that were perfectly safe, just for the prestige of having the universe¡¯s saviors as bodyguards. While Corey greatly enjoyed the money, he did not necessarily enjoy the company.

    ¡°Corey Vash, the civilized universe¡¯s only human!¡±

    Corey rolled his eyes as someone he did not recognize approached him as if here were an old friend.

    ¡°The one and only,¡± Corey said. There had briefly been two, but Corey¡¯s abusive cultist uncle was long dead.

    ¡°Have you heard the news? That might be about to change.¡±

    The Galactic Council knew of Earth, but last Corey had heard, did not have the budget to get humanity up to speed with the rest of the universe, and so had left them isolated. He knew that would change at some point in the future, but he hadn¡¯t heard it might be so soon.

    ¡°I try not to pay too much attention to Earth,¡± Corey said. It was even sort of true. Thanks to all the abuse from the cult he¡¯d grown up in, Earth had never felt like much of a home to Corey.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be fun, getting to tell all your cousins about how things work out here in civilized society,¡± the alien socialite said. She also introduced herself and started ranting about what she did for a living, but Corey started tuning her out.

    More humans in the stars. Corey was not at all attached to his status of being the only human among universal society (especially not since he had the status of universe-saving bounty hunter on top of that) but having millions of lightyears between him and the nearest human had been therapeutic, in a way. Interstellar society had its own problems, but they were at least new and interesting problems. The idea that he might soon have to deal with humans again, and all the human problems and human politics, felt strange.

    ¡°Excuse me for a second,¡± Corey said, brushing off the ranting debutante. ¡°I need to go confer with my pilot.¡±

    Corey cut through the room, elbowing his way past millionaires of many different races, and made his way to the bar. As expected, Tooley was there, admiring her own periwinkle-blue reflection in the bottom of an empty glass.

    ¡°Tooley.¡±

    ¡°Corvash.¡±

    ¡°How¡¯s your night been going?¡±

    ¡°Some rich bastard offered half a million cece¡¯s for me to have his babies,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Wants to make my ¡®exceptional piloting genes¡¯ part of the bloodline.¡±

    ¡°Oh god. You didn¡¯t hurt him, did you?¡±

    ¡°Nah, his wife was right there and watching her ream him out was way funnier,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Came close, though.¡±

    ¡°Thank god this party¡¯s almost over,¡± Corey said. At the very least, the time they¡¯d been paid to provide security was running out. Then they could leave without breaching contract.

    ¡°That means the worst is yet to come,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Kamak said this guy likes to put on a show at the end of his parties, remember?¡±

    ¡°No. When did you start paying attention to Kamak?¡±

    ¡°When I started drinking less,¡± Tooley grunted.

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that make things worse?¡±

    Two of Tooley¡¯s least favorite things were being sober and Kamak. Corey couldn¡¯t imagine combining the two was helpful.

    ¡°No, see, I listen to him when I am drunk,¡± Tooley said. ¡°It¡¯s like reverse conditioning myself, so I don¡¯t get to enjoy being drunk anymore.¡±

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    ¡°Ladies, gentlemen, and various honorifics of all other genders!¡±

    ¡°Oh boy,¡± Tooley said. She quickly grabbed and downed another drink. She wanted to associate whatever unpleasant thing was about to happen with booze.

    Their host for the evening, an atmospheric vent manufacturer named Loback Loben, took the stage, wobbling all the while. He had a mic on his lapel that hooked up his voice to every speaker in the ballroom, so that he could be heard wherever and whenever he wanted. Unfortunately for everyone else in that ballroom, he wanted to be heard everywhere and often. This was his seventeenth grand gesture of the night.

    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

    ¡°As our evening winds down, and as I am at increasing risk of falling down,¡± Loben said, to a smattering of polite chuckles. ¡°I¡¯d love to start thanking all our guests, lovely lovely guests, like our partners at the Moshitan Manufacturers, their lovely CEO and his equally lovely wife.¡±

    The magnate who had propositioned Tooley for breeding earlier and his wife briefly paused their blowout argument long enough to smile and wave politely to the crowd. Tooley waved back and then gestured towards her uterus to really get the wife pissed off. The shouting started again as soon as the spotlight rolled away from them. Loben continued down the list, giving requisite and contractually obligated thank you¡¯s to various corporate guests.

    ¡°And finally I would like to thank our esteemed security! The universe¡¯s saviors, the crew of the Wild Card Hermit!¡±

    ¡°Wild Card Wanderer,¡± Tooley snapped back. That was her ship, and she would never allow it to be misnamed.

    ¡°Yes, thank you,¡± Loben shouted. ¡°That was their pilot, she¡¯s great, and where¡¯s their captain, Mr. Kamak!¡±

    Much to his chagrin, the spotlight found Kamak and lingered on him. The bald-headed alien¡¯s skin ridges wrinkled with displeasure as the light hit him, and he gave a mock salute to the crowd. Rich bastards like this loved that faux-military stuff.

    ¡°Thank you all for being here to keep us safe,¡± Loben said. ¡°Seems like your reputation scared off any trouble, though!¡±

    Kamak shrugged and nodded. They were on an isolated mountain villa on a garden world, miles away from the nearest lowlife. They could¡¯ve held the door open all night and the most trouble they¡¯d get was someone stealing the silverware.

    ¡°And I am sure our guests would¡¯ve loved to see our heroes in action,¡± Loben said. ¡°Let¡¯s drink to our disappointment. You there, lady with the tray of glasses, gimme something strong.¡±

    One of the no-doubt-underpaid serving girls walked on stage and let Loben take his pick of the litter. He chose a large glass, downed it in one gulp, and then tossed the glass aside.

    ¡°Excellent, thank you dear,¡± Loben said. ¡°Now, one more thing.¡±

    In a surprisingly coherent flurry of movement for someone as drunk as Loben was, he grabbed the serving girl and pulled her close, then removed a small pistol from his jacket pocket and held it to her temple. The tray of drinks crashed to the ground and shattered as a chorus of screams rang out from the audience.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry so much, people,¡± Loben said. ¡°The experts are here!¡±

    The spotlight narrowed in on Kamak, who was still sitting in his chair, looking as disgruntled as he possibly could.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see our guests in action, eh,¡± Loben said. He pressed his pistol a little deeper into the server¡¯s temple. ¡°Come on, the folks who saved the universe can save one waitress, right?¡±

    Kamak sat in his chair and did nothing. Corey waited for any cue to move, but nothing came.

    ¡°Nah, not really,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°Whuh?¡±

    Kamak turned around and started pointing around the room.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have a good angle, Doprel¡¯s still out on the balcony, Farsus might be able to make the shot, but at that distance with that pistol of his he could just as easily shoot the girl.¡±

    Farsus waved politely from his posting by the door, and nodded in confirmation of Kamak¡¯s appraisal.

    ¡°Corey might be able to make it, except he only brought that fancy sword of his, as requested,¡± Kamak said. ¡°And Tooley can¡¯t shoot worth shit so she didn¡¯t even bring a gun.¡±

    Kamak turned back to Loben and shrugged.

    ¡°Yeah, you got us beat,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Go ahead and kill her.¡±

    The waitress shrieked with despair as Kamak relaxed back into his chair.

    ¡°Please, Mr. Loben, please, I have a family Mr. Loben, please.¡±

    ¡°Come on,¡± Loben said, ignoring the desperate pleas in favor of being annoyed at Kamak. ¡°No gambit? Nothing?¡±

    ¡°No. Like I said, just doesn¡¯t work logistically.¡±

    ¡°Not even going to try?¡±

    ¡°Nah,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°Well you¡¯re no fun at all,¡± Loben said. He tightened his grip on the gun as the waitress and several spectators screamed.

    Click.

    Click click click. Loben pulled his gun away from the waitress¡¯s temple, looked directly down the barrel, and pulled the trigger again. Click.

    ¡°Looking for something, Loben?¡±

    Kamak reached into his pocket and held up a battery cell of the exact size and shape to slot into Loben¡¯s laser pistol.

    ¡°Farsus clocked your gun twenty drops ago,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Pulled the battery out and put it back before you even noticed.¡±

    It helped that Loben was drunk, but Farsus had surprisingly nimble fingers for someone with such a large, bright-red body. Loben looked absolutely delighted to have been outsmarted. He dropped the useless gun, and let go of the waitress (who promptly fled) and started to applaud, as did much of the crowd.

    ¡°Now that is the canny thinking that saved all our lives from the Invasion,¡± Loben said. ¡°Let¡¯s hear it for the crew of the Wild Card Wander!¡±

    ¡°Wanderer!¡±

    ***

    Loben laughed and chuckled with his guests, and mimicked the action of holding a gun to their heads as they walked out the door. The ballroom was all but empty now, but for a few straggling guests, a few serving staff who did not come within twenty feet of Loben, and a few bounty hunters.

    ¡°Loben.¡±

    Doprel grabbed Loben by the coat and lifted him off his feet. The hulking blue-green titan carried Loben all the way across the ballroom and dropped him off on the empty balcony, next to a very irate Kamak.

    ¡°Time to talk about payment.¡±

    ¡°Oh, of course, I¡¯ll wire your payment to you right now,¡± Loben said. He pulled a transparent datapad from his pocket and punched in the necessary commands.

    ¡°Appreciated,¡± Kamak said. ¡°But I didn¡¯t mean our payment.¡±

    Kamak pushed the datapad down and looked Loben in the eyes.

    ¡°See, Loben, I¡¯ve been trying to be a better person recently,¡± Kamak said. ¡°And there is a lot of debate over what that means, but something a lot of people seem to agree on is that you¡¯re supposed to tip your servers.¡±

    Doprel took a few steps forward, giving Loben much less room to move between him and the balcony¡¯s edge. The manor balcony was situated overlooking a high cliff, meaning any unfortunate misstep came with a risk of a lofty fall.

    ¡°I think there¡¯s a server you owe a very big tip,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°Oh, come on,¡± Loben said. ¡°All part of the show! You even knew she was never in any danger.¡±

    ¡°Despite your best efforts,¡± Kamak said. ¡°You thought you were going to kill that girl.¡±

    He had added an element of pomp and showmanship to appease the crowd and keep people calm, but Kamak was genuinely fucking furious about the stunt. Had Loben been someone poorer and less connected, Kamak might have thrown him over the ledge already.

    ¡°I knew you could handle it,¡± Loben said. ¡°You should be grateful I hold your abilities in such high esteem.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. Doprel, what do you think?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m already mad he didn¡¯t provide any appetizers for me,¡± Doprel said. Resembling a hulking cross of simian, aquatic, and insectoid traits, Doprel¡¯s exotic alien species had very different nutritional requirements than the average humanoid species. ¡°Not a very good host.¡±

    ¡°Wow, no good appetizers and you¡¯re a bad tipper,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Not making a very good impression here, Loben.¡±

    ¡°Are you trying to intimidate me, Mr. Kamak?¡±

    Kamak pulled out his own gun and held it directly under Loben¡¯s chin.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    The datapad Loben had been clinging to dropped to the floor. He stared silently into Kamak¡¯s eyes as the gun¡¯s barrel pressed deeper into his chin. Kamak didn¡¯t blink. Behind Loben, Doprel¡¯s massive limbs tensed.

    In a quiet, subtle motion, Kamak reached into his other pocket, and pulled out the battery for his gun.

    ¡°Oh! Oh, hah,¡± Loben said. Kamak started to chuckle, and Loben did as well. ¡°That was very clever, oh stars, you really had me going there for a second.¡±

    ¡°All part of the show, like you said,¡± Kamak said. He put his gun and its battery aside, on a nearby table, and reached down to grab the datapad. He brushed his hand across it twice and then turned it over a few times to inspect it for damage. ¡°Let me get that for you. There you go, no harm done, right where you left off.¡±

    Loben looked down at his datapad, and saw that it was now set to another bank transfer, with the amount listed as fifty-thousand cece¡¯s -roughly a year¡¯s salary for a waitress.

    ¡°Like I said,¡± Kamak said. He picked up his gun, and the battery, and connected them with a loud click, making direct eye contact with Loben as he did so. ¡°Right where you left off.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Loben said. ¡°Right where I left off.¡±

    He pressed a button to finalize the transaction, making sure his movements were very slow and obvious, so Kamak could confirm. He gave a sharp, approving nod as the money transfer was sent.

    ¡°Pleasure doing business with you,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Come on, Doprel, we¡¯ve got other shit to do.¡±

    Doprel took the first steps towards the entrance. He clicked his mandibles at Loben one more time before they executed, leaving a scared and slightly poorer millionaire alone on the balcony.

 Book 2 Chapter 2: Where to Go

    Kamak stripped his fancy suit jacket off the minute he stepped back onto the ship. The fancy clothes had been a nice change of pace back at the start of all this, but now the suits were starting to feel like straightjackets.

    ¡°Doprel, have I told you how god damn jealous I am that you get to be naked at these things?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not naked,¡± Doprel said. ¡°I get to wear these fancy bracelets.¡±

    Doprel¡¯s unique, and massive, physiology defied most attempts at tailoring, but he had gotten himself some nice ornamented cuffs to wear for special occasions.

    ¡°You like wearing those, though,¡± Kamak said. ¡°And you could take them off whenever you want.¡±

    ¡°You could take your shit off whenever you want,¡± Tooley said. She demonstrated her point by stripping off the jacket she wore, as well as the shirt underneath it. ¡°Not like we¡¯re getting invited back anyway after your whole ¡®righteous protector of the working class¡¯ routine.¡±

    ¡°What routine?¡± Kamak said. ¡°You hold a gun to someone¡¯s head for a gag, you should pay them. I¡¯ve always believed that.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a weirdly specific belief.¡±

    ¡°Shut the fuck up, Tooley.¡±

    She did shut up, but only so she could hop into the pilot¡¯s seat and start calculating the fastest route away from Loben¡¯s shitty estate. The now-quiet manor reflected off the Wild Card Wanderer¡¯s reflective hull as it took off and headed for the stars.

    ¡°So where¡¯s our next fancy dress party, Kamak?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Loben was the last one I lined up.¡±

    They had been doing these ¡°security¡± gigs for the better part of a solar year now, and Kamak¡¯s patience for rich people bullshit was wearing thin. Unfortunately, his desire for money was stronger than his distaste for the people who had it.

    ¡°I believe we should seek a more conventional contract,¡± Farsus said. ¡°While profitable, these contracts from wealthy benefactors depend on our reputation, a reputation that will surely degrade if we do nothing but entertain aristocrats.¡±

    ¡°Good point,¡± Kamak said. ¡°I¡¯ll get us something lined up. Tooley, put us in- nevermind.¡±

    Even after all this time, Kamak was still getting used to not having complete control. Tooley owned their new ship, and while she still deferred to Kamak on bounty hunting gigs, whenever they had downtime, she decided where they went. Right now she was smugly exerting that control and piloting them towards a nearby nebula, to drift in front of the cosmic vapors.

    As soon as she parked the ship, Tooley reached for a drink, and found nothing. She cursed herself for moving all the alcohol into the kitchen.

    ¡°Alright Corvash, park yourself, time for another lesson,¡± Tooley demanded. Corey took his seat and scooted over towards the pilot¡¯s station. The cockpit of the Wanderer was far more spacious and flexible than the Hard Lock Hermit¡¯s cramped spaces, making it much easier for him to look over Tooley¡¯s shoulder as she flew.

    ¡°You still remember what I told you about gravity interpolation?¡±

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    ¡°Yeah, at speed, a zero point five pitch tilt in dead space is a bigger turn than the same tilt near a planet, or a star.¡±

    ¡°Do you remember the numbers?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I think,¡± Corey said. He glanced at some of the display readouts to remind himself of the terms. ¡°The pitch varies depending on each point of the stellar mass index, each point corresponds to...zero point zero two eight?¡±

    ¡°Wrong,¡± Tooley snapped. She held her hand up, waved it like a flying starship, and then crashed her mimed ship into the dashboard. ¡°Critical failure, crash landing, everyone¡¯s dead.¡±

    ¡°I thought that was right?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s zero point zero two eight zero one,¡± Tooley said, emphasizing the last two miniscule digits.

    ¡°I always forget those tiny fucking numbers,¡± Corey sighed.

    ¡°Those tiny numbers are the difference between a successful flight and you getting sucked into the inescapable gravity well of a star,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Don¡¯t ever underestimate how important they are.¡±

    ¡°I get it, I get it,¡± Corey said. He had never had anything but respect for Tooley¡¯s piloting skills, but hands-on lessons had taught him an entirely new appreciation for her skills. Every time they took flight, Tooley was casually doing the kind of physics calculations that it took an entire team of NASA engineers to accomplish back on earth.

    ¡°Good. Now get thinking, I want you to plot a course to the far side of the nebula.¡±

    Corey looked to the nearest readout and started plugging in the numbers. He asked a lot of questions, even when he really didn¡¯t need to. Giving him lessons was one of the ways Tooley distracted herself when she was craving a drink. He kept the questions coming so she could keep her head full of calculations.

    ¡°Okay, I think that about covers it,¡± Corey said. ¡°Want to check my work?¡±

    Tooley leaned over to examine his screen for exactly seven seconds.

    ¡°Well, the good news is we¡¯re not dead,¡± Tooley said. ¡°But only because it¡¯s a gas cloud you¡¯ve flown us right into.¡±

    She pointed at the nebula and then back at Corey¡¯s work.

    ¡°Forgot to carry the tenth decimal place when accounting for density striations in the gas,¡± Tooley said.

    ¡°God damn it. Always the little numbers.¡±

    ¡°The little fucking numbers indeed,¡± Tooley said. ¡°But hey, all things considered, not bad work. If we got you an actually competent teacher, maybe set up a flight sim in a spare room, we could get you certified in a few solars.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re doing just fine teaching,¡± Corey insisted.

    ¡°I¡¯m really not, I kind of don¡¯t remember teaching you the gas striation thingy, that might be my bad.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    Tooley wiped the bad navigational data and reset the systems in preparation for their actual course. Whenever they had one.

    ¡°Kamak! Do you have a job yet?¡±

    ¡°In a tick!¡±

    Approximately thirty-seven ticks later, Kamak walked into the cockpit and transferred all the necessary data to Tooley¡¯s piloting station. She input the coordinates and set them on the course as the rest of the crew took their seats.

    ¡°Alright, who are we killing?¡±

    ¡°Only thing we¡¯re killing is time,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Planetary military set up some new defense station and want us to give it a tour.¡±

    ¡°What? Kamak, I thought we were supposed to be doing actual bounty hunting,¡± Tooley said. ¡°This is more of the same pompous bullshit.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s military,¡± Kamak said. ¡°We¡¯re not dancing to any dumbass billionaire¡¯s tune. We look at some guns, comment how sturdy their metal looks, collect our money, and we¡¯re done.¡±

    ¡°And what about the matter of our reputation?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s military,¡± Kamak protested again. ¡°We¡¯re being vigilant, ¡®standing on guard at the frontier of the universe¡¯. It¡¯s good PR.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s just a less shiny version of the same shit,¡± Tooley protested.

    ¡°Look, all the other jobs lined up were even worse,¡± Kamak said. ¡°You think assassinating some corporate leaker would do our reputation good?¡±

    The heightened interest in Kamak¡¯s history had brought his long period of doing corporate wetwork for Timeka to light. Their reputation had been relatively unscathed by that questionable history, but it had drawn the attention of other corporate interests who wanted a paid killer. Kamak had, so far, ignored every such request.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Tooley grunted. ¡°But after this we are taking a real job. I don¡¯t care if we¡¯re hunting drunken pirates on rusty space stations again, I want to do work, not dance for the cameras.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t do shit on hunts, you sit on the ship while we do the actual hunting.¡±

    ¡°Feels cooler anyway,¡± Tooley grumbled, before she plugged in the last coordinate and sent them streaking into faster-than-light travel.

 Book 2 Chapter 3: Stationary

    ¡°For the past two years, the people of Hakit have lived on the front lines of a potential invasion, wondering when invaders might descend from the stars.¡±

    The commander of the planet¡¯s military, an elderly woman with streaks of black in her green hair, pounded a podium for emphasis. Like all of her species, she had coarse, almost scaly skin and broad frames with massive, powerful limbs. Corey found it hard to believe that such a powerful-looking species were afraid of anything, but apparently the Hakiin were a fairly peaceful people. Living on the border of the known universe, and especially the border facing the presumed location of the Horuk, had changed that. No one knew if the Horuk even had any interest in invading again, or when that might happen, but the border species were not taking any chances.

    ¡°This space station will be our shield against the Horuk invasion,¡± Commander Sto Keli shouted. She gestured clawed hands towards the shining interior of the new station. ¡°Three forms of long-range plasma artillery across eighty-eight gun installations, along with forty short-range ballistic guns. Three layers of reinforced hull playing, and three-hundred sixty degree kinetic shielding coverage. I dare the Horuk, or any other invaders, to even make a scratch on this station!¡±

    The crowd cheered at her defiance, and Kamak and his crew joined in with some polite applause. Kamak was just glad he¡¯d managed to weasel his way out of having to give any kind of speech. He wasn¡¯t a good public speaker even when he had anything good to say. Right now, he had nothing good to say.

    The PR portion of the event ended, and Kamak waved goodbye to the crowd as he and his crew were ushered back into the control room along with many of the other VIP¡¯s. Thankfully they were spared the indignity of small talk.

    ¡°Now you¡¯ve seen everything the station has to offer,¡± Sto Keli said to the crew. ¡°You are some of the few to have engaged the Horuk man-to-man and lived. What do you all think?¡±

    ¡°Well...Farsus, you¡¯re the expert,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Tell them your take.¡±

    Farsus cleared his throat and stepped up to a screen that proudly displayed the station schematics. Since the first (and so far only) battle of the Horuk Invasion, he¡¯d been researching what little information was available about the aggressive species. While the info was threadbare, Farsus was still probably the universe¡¯s foremost expert on Horuk.

    ¡°I regret to inform you that your station is unfortunately lacking,¡± Farsus said. ¡°While acceptable and even impressive by standards of conventional warfare, the station is not equipped to challenge Horuk invasion.¡±

    Farsus turned and started indicating towards different parts of the stations chematics, focusing his attention on the guns first.

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    ¡°These slow-firing artillery cannons are useful against warships, but the Horuk employ shock troop tactics by launching dozens of expendable boarding craft towards large targets,¡± Farsus said. ¡°Ideally you would have not one station but dozens of orbiting weapon satellites, each with multiple small weapon emplacements.¡±

    With the exterior defenses dealt with, Farsus pointed out the hangars and station interior

    ¡°These flaws could be compensated for with a large contingent of fighters, but your facility is only equipped to handle larger vessels, for troop loading and deployment,¡± he continued. ¡°By the time any such reinforcements docked, the station would likely be lost, as you have open hallways with very few chokepoints or lockdown barriers to bottleneck the Horuk hordes.¡±

    Farsus turned his back on the blueprints and folded his hands behind his back.

    ¡°All things considered, I would call this station all but useless against a concerted attack from the Horuk.¡±

    The room was dead silent, as generals and politicians alike stared at Farsus. His broad red chest deflated with a heavy sigh.

    ¡°I take it from your complacent silence you were already aware of this fact.¡±

    ¡°Esteemed Farsus, it¡¯s only been about one and a half rotations since the invasion,¡± Sto Keli said. Her planet had a slightly slower year than the galactic standard. ¡°Even Centerpoint hasn¡¯t finished modifying its defenses yet, and their resources are far more extensive than ours.¡±

    ¡°This station has been in the works for the better part of five years,¡± another military man added. ¡°We¡¯ve added guns, yes, improved defensive capabilities, but such an extensive rework of our systems would be frankly impractical.¡±

    ¡°But you¡¯re selling this thing as the ¡®shield against the Horuk¡¯,¡± Doprel said.

    ¡°Esteemed guests, we¡¯re well aware of the potential Horuk threat, but we are all fairly confident we have time to prepare,¡± Sto Keli said. ¡°A significant portion of their military and logistical resources were vaporized in the Bang Gate explosion, not to mention the loss of leadership. If your stories are to be believed¡ªand we, of course, do believe you¡ªthen Esteemed Corey Vash personally chopped their supreme leader in half.¡±

    Corey nodded. He had, in fact, bisected the Horuk leader with its own laser sword. He was pretty proud of it.

    ¡°We¡¯re not stupid enough to think the threat is completely negated, but the Horuk should be disarmed and in disarray long enough for us to finish the long-term preparations we¡¯re making,¡± Sto Keli said. ¡°And while those preparations are being worked on, the least we can do is create the feeling of safety for the common citizen.¡±

    ¡°The illusion of safety,¡± Tooley scoffed.

    ¡°We understand your concerns,¡± Sto Keli said. ¡°As I said, we have plenty of preparations in the works, many of which line up with Esteemed Farsus¡¯ recommendations. But, at the moment, this station is all we can offer the people back planetside. We¡¯re just trying to help people sleep a little easier at night.¡±

    ¡°Whatever you say, commander,¡± Kamak said with a shrug. ¡°You asked for our appraisal, and you got it.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s appreciated,¡± Sto Keli said. ¡°All space stations and weapons aside, the universe does sleep safer knowing people like you are on the job.¡±

    They all shook a few hands and accepted the ¡°thanks of a grateful populace¡± on their way out the door. Kamak took his seat on the Wanderer and rubbed his ridged forehead as they flew away.

    ¡°If we¡¯re what¡¯s helping people feel safe, they really do need every gun they can get.¡±

 Book 2 Chapter 4: An Absence of Dopamine

    ¡°I¡¯d almost rather do the billionaire parties,¡± Tooley spat. ¡°Lobie Lopeck or whoever didn¡¯t make us complicit in a planetary scale lie.¡±

    ¡°Only because he didn¡¯t think of it,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°And if he¡¯d done it, it wouldn¡¯t be a good lie either,¡± Corey said. ¡°Honestly, they kind of do have a point about the peace of mind thing.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps, but they should not have dragged us into endorsing it,¡± Farsus said.

    ¡°Let¡¯s just hope they¡¯re right, and the defenses never get tested,¡± Doprel said. ¡°And let¡¯s also hope we get a real job next time.¡±

    ¡°Oh for- now you¡¯re on my case too?¡± Kamak said. ¡°You¡¯re practically a pacifist!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t like hurting ordinary people,¡± Doprel said. ¡°I love squishing bad guys. Do you know how satisfying it is to pick up someone objectively terrible like a slaver or a murderer and squish their head into paste?¡±

    Doprel mimicked the motion of squishing a skull, and deeply unsettled everyone near him.

    ¡°Alright, now we definitely need a real job,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Doprel¡¯s going stir-crazy.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the guy who gets jobs,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Get us a job.¡±

    Kamak tabbed through his datapad and found his communiques clogged with everything except real jobs. Everyone who wanted to contact him nowadays wanted assassinations, special appearances, or sponsorships. Kamak hated the sponsorships most of all. He had done exactly one advertisement, for the tailor who made their armor, reasoning the amount of bullets the armor had stopped deserved endorsement, but he regretted it. Now everybody wanted him and the crew to sell everything from sandwiches to sex toys.

    ¡°Well this is useless, unless anyone feels like endorsing a vibrator.¡±

    ¡°Is it a good vibrator?¡±

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    ¡°I¡¯d have no way of knowing, Tooley, I don¡¯t do that whole ¡®sex¡¯ thing,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°You don¡¯t do the whole ¡®thinking¡¯ thing either, doesn¡¯t stop you from having an opinion on everyone else¡¯s ideas.¡±

    ¡°Shut the fuck up, Tooley.¡±

    ¡°Find me a job, Kamak.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m working on it,¡± Kamak said, as he tabbed through dozens more useless requests. He managed to keep up the scrolling for about a drop before giving up. ¡°Fuck this. Tooley, take us to Centerpoint, I want to talk to Quid personally.¡±

    The demand for the crew¡¯s services had become so large that they had their own personal Bounty Hunter¡¯s Guild liaison, who was apparently not doing a very good job of it. Kamak had yelled at him about it over comms more than once -now it was time for a good old-fashioned face to face thrashing.

    ¡°Fine by me,¡± Tooley said. ¡°All my fav- Gah! All my favorite bars are on Centerpoint!¡±

    Tooley took her hands off the controls long enough to plant her face firmly in them and let out a loud groan.

    ¡°You¡¯re not even going sober, dipshit, you¡¯re just drinking less,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°It still sucks,¡± Tooley moaned.

    ¡°And you¡¯re not helping anything,¡± Corey scolded. ¡°Frankly, you should consider cutting back too.¡±

    ¡°Nah. I don¡¯t have anything to worry about.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not even a little worried you might be an alcoholic?¡±

    ¡°No, I can¡¯t be.¡±

    ¡°The first step is admitting you have a problem, Kamak,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°I believe you misunderstood,¡± Farsus said. ¡°He literally cannot be an alcoholic. Gentanians do not have the necessary brain chemistry to form addictive behaviors.¡±

    Corey did not believe that claim at first glance, but considering how smug Kamak looked, it had to be true.

    ¡°That¡¯s just not fair,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°Sorry about your shitty brains, kids,¡± Kamak said. He cracked open a bottle of shiiv and took a swig of a drink he had no chance of getting addicted to.

    ¡°This is bullshit. Gentanians are bullshit,¡± Corey said. ¡°You live for four-hundred years and you can¡¯t get addicted to anything? You have any other superpowers I should know about?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, all this stuff is just normal to me,¡± Kamak said. ¡°I don¡¯t know all the frailties of your inferior biology.¡±

    ¡°Those are all the major differences that I am aware of,¡± Farsus said. ¡°If it helps, the Gentanian people do also have their inadequacies. They are entirely incapable of processing lactose, even with dietary aids.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not a problem,¡± Kamak said. ¡°You people are the freaks for drinking another animal¡¯s milk.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d still kind of prefer to live for four centuries, but I¡¯ll take it,¡± Corey said. ¡°Tooley, you want to grab some ice cream when we get to Centerpoint?¡±

    ¡°Sounds good,¡± Tooley said. She didn¡¯t usually go for sweets, but the fact that it¡¯d spite Kamak would make everything that much more delicious.

 Book 2 Chapter 5: Ice Cream Social

    ¡°How¡¯s that working out for you?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s no cookie dough, but it¡¯s alright,¡± Corey said. He liked a lot of what the universe had to offer, but he was still getting used to the flavor options out among the stars. The endless expanse of the stars had no direct analogues to ice cream flavors like chocolate or vanilla, much less other dietary staples like PB&J sandwiches, tomato sauce, or salmon. Corey was grateful he now had the money to experiment and find new flavors he enjoyed among the stars.

    ¡°Keep trying, you¡¯ll find a flavor you like eventually,¡± Tooley said. ¡°As long as it isn¡¯t Kobel Creme Chunk.¡±

    ¡°No worries about that, not trying that one again,¡± Corey said. He had found a few flavors that he considered ¡®okay¡¯, but not that one. Tooley¡¯s favorite ice cream tasted like metal, and had little chunks of chewy peanut-type things in it. Corey wondered if her tastebuds just processed it as something incredibly delicious, or if she just somehow enjoyed the taste of metal and nuts. Tooley wondered no such thing, and was just glad she¡¯d never have to share ice cream with Corey. There was another couple at the ice cream shop eating out of the same bowl, and she hated that sappy shit. It was embarrassing enough she was actually in love with Corey, she didn¡¯t need to be doing any twerpy romantic nonsense.

    ¡°You good, Tooley?¡±

    ¡°Why would I not be?¡±

    ¡°You look like you¡¯re thinking about something,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°Just thinking about this rumor I heard,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Council wants to boot up the exploration and Uplifting routine again, get a whole bunch of new galaxies and species into the fold. You think humans are going to get caught up in the wave?¡±

    ¡°Apparently they¡¯re planning on it,¡± Corey said. ¡°I heard the same thing at that Loben guy¡¯s party.¡±

    ¡°And you didn¡¯t say anything?¡±

    ¡°Well, I heard it before the server lady got a gun held to her head,¡± Corey said. ¡°That kind of dominated the rest of my night.¡±

    ¡°Oh, yeah, that¡¯ll do it.¡±

    Tooley ate another spoonful of ice cream. A few tables away, the lovey-dovey couple fed each other some ice cream, and then started giggling. Tooley contemplated if she could kill them with her spoon.

    ¡°You got any thoughts about that, Corvash?¡±

    ¡°Not really,¡± Corey said, trying his best to sound nonchalant. ¡°I¡¯ve got no problem with ninety percent of humanity. Just means Centerpoint is going to be a little more crowded.¡±

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    ¡°And what if there¡¯s a big crowd of dopey little human newbies who need someone to hold their hand on their big scary journey through space?¡± Tooley asked. ¡°Because I¡¯m sure as hell not babysitting another human, much less a whole horde.¡±

    ¡°You barely helped,¡± Corey said. ¡°Doprel and Farsus did most of the explaining.¡±

    ¡°I taught you how to tell time,¡± Tooley said.

    ¡°After I bribed you.¡±

    ¡°You got a shiiv for me, that¡¯s barely bribery,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Come on, Corey, seriously. No big thoughts about humanity joining the stars?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Corey lied. Tooley could tell. She grit her teeth, but decided not to push the issue.

    ¡°Not worried even a little, alright,¡± Tooley said. ¡°What if I meet a bunch of other humans and find out you¡¯re actually really ugly for your species?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you that right now: I¡¯m not very good looking,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°I can tell.¡±

    Tooley scraped her spoon against the bottom of the bowl to dig up the last of the ice cream. She glanced sideways and realized that the embarrassingly romantic couple had already left.

    ¡°So, on a related note, you know what else happens with this Uplifting stuff?¡±

    ¡°You know I don¡¯t,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°I¡¯m making conversation, Corvash, I hate monologuing,¡± Tooley said. ¡°There¡¯s this thing they have, the Outbound program. The guys who actually go out scouting the stars and looking for new galaxies, poking around for signs of new species to contact.¡±

    ¡°Makes sense, yeah,¡± Corey said. He¡¯d figured there had to be some kind of scouting force involved. He started poking at his empty ice cream bowl with his spoon. ¡°What about it?¡±

    ¡°Well, they want good pilots,¡± Tooley said. She lowered her head and her voice as she started to mumble. ¡°I¡¯m a good pilot.¡±

    Corey let go of his spoon and sat up straight.

    ¡°You want to quit bounty hunting?¡±

    ¡°No, no, but it¡¯s been like a year since we did any actual bounty hunting anyway,¡± Tooley said. ¡°If Kamak doesn¡¯t come back with a good job, the option is there.¡±

    Corey kept staring at her over the rapidly-melting dregs of ice cream in both their bowls, which made Tooley even more self-conscious about her suggestion.

    ¡°Pay¡¯s pretty good, and probably even better after we play the ¡®saved the universe card¡¯, it¡¯s basically a five year leisure cruise of deep space, and unlike bounty hunting, it has a retirement plan,¡± Tooley said. ¡°There are worse gigs. Especially ones where you get shot at a lot.¡±

    At that point, Tooley¡¯s self-consciousness evolved to the point she became hyper-aware of her own face and realized she had some ice cream on the corner of her mouth. She wiped it away and cleared her throat as Corey contemplated the enormity of a career change. He was still getting used to universal society -a society that humanity would soon be a part of.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see what Kamak comes back with before we talk about quitting,¡± Corey said. ¡°And, like, talk about it way more. That is not a one-conversation decision.¡±

    ¡°Obviously,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Just putting it out there since your dumb ass doesn¡¯t know anything about anything.¡±

    ¡°I know one thing.¡±

    ¡°And that is?¡±

    Corey grabbed Tooley by the chin and pulled her close, and he leaned in as well. Tooley braced herself for an awkward kiss, but the only thing that met her lips was Corey¡¯s thumb. He brushed a bit more dried ice cream off her lip.

    ¡°You missed a spot.¡±

    ¡°Fuck off, Corvash.¡±

 Book 2 Chapter 6: Ghosted

    Quid¡¯s office was not very big, befitting a man who was not very big, at least not in any way that mattered. Physically speaking, Quid was actually pretty large, but only by virtue of coming from a naturally large species. The man himself was small: had a small personality, a small presence, a small spirit. If he vanished tomorrow and was replaced by another bookkeeping nerd, the world would not blink at his absence. He didn¡¯t even have houseplants that would wither and die without him to water them.

    Kamak kept all those thoughts to himself. Quid was, at least, very polite and helpful. A lot of the paper-pusher types got aggro about their ¡°administrative prowess¡± or were sticklers for the rules, but Quid did no such things, so Kamak put up with him. Even if he was a freak without a hobby. Kamak didn¡¯t trust anyone without a hobby.

    ¡°Well, Mr. Kamak, what brings you here?¡±

    Entirely nonplussed by the unannounced arrival of his client, Quid pushed aside some paperwork on his desk and beckoned for Kamak to take a seat. Kamak sat down in the stiff, uncomfortable chairs of a man who knew no one would ever be sitting in his office longer than absolutely necessary.

    ¡°Listen Quid, we need to talk about the type of contracts you¡¯ve been feeding me lately.¡±

    ¡°Before we get started, there¡¯ll be another military emplacement installed on Centerpoint today, is that ceremony something you¡¯d be interested in?¡±

    ¡°No, Quid, that exact kind of thing is the problem,¡± Kamak snapped. ¡°I¡¯m not a professional party guest, I¡¯m a bounty hunter.¡±

    ¡°We do have a number of manhunting contracts available, one from the Tightfit Lugnut company just-¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to do that shit either, Quid,¡± Kamak snapped. ¡°I don¡¯t want to gun down a guy for selling patented lugnut designs, I want to hunt thieves and murderers.¡±

    ¡°Intellectual property theft is still theft, Mr. Kamak.¡±

    ¡°You know damn well that¡¯s not what I meant,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I do,¡± Quid said. He looked down at his desk to scan his datapad, and all the potential contracts listed on it. ¡°These are premium contracts, Kamak, other bounty hunters would beg for work like this.¡±

    ¡°Then let them beg for it, I want to do something different.¡±

    ¡°Different how? You¡¯ll need to communicate more clearly, Mr. Kamak,¡± Quid said. ¡°You¡¯re turning down combat and non-combat contracts, low risk, high reward-¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not about combat or not, easy or not,¡± Kamak said. ¡°I want to do...I don¡¯t know, something good.¡±

    Someone scoffed at that. It wasn¡¯t Quid. The desk worker looked up from his files as Kamak whipped around in his chair to face a third man in the room. They looked a lot like a taller, sleeker human, but with wirey limbs and a narrow, curved torso that gave them a serpentine appearance. Kamak wondered if the horizontal, bar-shaped pupils were a natural species trait or some kind of cybernetic enhancement. There was a glimmer in their golden eyes he didn¡¯t like.

    ¡°And who the fuck are you supposed to be?¡±

    ¡°A professional,¡± their new guest said.

    ¡°Oh, the sleek and mysterious routine, nice,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Get the fuck out of here.¡±

    The smug smile on the ¡°professional¡¯s¡± face dropped for a second. He was disappointed to see that Kamak¡¯s abrasive reputation was well earned.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think I will,¡± the Professional said. ¡°On the other hand: Quid, get out. Me and ¡®Mr. Kamak¡¯ need to talk privately.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s his office, asshat,¡± Kamak said. In spite of that, Quid collected his things and hastily excused himself from the small office. The professional swung around the desk and stole Quid¡¯s chair. He sank into the desk chair and then put his feet up on Quid¡¯s desk. Kamak stared at him blankly.

    ¡°So, since you apparently insist on interjecting yourself into my business, I¡¯ll ask again,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Who the fuck are you supposed to be?¡±

    ¡°Like I said, I¡¯m a professional,¡± he hissed. ¡°For the purposes of this conversation, though...let¡¯s just establish one important fact. A few years ago, you vaporized an entire invading army.¡±

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    The professional put his feet down and leaned forward on the desk, hands folded together.

    ¡°And my body count is still higher than yours.¡±

    Kamak rolled his eyes so hard his whole head rolled with them.

    ¡°Give me a fucking name or for the rest of this conversation I¡¯m going to call you Shitslut.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Yes, really, Shitslut,¡± Kamak said. ¡°I don¡¯t care if it¡¯s your real name or your black-ops handle or your edgy codename like Murdersword the Exterminator or whatever, just give me a name to work with here.¡±

    The Professional stared Kamak down. Kamak didn¡¯t blink.

    ¡°Fine. Call me Ghost,¡± he said.

    ¡°As in Ghost of Licoa?¡±

    Now it was Ghost¡¯s turn to not blink.

    ¡°Maybe,¡± he said slyly.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a yes,¡± Kamak said. ¡°I always thought they made you up, cover for some black ops operation nonsense. You really kill all thirteen of those fuckers?¡±

    The revolution on Licoa had been thoroughly complicated by the royal family¡¯s nuclear arsenal, and their proven willingness to use them -right up until all thirteen members had been brutally murdered in a matter of cycles, despite being miles apart in separate secret bunkers. It was a resounding victory for democracy, and resulted in Licoa joining the Galactic Council, which everyone was so happy about that they all casually overlooked that three of the thirteen dead royals were children.

    ¡°If I did, I couldn¡¯t confirm or deny it,¡± Ghost said. ¡°Unless of course I killed you afterwards.¡±

    ¡°Well I¡¯m not that fucking curious,¡± Kamak said. ¡°About that, at least. Why the fuck are you here, ¡®Ghost¡¯?¡±

    ¡°To put a matter to rest with a discussion among professionals,¡± Ghost said. ¡°And to get you to stop harassing the poor desk clerk, of course.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. Let me take a guess, then,¡± Kamak said. ¡°It¡¯s not just a coincidence I¡¯m getting fed all these bullshit jobs, then?¡±

    ¡°Good guess,¡± Ghost said with a smile. ¡°But don¡¯t think of them as ¡®bullshit jobs¡¯. Think of them as a retirement plan. Easy jobs, big money. Attend some parties, save some money, buy a nice house on a beach somewhere and enjoy a long retirement.¡±

    The smile dropped off Ghost¡¯s face, and he leaned forward on the desk.

    ¡°Soon.¡±

    Kamak glared right over the desk, lips curled into a tight frown.

    ¡°You want to muscle me out.¡±

    ¡°We didn¡¯t want to muscle anything,¡± Ghost said. ¡°It was a gentle push, you just got stubborn about it.¡±

    ¡°Why the fuck am I getting angled out anyway?¡± Kamak demanded. ¡°I save the fucking universe after forty years of perfectly good bounty hunting-¡±

    ¡°Good bounty hunting,¡± Ghost corrected. ¡°Not perfectly good. Just good.¡±

    He folded his hands together and sighed dramatically.

    ¡°You¡¯re sloppy, Kamak,¡± Ghost continued. ¡°You make messes, you piss people off, get people killed, you stack skeletons in your closet like nobody¡¯s business. All perfectly acceptable for rank and file bounty hunters, of course, the expendable little people, but for the most famous bounty hunter in the universe? Not a good look, Kamak.¡±

    Kamak sat silently and waited for the rant to continue. People like the Ghost loved to hear themselves talk. They¡¯d always say more if you let them.

    ¡°Forty years, you¡¯re on what, twenty, thirty fellow crewmembers dead?¡± Ghost asked. ¡°No one gave a shit when you got some nobody¡¯s killed -or crippled.¡±

    For the first time in the conversation, Kamak¡¯s face twitched with genuine anger. His first pilot was still stuck in a wheelchair. That wasn¡¯t Kamak¡¯s fault, but only a few people knew that.

    ¡°But what¡¯s it going to look like when you charge in like an idiot and get the universe¡¯s first human visitor killed, huh,¡± Ghost continued. ¡°Tooley¡¯s on magazine covers now, ¡®Greatest Pilot in the Universe¡¯, they say. What¡¯s going to happen when you get her shot in the face, like you did your sixth pilot?¡±

    Kamak actually scowled now. That one had been his fault. Ghost sensed the moment of vulnerability and grabbed Quid¡¯s datapad, turning it around to display the list of handpicked, easy jobs to Kamak.

    ¡°Do the jobs, take the money, and enjoy your retirement,¡± Ghost said. ¡°Sit on a beach and watch the sun rise on a universe that will only ever remember you as a hero.¡±

    Kamak stared down at the datapad. The ceremony for the military installation on Centerpoint was still displayed.

    ¡°Hell of a grateful universe,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°Hell of a grateful hunter,¡± Ghost said. ¡°Easy money and an early retirement, and you¡¯re complaining. Most bounty hunters don¡¯t get to retire period, much less retire rich and beloved.¡±

    ¡°You know damn well this isn¡¯t about the money,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°Then what is it, Kamak? Your reputation? Your pride?¡± Ghost scoffed. ¡°Because it¡¯s all downhill from here for both of those too.¡±

    Kamak looked down at the job listing, and then back up at Ghost.

    ¡°One more question,¡± Kamak said. ¡°You and whatever shadowy cabal of assholes you work for want me to retire. Or what?¡±

    ¡°Or what?¡± Ghost said. ¡°We¡¯d prefer to avoid the bad press from your inevitable failure, but we¡¯ll get through it. We¡¯re not going to assassinate you, Kamak, just sit back and watch you ruin your own life.¡±

    ¡°Then enjoy the fucking show,¡± Kamak said. He stood up and pushed his chair hard enough to knock it over. ¡°Because I¡¯m not going anywhere.¡±

    Ghost shook his head and clicked his tongue disdainfully.

    ¡°I told them that¡¯s what you¡¯d say.¡±

    Kamak ignored the final jab and walked out of the office, slamming the door so hard the fallen chair rattled. A few seconds later, he unslammed it and shoved his head back through the door.

    ¡°And get the fuck out of Quid¡¯s office!¡±

    Then he slammed the door again, for good this time.

 Book 2 Chapter 7: Early Retirements

    Though Kamak did not accept the ¡°job¡± to attend the new military installation¡¯s unveiling, he still kept an eye on it. The Wild Card Wanderer had taken to the stars, orbiting Centerpoint at a distance, to watch the installation far away from any pomp and ceremony. The massive gun battery drifted into place and was joined to the rest of Centerpoint¡¯s honeycombed platforms, fusing the weapons to the neighboring residential and business districts. The platform full of short-range cluster armaments was an effective deterrent to any Horuk attacks, and a blighted eyesore on the otherwise sleek, modern space station.

    Kamak scowled. Centerpoint had been designed as the shining beacon for universal society, the best of everything cooperation could accomplish. Now they¡¯d strapped a gun to it. There had always been outlying defensive stations and security fleets, but seeing a cluster of guns the size of a small city right next to the arts district felt different. It felt wrong.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like any of this,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Smells like they¡¯re up to something.¡±

    Kamak had, naturally, gotten his crew up to speed on everything Ghost had said, to predictably mixed reactions.

    ¡°Luckily for us, I think their intent is fairly transparent,¡± Farsus said. ¡°They see more value in us as propaganda than as bounty hunters.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s never that simple,¡± Corey sighed.

    ¡°No offense, Corvash, but you¡¯re a little paranoid to begin with,¡± Tooley said. ¡°And the whole Morrakesh thing probably didn¡¯t help.¡±

    Corey owned a laser sword now, and he still carried a knife in his boot everywhere he went. He¡¯d also insisted on installing an upgraded security system in the Wild Card Wanderer, and, thanks to the fact that Tooley now slept next to him regularly, she knew he was an incredibly light sleeper, frequently waking with a start at even the smallest noise.

    ¡°How is some secret Ghost assassin guy showing up to threaten us not something to be worried about?¡±

    ¡°I just think Farsus has a point,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Now that we¡¯re bigshot heroes they want us retired so we can¡¯t fuck up and get ourselves killed or embarrass ourselves.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d think you¡¯d be more offended by that,¡± Corey said.

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    ¡°I am very offended, but they¡¯re also giving me lots of money,¡± Tooley said. As boring as the rich people gigs were, they paid well. ¡°It¡¯s creating some very conflicting emotions.¡±

    Tooley had an ego the size of a galaxy, but a love of money that was just as big if not bigger. She had already paid off the sizable cost of the Wild Card Wanderer, and was stocking up savings for the future, and maybe even a new, better ship.

    ¡°God, I know,¡± Kamak said. The money was making it very hard to be as mad as he wanted to be. Having been on the bad side of a conspiracy to make the entire universe hate him, he found it hard to be mad about a conspiracy to keep him famous and successful. ¡°I¡¯d almost rather they were being assholes about it. It¡¯d make it a lot easier to be mad.¡±

    ¡°We keep being stubborn about it, we¡¯ll probably get them there,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°Well I¡¯m real good at being stubborn,¡± Kamak said. ¡°So I guess we¡¯ll find out.¡±

    ¡°Do we have to?¡±

    All eyes went to Doprel. His massive frame looked hollow and deflated.

    ¡°What¡¯s the point?¡± Doprel asked. ¡°What¡¯s the endgame? Where¡¯s our win condition? Even as a matter of pride, like, to prove we¡¯re not fuckups, isn¡¯t saving the universe enough for that?¡±

    Kamak nodded. That was a pretty big boost to the ego.

    ¡°Maybe it is a good idea for us to quit while we¡¯re ahead,¡± Doprel said. ¡°Even just logistically speaking, it¡¯s going to be fucking hard to top stopping the Invasion, guys.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, well, that¡¯s an easier choice for you guys to make than me,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Rest of you fuckers are going to be dead in a few decades. I still got the better part of three centuries in me, at least.¡±

    Kamak leaned back in his seat and watched the guns on Centerpoint spring to life, scanning the stars for any sign of an incoming threat. For a moment, one of the colossal guns turned their direction, and Kamak stared right down the barrel. Corey watched the guns turn as they all drifted through empty space.

    ¡°Do you guys want to take a vacation?¡±

    ¡°Vacation? Now?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Corey said. ¡°We haven¡¯t really taken a breather since we stopped the Invasion. I think maybe we all need to take some time to relax and unpack.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Feels like we¡¯d be giving these assholes a taste of what they want.¡±

    ¡°Let them think that,¡± Corey said. ¡°Let¡¯s take a break. Not think about work for a while, and see how we feel about retiring or not retiring in a week or two.¡±

    ¡°You want to take some time off, I won¡¯t stop you,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Take your vacation, if you want.¡±

    ¡°If he¡¯s going, I¡¯m going,¡± Tooley said.

    ¡°Ah, of course you are,¡± Kamak said. ¡°I try to forget you two are shacked up.¡±

    ¡°You can always pay for shuttles,¡± Tooley said. ¡°I¡¯m not the only pilot in the universe. Even if I am the best.¡±

    ¡°Not ditching me that easily,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Fine. You kids pick somewhere to go and take your fucking vacation. I¡¯ll get dragged along.¡±

 Book 2 Chapter 8: A Universe of Options

    ¡°There will soon be a festival in the Kotol region of the planet Mrakai,¡± Farsus said. ¡°Millions venture from across the stars to dance in front of the Borealis lights.¡±

    ¡°Not a fan of dancing, but a party could be nice,¡± Tooley said.

    ¡°Hold on, this is a Farsus suggestion,¡± Corey said. ¡°Farsus, does anyone die at this festival?¡±

    ¡°Not on purpose.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that mean?¡±

    ¡°It means living beings are mortal, Doprel,¡± Farsus said. ¡°I cannot guarantee no one will be murdered, or suffer an allergic reaction, or choke on a biki nut.¡±

    ¡°As long as there¡¯s no ritual sacrifice or bloodsport involved,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°I could go for some bloodsport,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Non-lethal, of course.¡±

    The prospect of a vacation was taking almost as much planning and deliberation as being the target of a universe-spanning conspiracy. Their travel budget meant they could go almost anywhere in the known universe, and as one might guess, a massive universe came with a lot of interesting things to see. Corey had been pulling for the miles-wide Crystal Hollows of Manthis, until Farsus had told him about the Gallery of Limitless Wealth, the former palace of a tyrannical despot, carved entirely from gemstones. Then Tooley had mentioned being able to see the formation of a nascent solar system, and Doprel had referenced a planet with skyscraper-sized animals that fed on towering forests that spanned entire continents. He was tabbing through some more potential planets to visit on his datapad, and was overwhelmed by the sheer number.

    ¡°Man, I didn¡¯t even see most of the cool shit on Earth,¡± Corey mumbled to himself. Part of him still kind of wanted to go see the Pyramids.

    ¡°Maybe we actually should retire,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Spend the rest of our lives cruising cool stuff in the stars.¡±

    ¡°Hey, no work talk,¡± Doprel said. ¡°Focus on vacations, plan for the future after.¡±

    ¡°This is hard,¡± Tooley said. ¡°We need to write like a hundred options down and pick a destination out of a hat, or something.¡±

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    ¡°We haven¡¯t got any hats,¡± Doprel said. ¡°Or paper, for that matter.¡±

    ¡°Can we get Kamak¡¯s opinion?¡± Corey asked. ¡°He¡¯s great at telling us what to do.¡±

    ¡°He really does not want to be involved,¡± Doprel said. ¡°I tried asking earlier. He got...Kamak-y.¡±

    That said more than enough. Kamak was a permanently chafed man, but the prospect of going on vacation seemed to chafe him even moreso. He did not want to be part of planning for it in any way.

    ¡°Fuck him, this is my ship,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Here¡¯s what we¡¯re going to do: everybody take some time and pick fifty places you want to go. Then we compare lists, and whatever places end up on all four of our lists, we pick from randomly. Sound good?¡±

    ¡°Not any dumber than what we¡¯re already doing,¡± Corey said with a shrug. Farsus and Doprel agreed, and returned to their chambers to pick a potential destination.

    <hr>

    Tooley¡¯s proposed method had taken hours, but it was about to bear fruit. By overlapping their lists, the potential vacation candidates had been reduced to ten entries. Those entries had been entered into a datapad and were now being scoured over by a random selection program.

    ¡°And our winner is,¡± Tooley said, before taking a dramatic pause. ¡°The Festival of Kites!¡±

    She paused again for a reaction from the crowd, and did not get one.

    ¡°Don¡¯t sound too excited, guys,¡± Tooley said.

    ¡°Did you want a round of applause?¡± Corey said. ¡°It¡¯s kites. I mean, I guess taking a glider out will be cool.¡±

    ¡°This was on your list, motherfucker!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m happy,¡± Corey said. ¡°I¡¯m just not getting excited about it until we actually go there. It¡¯s fine.¡±

    ¡°It better be, because we¡¯re not changing it,¡± Tooley said. She grabbed her datapad and connected the ships intercom before screaming into it. ¡°Hey, Kamak, get out here.¡±

    The door to Kamak¡¯s chambers slammed open immediately, and he made a rude gesture at Tooley, who chuckled. He had often abused the Hard Luck Hermit¡¯s comms to torment her, and now that Tooley was in control of their ship, she was returning the favor.

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re going to a planet called E e e,¡± Tooley said. Corey had been baffled by the name at first, which was apparently pronounced kind of like a weird chuckle.

    ¡°Okay then, let¡¯s go, why the fuck would I care?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve been a bounty hunter a long time, fucker, I wanted to make sure you hadn¡¯t pissed off some gang lord or killed someone there,¡± Tooley said.

    ¡°I have never been to that chucklefuck planet, much less killed anyone there,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Why are we going there on vacation?¡±

    ¡°They are about to experience a regional phenomenon of incredibly powerful winds, which the locals celebrate with a festival of kites, gliders, balloon, and other aerial festivities.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. They have beer at these festivities?¡±

    ¡°Planetary brewers have set up multiple bars and tasting events.¡±

    ¡°Alright then, let¡¯s fucking go,¡± Kamak said, as he took his seat and buckled in. Tooley rolled her eyes and started flying.

 Book 2 Chapter 9: Parking Fees

    ¡°Wild Card Wanderer, you are free to dock.¡±

    ¡°Gah! Fuck.¡±

    ¡°I told you this would happen,¡± Corey said. After hours spent waiting for a docking bay to be cleared, Tooley had opted for one of her favorite ways to kill time. Corey¡¯d had a sneaking suspicion that they would get called to dock mid-coitus, but that suspicion had not been enough for him to say no to sex.

    ¡°Yes yes, you¡¯re very smart, get off me,¡± Tooley said. She pushed him away and then wormed her way out of bed. ¡°Where are my pants?¡±

    ¡°Which ones?¡±

    Tooley¡¯s new bedroom was nearly three times the size of her old quarters back on the Hermit, but all the extra room and storage space had done nothing to mitigate the mess. The room was still layered with discarded clothing and garbage. Tooley found a suitable pair of pants adrift in the detritus and hastily put them on before running out to the cockpit to start the landing sequence. Corey, who was not in such a hurry, jumped into the cleanser. He enjoyed the pleasant subsonic hum for a minute before Tooley joined him.

    ¡°Done already?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, these big planets usually have everything automated,¡± Tooley said. ¡°I just had to input the ship specs, cargo weight, that kind of thing. You should¡¯ve come, I could¡¯ve walked you through it.¡±

    ¡°Maybe next time.¡±

    ¡°Fine. You want to finish what we started? Docking¡¯s all automated and we got about twenty minutes.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll pass, thanks. Interruptions ruin the mood.¡±

    ¡°You are taking all the fun out of having a private cleanser, Corey,¡± Tooley said. Unlike the Hard Luck Hermit¡¯s communal space, the rooms on the Wanderer had their own private bathrooms. ¡°Make yourself useful and help me fluff my hair out.¡±

    Tooley¡¯s species had very dense hair, so tightly packed that even the cleanser couldn¡¯t reliably clean it all out. Corey reluctantly ran his fingers through Tooley¡¯s mess of hair until she was satisfied and ready to step out into the world, clean and calm.

    ***

    ¡°Ten-thousand cece¡¯s for a docking pass!¡±

    Tooley was still clean, at least.

    ¡°It is festival season, ma¡¯am,¡± said a concierge wearing the most strained smile Corey had ever seen. He¡¯d seen people forced to smile at gunpoint who looked more natural. ¡°And you are entitled to all our safety assurances, personal and ship-service amenities, and our convenient festival access.¡±

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    ¡°Convenient? It¡¯s on another continent!¡±

    ¡°But thanks to our rapid oceanic transit system, the Festival of Kites is only half a drop away,¡± the concierge said. ¡°And parking on that continent is thirty-five thousand cece¡¯s.¡±

    ¡°Ugh, when you put it like that, maybe this is fine,¡± Tooley said.

    ¡°Millions of people are trying to get here,¡± Corey shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s basic supply and demand.¡±

    ¡°And we are splitting the cost of our stay four ways,¡± Farsus reminded them.

    ¡°Could be five.¡±

    Kamak remained smugly silent. By abdicating any choice in where they took their vacation, he had apparently also exempted himself from paying for any of the associated costs. Nobody wanted to bother arguing with him about it. As expensive as the fees were, they were still well within their budget.

    ¡°I miss when people were giving us free shit for saving the universe,¡± Tooley grumbled. She still got a free drink now and then, but the initial wave of gifts had long since worn off.

    ¡°We did waive the usual security deposit fee,¡± the concierge said. ¡°That removed roughly two-thousand cece¡¯s from your total.¡±

    ¡°Oh. See, you should lead with that kind of stuff, helps with the initial sticker shock.¡±

    ¡°I will keep that in mind,¡± the concierge said. She took a deep breath, and the fake smile faded for a moment. ¡°I¡¯ve only worked here for a month, I don¡¯t really know how to handle this stuff.¡±

    ¡°Well fuck, now I feel bad for yelling,¡± Tooley said.

    ¡°You should.¡±

    ¡°Shut it, Kamak.¡±

    Farsus could sense an argument forming and stepped into intercept it.

    ¡°Where is this transit system, then?¡± Farsus asked. ¡°Do we need to purchase tickets?¡±

    ¡°No, transit costs are included in your docking fee,¡± the concierge said.

    ¡°You really got to put this stuff in your opening pitch, lady,¡± Tooley said.

    ¡°Should I mention we also offer complimentary refreshments?¡±

    ¡°Is it bottled water?¡±

    ¡°That is available, but we also have coffee and lo-¨¥ juice,¡± the concierge said. ¡°It¡¯s a local beverage.¡±

    ¡°Interesting,¡± Farsus said. ¡°I would like some.¡±

    The concierge handed over a pleasantly chilled plastic bottle of some dark-red juice. When he confirmed it was palatable, the rest of the crew figured they might as well too. Corey found it very similar to pomegranate juice, with a slight hint of citrus as well. He liked it so much he asked for one more for the road as they got directions to the transit station and headed for the festival.

    ¡°Well, Corey likes the juice and Doprel¡¯s scaring away the crowd,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Festivals off to a great start.¡±

    Doprel bumped a ridged elbow into Kamak to let him know he did not appreciate the jab. While Doprel¡¯s intimidating alien physique kept the crowds at bay on the otherwise crowded ship, Doprel did not like that he intimidated the people around him.

    ¡°I¡¯m being sincere,¡± Kamak said. ¡°I like not getting crowded, and also this is pretty damn good juice.¡±

    He took another sip from his bottle to emphasize the point.

    ¡°Need to find out if they make any cocktails with this stuff, I¡¯m thinking a nice kepo mix with some sugar on the rim of the glass.¡±

    ¡°Fuck, that does sound good,¡± Tooley admitted. She and Kamak disagreed on many things, but booze was the great uniter.

    ¡°You can get drinks anywhere, guys,¡± Doprel said. ¡°Check that out.¡±

    Doprel pointed a cerulean finger towards a massive canopy window, and all eyes turned that direction. Though they were still miles off from the true festival grounds, the decorations started early. Thousands of kites, sails, and gliders flew past in a blur, filling the sky with streams of brilliant color and flashing light.

    ¡°Alright, not bad,¡± Kamak admitted. Maybe this vacation would be worth a damn after all.

 Book 2 Chapter 10: Freaks Show

    ¡°Man am I glad I got a haircut,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re very smart,¡± Tooley said, as the wind whipped her powder-blue hair into her face. ¡°Help me with this.¡±

    As the presence of kites might suggest, the Festival of Kites involved a lot of incredibly high winds. The wind was blowing so hard Tooley had a hard time standing upright, much less keeping her hair in order. She hadn¡¯t had the foresight to braid it beforehand, so her hair was at the mercy of the same winds that buoyed a thousand kites.

    The unique geography and climate of the region turned the festival valley into a sort of natural wind tunnel, resulting in a perpetual gale. The annual surge of wind held deep cultural and religious significance to the local populace, which had over time evolved into an excuse for a bunch of curious offworlders to throw a party. The winds that supposedly carried the spirits of the dead got used to sail novelty kites, and the bells that the dead spoke through got sold as souvenirs, and the mourning libations were used to get drunk, as Kamak was about to prove.

    ¡°Have fun with that,¡± Kamak said. ¡°I¡¯m finding the nearest place to sit down and get a drink. You people enjoy yourselves.¡±

    The plans to regroup at the end of the day had already been made, so no one bothered chasing Kamak as he vanished into the crowd. Farsus pulled out a map of the festival valley and looked for an interesting diversion.

    ¡°Hmm, a cliff-scaling race sounds interesting,¡± Farsus said. The festival had no combat to speak of, so he sought to challenge himself in other ways. ¡°Care to participate, Doprel?¡±

    ¡°Nah, I think I¡¯m just going to wander around the festival for a bit,¡± Doprel said. ¡°See what I see.¡±

    ¡°As you will. I will see you all later.¡±

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    Farsus headed out, and Doprel wandered away while Tooley was still fixing her hair. While it was impossible for him to vanish into the crowd as Kamak had, he did put some distance between himself and his crewmates. He had something specific in mind he wanted to enjoy, but it was not anything to do with the festival itself.

    As Doprel cut his way through the crowd, people moved out of the way to accommodate his massive frame -but only barely. The finned ridges on his arms brushed against shoulders and bumped into backs as people put very little effort into stepping aside. Most people would¡¯ve considered the lack of personal space an affront, but not Doprel. For him, it was a delight.

    To most of the universe, his species, the Doccan, were either an anomaly or an enemy. Even people who didn¡¯t see him as one of his emotionless, thieving kin tended to see Doprel as a hulking monstrosity they were better off avoiding. For years, almost everyone around him had treated him as a freak or a monster. The fame of saving the universe from Morrakesh had changed that. His distinctive appearance was still instantly recognizable, but recognizable a hero. Now most people at least passively accepted him, if they weren¡¯t actively interested, as a small group of festivalgoers approaching him now were.

    ¡°Wow, are you Doprel?¡±

    ¡°Yep, that¡¯s me.¡±

    The festivalgoers seemed delighted. They were all young, possibly children (or just from some species that looked childlike), and apparently easily excited by the presence of a ¡°celebrity¡±. One of them actually giggled with delight, furthering Doprel¡¯s theory that they were children.

    ¡°What were the Horuk like?¡±

    ¡°Like the ugliest bugs you can imagine, but uglier and bigger,¡± Doprel said. ¡°And obviously, trying to kill you.¡±

    ¡°Wow,¡± one of the kids said. ¡°Could you beat them in a fight?¡±

    ¡°The little ones were easy, the problem is there were hundreds of them,¡± Doprel said. ¡°And then when you got higher up the ranks, they were super tough.¡±

    ¡°How many did you kill?¡±

    ¡°Did they make a noise when you squished them?¡±

    ¡°Did they smell funny?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, yes, and yes,¡± Doprel said. The three questions began a barrage that showed no signs of stopping. The dozens of questions that followed were often morose, and more often inane and pointless, but Doprel answered each and every one without hesitation.

    It was nice to not be a freak.

 Book 2 Chapter 11: Highlife/Lowlife

    ¡°They¡¯re making a fucking movie about it,¡± Kamak grumbled. ¡°It¡¯ll tell the story better than I ever could.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but it¡¯ll be filtered through that specnet drama bullshit,¡± the haranguing bar patron said. He had offered to buy Kamak a drink, which Kamak appreciated, but was now insisting on making a conversation out of it, which Kamak loathed.

    ¡°Good, they¡¯ll probably make Tooley way less annoying,¡± Kamak said. ¡°And I hear I¡¯m getting played by Shemet 1-1-K-C. That guy¡¯s handsome as hell, right?¡±

    ¡°He doesn¡¯t look anything like you.¡±

    ¡°I said he¡¯s handsome, didn¡¯t I?¡±

    Kamak turned away and returned to his drink for the eighth time, hoping his unwanted drinking buddy would finally get the hint. He did not.

    ¡°Alright, just give me one thing,¡± the annoying patron said. ¡°What¡¯s something you think they¡¯re going to leave out of the movie?¡±

    ¡°Probably a lot of the swearing we did,¡± Kamak said. ¡°We said some shit you can¡¯t say in the videos.¡±

    ¡°Like what?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re in public, dumbass,¡± Kamak said. ¡°But keep it up and maybe you¡¯ll hear it anyway.¡±

    ¡°Keep up what?¡±

    Kamak dared to turn away from his drink long enough to glare daggers at the annoyance.

    ¡°I got to take a leak,¡± he said, before finishing his sip. He did, but that was only half the reason he stood up and left. It was time to execute the classic maneuver of stepping out to the bathroom and never coming back. The bar was probably crowded enough for him to pull it off, and the annoying hanger-on at least had the common decency to not follow him into the bathroom. Kamak found his way to the bathroom and enjoyed the relief of being away from the annoyance, and the relief of relieving himself.

    ¡°Hey, are you Kamak?¡±

    The question was answered with a heavy and indignant sigh.

    ¡°Brother, if there is one law of the universe, it is that you do not talk to another man while he¡¯s pissing.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t look that tough.¡±

    Kamak finished up his current task with a final shake and then moved off, passing his hands under the cleanser on his way out.

    ¡°I could beat you in a fight,¡± the bathroom botherer said. He followed Kamak out the door, wobbling with the unearned bravado of a typical drunk.

    ¡°Probably. Go tell your buddies you definitely could beat me, and I agree,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°Oh, but they¡¯re going to want proof.¡±

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    The drunk grabbed a bottle off a nearby table and held it above his head. Before he could even bring it down, he got a palm to the throat. The bottle fell out of his hands, and Kamak caught it midair, returning the bottle (only partially spilled) to the patron the drunk had snatched it from. The drunk gagged on the ground as a bouncer cut through the crowd to grab him and drag him to his feet.

    ¡°Sorry about that.¡±

    ¡°Shit happens,¡± Kamak said. He was used to seeing scenes like that play out at bars across the universe. Some idiot always ended up trying to pick a fight with the toughest looking guy in the room. Kamak even considered it fine entertainment, when it was happening to someone else. The problem was that it kept happening to him.

    Kamak stormed out of the bar and back into the streets of the festival. A few people cast sideways glances at him, but he moved too fast for any wayward idiots to try and stop him for another inane conversation. For a time, he just kept moving, trying to stay ahead of the idiots, but it eventually dawned on Kamak that he had to actually be going somewhere. He decided to go for another drink, this time in a nicer neck of the woods.

    Up atop the high cliffs, there was a second set of bars and entertainment venues, much larger and fancier than the ones down in the valley. Kamak did not linger too long on the literal demonstration of class stratification and settled in at the quietest bar he could find. The polished stone bartop was inlaid with tiny threads of gold and platinum that spelled out the names of various expensive champagnes and wines in various languages.

    A few years ago, Kamak wouldn¡¯t have been able to afford even a single drink in a place like this. Now he had enough money that he could order a glass of their finest chatta without even asking for a price tag. Kamak took his drink and managed to get halfway through the glass before someone interrupted him.

    ¡°Kamak D-V-Y-B.¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Kamak said. Worst case scenario, the fancy champagne glasses they had here would hurt a lot less than the heavy bottles down below.

    A silver skinned woman practically slithered into the seat next to Kamak, and made herself comfortable leaning on his shoulder. Kamak did a quick run through of his mental registry of species for silver skin, and then realized that there was no such species. Whoever this woman was, she had the money and the ego to genetically modify herself for the sake of vanity.

    ¡°I heard you made quite an impression at Loback Loben¡¯s party,¡± she whispered.

    ¡°I did.¡±

    ¡°I also heard you have quite a long history with Timeka.¡±

    Kamak didn¡¯t dignify that question with a response. She clearly already knew she was right.

    ¡°Et-fe Lithrette. I represent EmSolo Aerodynamics. I imagine you¡¯re familiar. You probably killed some of my coworkers.¡±

    Kamak continued to say nothing, because she was still right.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, no one holds a grudge,¡± Et-fe said. Kamak believed her. When you went high up enough in any corporation, no one actually cared about anybody else. Kamak¡¯s first major contract with Timeka had been murdering the CEO¡¯s son. Friends and family were just fuel for the fires of profit.

    ¡°So did you just come to tell me you don¡¯t want to kill me?¡± Kamak said. ¡°Because against all evidence, I do assume that about most people.¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t waste your time on something so frivolous,¡± Et-fe said, chuckling as if it were a joke. ¡°But I would love to hear some stories of your time at Timeka.¡±

    She laid her real intent on so thick it could barely be called subtext -she wanted company secrets.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know anything interesting,¡± Kamak said, also not bothering with subtlety. Despite cutting ties with Timeka, he had no intent on crossing them. No amount of good reputation would save him from an ¡°unfortunate accident¡± at the hands of Timeka.

    ¡°Well that is disappointing,¡± Et-fe said. ¡°I had so many...interesting stories I wanted to share with you too.¡±

    ¡°Shame,¡± Kamak said. He turned away from Et-fe, just as he had with the annoyance back at the bar.

    ¡°Do look me up if you ever remember anything intriguing,¡± she said. She gave his shoulder a teasing brush with her hand as she pulled away. Kamak just rolled his eyes, finished his drink, and left. He¡¯d already been disappointed on the high ground and the low, and unfortunately for him, there were no bars in the middle.

 Book 2 Chapter 12: Close for Comfort

    Tooley shouted something, but Corey could not hear it. The winds that sparked the entire festival were howling louder than ever before, and the bells hung as part of the ceremony were adding an extra layer to the cacophony. Anything they tried to say, no matter the volume, got lost in the din. To make matters worse, the blustering gale made it difficult to even walk. Corey had been bowled over once already, and he didn¡¯t need to be able to hear to know Tooley was laughing at him. She¡¯d stopped once the wind had knocked her down as well, at least.

    To escape the winds, most of the festival crowds had huddled into buildings or hidden within rocky crevices, but Tooley and Corey were late to the idea, leaving them very little room. It might have been possible to elbow their way into one of the larger crowds, but neither was particularly keen on jamming themselves into a crowd of a hundred people. They liked a little personal space.

    After struggling upwind for the better part of a cycle, Tooley and Corey finally found a crevice that was entirely unoccupied, albeit only big enough for the two of them to squeeze in practically nose to nose. Luckily they were both each other¡¯s exception to the rules on personal space. They¡¯d been a lot closer than this plenty of times.

    ¡°When we get back to the Wanderer I got to grab some of those earplugs you guys use when you¡¯re firing the ballistic guns,¡± Tooley said. Even though they were practically rubbing noses, she still had to raise her voice to be heard. The small amount of cover could only do so much about the howling winds and ringing bells.

    ¡°If I¡¯d known it was going to be this god damn loud, I would¡¯ve brought some,¡± Corey said. ¡°They should fucking warn people about this, I saw some little guys getting blown away earlier.¡±

    ¡°I know, Corey, I had to dodge them,¡± Tooley said. Some unfortunately lightweight aliens had gone shooting down the canyon thanks to the hurricane-force winds, and Tooley had been forced to sidestep them.

    ¡°Hold on, I¡¯m going to try and check the weather, see when all this calms down,¡± Corey said. He awkwardly shuffled until he could grab his datapad out of his pocket and tried to hold it up, but did not have much room to work with. ¡°Hold on, let me try- no, that didn¡¯t work. Could you like, breath in for a second, try to draw your chest back?¡±

    ¡°Do folks where you¡¯re from have retractable tits? Because I assure you mine do not work that way.¡±

    ¡°Just give me some room to work with here,¡± Corey said. ¡°I need to be able to see the weather report and there is not a lot of real estate in front of my face.¡±

    ¡°Just use ¡®em as a shelf,¡± Tooley said.

    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

    ¡°Use what?¡±

    ¡°The boobs, Corvash,¡± Tooley said. ¡°They¡¯re already there and being squished very uncomfortably, they make a perfectly good surface to put something on.¡±

    ¡°Uh-¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t get bashful on me, Corey, you had your dick inside me a few cycles ago.¡±

    That was a compelling argument, and Corey made use of the boob-shelf to get a weather report.

    ¡°Oh, okay, says this is a pretty common thing every sunset,¡± Corey said. ¡°Canyon¡¯s so long the sun is still up on the other side of it, makes the air warmer, yadda yadda yadda, it gets windy. Should be done in maybe a quarter of a cycle.¡±

    ¡°Ugh, a whole quarter cycle?¡±

    ¡°We could move, if you want,¡± Corey said. ¡°Adjust positions, at least.¡±

    ¡°Every possible change we could make would be worse,¡± Tooley said. She let out a deep, frustrated sigh and then looked out at the festival decorations. ¡°Only change I want to make is to go and rip those damn bells down.¡±

    ¡°I think that¡¯d get us exiled. Again,¡± Corey said. They were banned from a handful of planets. ¡°Those are for dead people, Tooley.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, well, dead people can¡¯t hear, so-¡±

    Tooley stopped herself mid-sentence, looked around, and pursed her lips. She was stuck face to face with Corey, which made it very hard to not make eye contact, so she closed her eyes instead. After a second, she leaned forward, tapping her forehead against Corey¡¯s in the gentlest headbutt she¡¯d ever given him.

    ¡°Sorry.¡±

    ¡°For what?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve been wandering around these bells and shit all day,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Did you want to put one up for your mom?¡±

    The whole festival was meant to be a celebration of the dead. For Tooley, who¡¯d never lost anyone she cared about (but lots of people she didn¡¯t care about), such a celebration was meaningless, and all the ceremony surrounding it was nothing more than colors and noise. Corey, on the other hand...

    ¡°Oh. It¡¯s fine. No, I don¡¯t,¡± Corey mumbled. ¡°I thought about it, but...nah.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure? It seems like your kind of thing.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t want it to be my ¡®thing¡¯,¡± Corey said. ¡°I¡¯ve spent enough time mourning my mom. I¡¯m a grown man. It¡¯s time to stop getting over it and start being over it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure that¡¯s how it works, buddy.¡±

    ¡°I know. But I figure I can fake it ¡®til I make it, you know?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard worse plans, I guess,¡± Tooley said. ¡°From you. Repeatedly.¡±

    ¡°Very funny.¡±

    ¡°Got to entertain myself here somehow, Corvash, we¡¯re stuck in this crack for at least the next twenty drops.¡±

    ¡°We could just talk about the festival,¡± Corey said. ¡°There¡¯s a lot of shit we still haven¡¯t done.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just here to find out when I can get my hands on one of those gliders,¡± Tooley said. There were people high above even now, soaring on the gale, rocketing through the skies on the roaring winds.

    ¡°You know, I¡¯m not sure your piloting skills transfer to a glider,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°Shows what you know,¡± Tooley said. ¡°I¡¯m going to kick ass. Do a barrel roll and everything.¡±

    She did end up finding the gliders, and even executing a barrel roll, but doing barrel rolls or any other kind of tricks was against the rules. She did one anyway. She¡¯d been banned from entire planets, getting banned from one glider rental didn¡¯t bother Tooley in the slightest.

 Book 2 Chapter 13: Big Red

    ¡°Is that a fucking souvenir?¡±

    Corey looked at the tiny model of the canyon and kites in his hand and shrugged.

    ¡°Yeah?¡±

    ¡°You bought a fucking souvenir,¡± Kamak scoffed. ¡°You paid like seventy times whatever that plastic crap is worth, you know that, right?¡±

    ¡°I know, but it looks nice,¡± Corey said. The small-scale replica did not fully capture the majesty of the thousands of kites and gliders sailing over the canyon, but it was still very pretty. ¡°I need some decoration in my room anyway.¡±

    ¡°Get a poster,¡± Kamak said. He stepped off the tram, stretched sore legs, and headed back to their dock. That turned out to be a long walk. They were on a nice dock now, one that had actual space and amenities, and wasn¡¯t just a bunch of hangars crammed together as tightly as possible for maximum efficiency. That meant more comfort but less convenience, as everything being so spacious made for a lot more walking.

    ¡°You think this place has some kind of cafe?¡± Corey wondered aloud. ¡°Built in restaurant? Hell, I¡¯d take a snack bar.¡±

    ¡°What, you didn¡¯t go for the overpriced festival food too?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not that dumb,¡± Corey said. ¡°And who are you to criticize? You think that booze you were drinking all day wasn¡¯t marked up?¡±

    ¡°I made my choice.¡±

    ¡°There actually is a restaurant and bar built into this place,¡± Doprel said. As the one most thoroughly embracing the spirit of the vacation, he knew all about his relaxation options. ¡°Can¡¯t speak to the prices, but it seemed like a nice place.¡±

    ¡°Well point me in the right direction, then, I¡¯m fucking starving,¡± Corey said. Avoiding marked up festival food had kept his wallet full and his stomach empty. As it turned out, everyone else was feeling peckish too, and in the mood for something more than the rations they kept aboard the ship, so Doprel led the way to a modest eatery within the spaceport¡¯s walls. It looked as generic as a mid-class eatery possibly could. Even galaxies away from home, Corey recognized the look of a place trying to look fancy without actually being fancy. It was a cosmic Olive Garden.

    This late into the evening, the establishment was still moderately full with vacationing wanderers much like themselves. Luckily, there was room at the bar -and there was soon more room, as someone forcibly elbowed another patron out of a seat and then waved them over. She was a towering, scarlet skinned woman, with a shaved head and large tusks jutting from her lower jaws.

    ¡°Oy! Crew of the Hard Luck Hermit, yeah?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s it to you?¡±

    ¡°Figure I owe you all a drink,¡± the colossal stranger said. ¡°Nearly killed you a while back. Least I can do.¡±

    ¡°You and half the universe,¡± Kamak said. He kept his distance for now. ¡°So why were you after us? Corporate security contract, hired assassin?¡±

    ¡°Nah, just a good old-fashioned bounty hunt,¡± the stranger said. ¡°Name¡¯s Bevo. Been with the Guild a while. Done a few jobs, got a few scars. Even ran a gig courtesy of that friend of yours, Ghul, may she drift gently.¡±

    Bevo briefly tilted her drink in an obvious toast to Ghul¡¯s memory. Kamak¡¯s eye twitched, but he relented, and took a seat next to Bevo. The others relaxed, and followed suit. Kamak took his free drink, courtesy of Bevo, and swirled the glass for a second.

    ¡°So, how¡¯d you ¡®almost kill us¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Ah, see, I had you tracked to that old rust-bucket station, what was the name,¡± Bevo said. Her lower lip twitched thoughtfully as she tried to recall it. ¡°Don¡¯t matter. Anyway, I was setting up a nav scramble pulse net, wide sweep, would¡¯ve shut down your navigational systems and everything else in the neighborhood when you tried to leave. Then that Structuralist fuck spooked you off before I got it set up.¡±

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    Bevo looked briefly remorseful, and then slammed the rest of her drink down.

    ¡°Anyway, all for the best,¡± Bevo said. ¡°Technically me being a bit slow on the draw kind of saved the universe, didn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°We saved the universe,¡± Kamak said. ¡°You managed not to get in the way.¡±

    ¡°Hey, I¡¯ll take it over some of the ways I¡¯ve fucked up.¡±

    ¡°For what it¡¯s worth, your strategy may very well have worked,¡± Farsus said.

    ¡°Only if she really caught us off guard,¡± Tooley said. ¡°You toggle your nav systems right, you can avoid the information overload from all the false pings.¡±

    ¡°Is that right?¡± Bevo said. ¡°Never had someone do that.¡±

    ¡°Well, you have to be real quick on the switch so it still has the old navigational presets saved,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Take too long and it¡¯s a full reboot, then you¡¯re dead in the water anyway.¡±

    ¡°Ah, pretty hard to pull off for anyone except Tooley Keeber Obeltas, then?¡±

    ¡°Damn right,¡± Tooley said. Being able to toggle a switch really fast wasn¡¯t exactly hard, but Bevo was buying the drinks, so she got a little extra hype.

    ¡°I¡¯ll keep it in mind for the next hunt,¡± Bevo said. ¡°Or next time I¡¯m getting hunted. Whichever comes first.¡±

    That actually got her a polite chuckle from everyone but Kamak. He took a sip of his Bevo-bought drink and then cleared his throat.

    ¡°So, Bevo, how long have you actually been hunting?¡±

    ¡°Ah, ten or so solar years now,¡± Bevo said.

    ¡°Hmm. Biggest contract you ever scored?¡±

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t exactly glamorous, but I caught some pirate, Zolkiss...something or another, fucker had four names. Wanted in ten galaxies, and all ten of ¡®em were in a bidding war for the bounty. Offered to chop him up into ten pieces and give each a piece, but they didn¡¯t like that idea.¡±

    Bevo laughed, and Kamak visibly relaxed.

    ¡°Well, at least you¡¯re an actual bounty hunter,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Stars, you have no idea how many people think they¡¯re my peer because they filed their Guild paperwork and waved a gun at someone with a traffic violation.¡±

    ¡°Oh, yeah, greenhorns,¡± Bevo said. ¡°Walk around with a pistol on their hip and a stick up their butts, I¡¯ve seen ¡®em. I bet they bother the hell out of you. You know Guild recruitment¡¯s up like five-hundred percent or something since you lot did your thing?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m aware,¡± Kamak grunted. Guild fatalities were up by about the same number. Bounty hunting had always attracted idiots who were only interested in getting rich quick, but now it attracted an even worse kind of idiot: clout chasers. An entire army of imbeciles had seen Kamak and his crew stumble their way to heroism thanks to years of experience and a lifetime¡¯s worth of blind luck and figured they could do the same thing. A lot of them were paying the price. Kamak found it hard to care.

    ¡°I¡¯ve met a few newbies who are worth a damn, but not many. Vets, former corporate security, experienced folk looking to make the universe a little safer in case them Horuk come back,¡± Bevo said. ¡°Most of them though? Take one look at ¡®em and don¡¯t even remember their names, know I won¡¯t be seeing them again one way or another.¡±

    ¡°I felt that way about half the new recruits before this shit started,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°I know, right? I wonder what I looked like, first time setting out,¡± Bevo said. ¡°I had a lot less scars back then.¡±

    ¡°Were you this tall when you started?¡±

    ¡°About, yeah. Had a different hairdo.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯d have been fifty/fifty in my books,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°Oh, high praise,¡± Bevo said. ¡°Am I that scary looking?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m definitely glad you never got to try and kill us,¡± Corey said. Though that was a general statement. The less people trying to kill him, the better.

    ¡°Ah, I know it was for the best, but I kind of wish I could¡¯ve taken a stab, yeah? Just for the thrill of it,¡± Bevo said.

    ¡°You could probably still fight Farsus, if you want,¡± Corey suggested.

    ¡°I am somewhat exhausted from rock climbing, but I¡¯ll be fresh and ready to spar in the morning,¡± Farsus said.

    ¡°Eh, thanks but no thanks, broadside,¡± Bevo said. ¡°A friendly tussle¡¯s all good fun, but what I really like is the real, heartpounding, life or death thrill of it.¡±

    She clenched her fists tight as if throttling an invisible neck, and Corey could see a fire light in her eyes.

    ¡°That tension when you look a man in the eye and know one of the two of you is dying right here, right now,¡± Bevo said. ¡°That¡¯s what I live for!¡±

    Everyone in the area did their best to avoid making eye contact with Bevo. Tooley took some nervous glances between her colossal crimson frames and the equally hulking red giant that was Farsus.

    ¡°You two related?¡±

    ¡°Probably not, us being different species and all,¡± Bevo said. They just happened to both be members of crimson-skinned alien races. ¡°Why¡¯d you ask?¡±

    ¡°No reason,¡± Tooley mumbled. She glanced sideways at Corey, who nodded in agreement. Related or not, they had a very similar attitude on violence. Corey wondered if Bevo had a collection of spines too.

 Book 2 Chapter 14: No More of That

    ¡°Ending your stay already?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, as much as we love paying ten times as much as usual for food and beer, I think it¡¯s time we hauled out,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Give me my final bill and get me the fuck out of here.¡±

    The novelty of looking at pretty kites and listening to bells had entirely worn off after a few days. They were also getting pretty sick of having days. As frequent space-travelers, they were used to living on their own schedule, independent of things like sunsets and sunrises. Between that, the crowds, and the high cost of everything, the crew had agreed it was time to take a vacation from their vacation. The girl at the desk signed them out, gave them one more round of complimentary juice, and opened up the hangar so they could take off. Tooley did not take off right away, on account of the sticker shock.

    ¡°Ugh, bite my neck, a while back that would¡¯ve been enough money to get me through two solars,¡± Tooley said, as she looked at her recent transactions. ¡°How the fuck did I spend that much money in five days?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the point of having money, isn¡¯t it?¡± Corey said. ¡°Got to spend it to enjoy it.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind the booze or the souvenirs or whatever, but this was just the fucking docking fee,¡± Tooley said. ¡°How does it cost this much just to park?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re going to have to take that up with capitalism,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°Damn it, capitalism,¡± Tooley mumbled. She cursed the dominant universal economic system and then sat down in her pilot seat. ¡°Alright, watch carefully. I¡¯m going to try and do this slow so you can actually see shit.¡±

    Even going slowly, Tooley¡¯s hands still had to dart across the controls. In a very short timeframe, she had to align their flight path with their assigned exit route, accelerate the Wanderer to escape velocity (after doing the calculations of ship weight versus local gravity), and then make small adjustments to their speed and heading to accommodate changes in atmospheric density as they ascended. Only once they had breached the exosphere and began a comfortable drift through zero-gravity did her hands stop dancing across the various consoles and controls in front of her.

    ¡°You get anything out of that?¡±

    ¡°Not really, no,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°I took like twice as long as usual!¡±

    ¡°Well your ¡®usual¡¯ is so damn fast that even twice as slow is hard to keep up with,¡± Corey said. ¡°If I¡¯m going to learn how to fly, I think I might need a normal teacher eventually.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll figure it out,¡± Tooley said. She set their course to a stable orbit around a gas giant in the same solar system as the planet they¡¯d just left and then stepped away from the controls. ¡°Alright, we are officially spaceborn once again, what¡¯s our next move?¡±

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    She stepped into the common room and found Farsus was the only one there, reading a book about local planetary history he had purchased back at the festival.

    ¡°Where¡¯d the other two idiots go?¡±

    ¡°Kamak was hungover, and Doprel was simply tired,¡± Farsus said. ¡°I imagine they have both gone to sleep.¡±

    ¡°Surprised Kamak didn¡¯t mouth off about where he wanted to go first.¡±

    ¡°He was very hungover,¡± Farsus said, with heavy emphasis on ¡°very¡±.

    ¡°Makes sense,¡± Tooley said. Kamak had been stupidly quiet and moody the entire vacation, so Tooley found his state of mind hard to notice, but he had been leaning on Doprel more than usual. ¡°Ugh. I don¡¯t want to stay in this fucking nowhere star system too long, but I don¡¯t want them whining about our heading later.¡±

    ¡°When in doubt, head for Centerpoint,¡± Farsus said. ¡°It is still the center of the universe, despite someone¡¯s best efforts.¡±

    ¡°True enough,¡± Tooley said. She turned back to the cockpit and headed for her seat. ¡°Hey Corvash, turn our work contacts back on and look up some shit to do on Centerpoint.¡±

    ¡°Way ahead of you,¡± Corey said. While they had unanimously agreed to shut off all non-emergency contacts during their vacation, Corey had still been curious to see what messages they were receiving. Turning on his tablet and checking their messages had been one of the first things he¡¯d done after they took off.

    ¡°Anything interesting?¡±

    ¡°Not really, same old same old,¡± Corey said. ¡°Bunch of rich fucks who want to use us as set dressings, ceremony invites, and...do you still like doing interviews?¡±

    ¡°Depends on how much they¡¯re paying me to get interviewed,¡± Tooley said. She had like all the attention at first, but she could only answer the same questions so many times. Everybody kept asking her about the secret of lightspeed maneuvering, as if Tooley had some kind of hidden lever she was pulling to make it possible. She was just really, really, really good at flying.

    ¡°Pretty good,¡± Corey said, doing a quick check of the pay offer. ¡°Though it¡¯s some kind of ¡®inspiring women¡¯ event run by Centerpoint¡¯s Gender Equality group. I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re into that sort of thing.¡±

    ¡°What info-network is it on?¡±

    ¡°Uhh...A5-37.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re doing it,¡± Tooley said, without a moment¡¯s hesitation. ¡°That network goes to Turitha. It¡¯ll make the Structuralist¡¯s so fucking mad.¡±

    Tooley had finished punching in the coordinates to Centerpoint before Corey even finished putting away his datapad.

    ¡°Are you sure you want to piss them off again? That comes with a non-zero risk of us getting shot at.¡±

    Though they had technically helped save the universe in the battle against the Horuk, the Structuralist¡¯s had done so only to save their own asses, and had gotten right back to their usual routine of intense xenophobia and misogyny right afterwards. Tooley, as a Sturit who was both a woman and not racist, ranked very high on their shit list, and she got higher on that list every time she mocked the Structuralist regime. They had even sent an assassin after the crew a few months after the battle, though Kamak had spotted the assassin and blown his head off before he¡¯d so much as pulled a gun. Corey would still prefer to avoid provoking more assassination attempts, though. They might get a competent one eventually.

    ¡°You¡¯re not really living unless you¡¯re making assholes mad, Corvash,¡± Tooley said. ¡°We¡¯re doing the interview.¡±

    ¡°Fine,¡± Corey said. He got out of his seat as the ship accelerated into FTL. ¡°Farsus, we better check all the guns.¡±

    ¡°Already underway,¡± Farsus shouted back.

    ¡°What, you hear that whole conversation?¡±

    ¡°No, I am simply a responsible gun owner,¡± Farsus said. ¡°All equipment should be regularly maintained, especially equipment that keeps us alive.¡±

    ¡°Well let¡¯s do it especially good this time.¡±

 Book 2 Chapter 15: Trailblazing New Advancements in Bigotry

    Corey had never actually been involved with television at all back on Earth, but the broadcast studio on Centerpoint still seemed remarkably familiar. They had a backstage area with green rooms, makeup, busybody production assistants, and even a tray of little snacks to peck at with a dispenser for some variety of space-coffee. Much like alcohol, most species had developed their own form of coffee, and thankfully the forms were mostly interchangeable. Corey sipped at the vaguely coffee-ish beverage and waited behind the scenes while Tooley finished her pre-production.

    ¡°Hey, you¡¯re Corey Vash, right?¡±

    Corey glanced over his space-coffee at a short, barrel-chested alien covered in white fur. Corey had never seen them before, but they were wearing the uniform and accouterments of most of the other staff at the broadcasting station.

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s me,¡± Corey said. ¡°You need something?¡±

    ¡°Nothing serious, just wanted to ask a question while we got you here,¡± the alien said. ¡°We¡¯re doing another showcase thing on inspiring men here in a couple swaps, you want in?¡±

    Corey looked around at the hustle and bustle of a televised event designed entirely to celebrate women.

    ¡°You¡¯re doing a women¡¯s event and a men¡¯s event in the same week?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a big universe, human, we got people who hate women, we got people who hate men, we got people who hate genders you¡¯ve never even heard of,¡± the alien producer said. ¡°We get subsidies for doing a certain amount of diversity programming every solar, gender¡¯s an easy thing to tackle.¡±

    ¡°Naturally,¡± Corey said. He¡¯d never expected this event was about anything else. Also like on Earth, multimedia conglomerates didn¡¯t actually care about diversity and inclusion, they just wanted the financial benefits of looking like they did. ¡°Pay the same?¡±

    ¡°Little better, actually,¡± the producer said. ¡°You¡¯re a man and you¡¯re an Uplifted species. More brownie points for our inclusivity department.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°You do that,¡± the producer said. ¡°Oh, and, uh, speaking of people who hate men, you might want to try and stay out of the way. Maybe we ain¡¯t take this female empowerment stuff seriously, but the purple lady does. Very seriously.¡±

    The producer wandered off and started shouting at some other production assistant, leaving Corey wondering who the purple lady was. He didn¡¯t have a great history with the color purple.

    ¡°Corey!¡±

    The more familiar voice of Tooley was a welcome interruption to some bad memories of purple. Apparently she was done with her preparations.

    ¡°What do you think? Do I like whorey enough?¡±

    ¡°I assume,¡± Corey said. She looked like a librarian in a weird hat to Corey, but apparently that was how prostitutes dressed on Turitha.

    ¡°Great. All those fuckers back on Turitha are going to be so mad about this.¡±

    ¡°Assuming they even watch it,¡± Corey said. Transit treaties and other agreements meant the infonet channel broadcasting this program extended to Turitha, but just because it was an option didn¡¯t mean any of the natives would watch it.

    ¡°Just knowing it exists will piss them off,¡± Tooley said.

    ¡°And maybe inspire some other little girl to become a hotshot pilot one day,¡± Corey suggested.

    ¡°Eh, fuck that, I don¡¯t need the competition,¡± she said.

    ¡°No interest in being a role model at all?¡±

    ¡°Corey, you¡¯ve met me. You¡¯ve spent time with me. On several occasions, you¡¯ve had sex with me,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Tooley Keeber Obertas is not a role model.¡±

    ¡°Who?¡±

    Corey¡¯s thoughts gut pulled right back to purple when he saw a striped purple face turn in their direction. A towering woman with heavy brows and horse-like ridge of hair down the middle of her head and back took one look at Tooley and Corey, and then grabbed the nearest production assistant.

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    ¡°What the fuck are they doing here?¡±

    The woman was very obviously pointing in their direction, and Tooley and Corey exchanged a nervous glance.

    ¡°They were...invited?¡±

    The assistant looked as confused as the purple woman looked angry, and she looked furious.

    ¡°They were invited? I was invited! In what fucking universe do those degenerates get invited to the same events as me?¡±

    ¡°You got a problem, lady?¡±

    ¡°Tooley, maybe we just don¡¯t engage,¡± Corey mumbled, with the warnings about the ¡°purple lady¡± fresh in his head.

    ¡°Shut the fuck up, fishbit,¡± the purple lady snapped. Corey was mostly caught off guard by being called ¡°fishbit¡±. He had no idea what it meant, but the purple lady said it as if it was a slur. ¡°Yes, I have a problem with you, you shiiv-drenched whore.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s really the look I was going for, thanks,¡± Tooley said, admiring her own outfit once again. Her preening only served the further enrage the purple lady. Innocent bystanders started to back away.

    ¡°Well, at least you recognize it¡¯s all you¡¯re good for,¡± she hissed, as she slowly marched in Tooley¡¯s direction. In spite of her opponents far greater height, Tooley did not back down nor allow herself to be made to look small as the purple lady stared her down.

    ¡°What exactly did I do to piss you off, you nutjob?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t- I suppose you wouldn¡¯t, you¡¯re probably illiterate,¡± the purple lady said. ¡°I¡¯m Kor Tekaji. I solved the LUCA problem?¡±

    Neither Tooley nor Corey had any idea what the LUCA problem was. Corey remembered an old saying from Earth: ¡°Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and to remove all doubt¡±. Apparently Tooley had a similar thought in mind, because she kept her mouth shut.

    ¡°Right, right, stupid. Let me explain. LUCA means Last. Universal. Common. Ancestor,¡± Kor said, emphasizing every word like they were children. ¡°For us Kentath retrogrades, that means finding our common genetic heritage, the DNA sequences that link us all together to the Kentath.¡±

    Corey only very vaguely remembered the details of how that ancient progenitor race had spread new species all over the galaxy, so he continued to keep his mouth shut.

    ¡°I hand-sequenced genomes of hundreds of different species, I matched base pairs, I eliminated common mutations,¡± Kor said. She had the same mix of arrogance and fervent passion in her voice that Tooley did when she talked about flying, mixed with a not-so-small helping of sheer rage. ¡°And I solved the problem that thousands of the universe¡¯s best geneticists failed to solve. Alone.¡±

    ¡°Okay, sounds impressive, why are you pissed at me about it?¡±

    ¡°Because two fucking swaps after I single-handedly changed the course of medical history, you and your crew of brain-addled testosterone sponges managed to stumble your way into blowing up some aliens,¡± Kor hissed. ¡°And suddenly the slack-jawed group of morons known as the general public only cares about building more weapons and trying idiotic piloting stunts.¡±

    ¡°Wait, are you mad at us because we saved the universe?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m part of the universe, I appreciate being saved,¡± Kor said. ¡°What I do not appreciate is that the saving was done by shameless, idiotic, drunken degenerates like you.¡±

    She looked at Tooley and Corey like they were nothing more than garbage, and sneered at the fact they were even in the same room as her.

    ¡°Look at yourselves. Do you think you deserve to be here, that you deserve to have people mistakenly think you¡¯re anywhere close to my level? Do you really think you deserve to be seen as anything other than the trash you are? I am a hero, I am an icon, I deserve pages in the history books, you deserve to die a slow death from liver failure while you lie homeless and forgotten behind a dumpster.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re being-¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare speak to me,¡± Kor said, as soon as Corey opened his mouth. ¡°As soon as I find out whatever genetic mistake led to us requiring your gender, I¡¯m going to correct it.¡±

    ¡°Wow, you are fucking insane,¡± Tooley said. ¡°And I have met some really, really insane people.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care how smart you are, you¡¯re just being a jackass,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t talk to me!¡±

    Kor moved as if to suddenly grab him by the throat, but Corey sidestepped her -if only barely. She was surprisingly quick for someone who apparently worked in a lab. One of the production team in the background loudly called for security, which at least made Kor take a step back.

    ¡°Both of you need to find whatever hole you crawled out of and crawl back in,¡± Kor hissed. ¡°Before all the idiots finally catch up to me in realizing how worthless you are.¡±

    Kor backed off, only to avoid any potential consequences for her attempted assault, leaving the two isolated again. Tooley stared at her for a few seconds before shaking her head clear and turning back to Corey.

    ¡°Why¡¯s every arrogant motherfucker want us to retire so bad?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re remarkably unbothered by all that,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°Yeah, like I said, bitch is crazy, who cares what she thinks?¡± Tooley said. ¡°Also, this is a broadcast station. Someone was recording that, right?¡±

    Seven different people raised their hands.

    <hr>

    Exactly one swap later, Tooley kicked her feet up and read the headline ¡°Prize-winning geneticist ousted after televised tirade¡±.

    ¡°Told you,¡± she said to Corey.

    ¡°I believed you,¡± he said back. They had cancel culture on Earth too. ¡°Surprisingly fast, though.¡±

    ¡°Judging by the way that bitch acted, they were probably looking for excuses to get rid of her,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Yet another indispensable service I have provided to the galaxy.¡±

    She put the headline aside and leaned back to relax, putting the blind arrogance of people like Kor and the Ghost out of her mind. Maybe she was a terrible role model, maybe she didn¡¯t deserve any of the attention she was getting, but-

    But-

    But she had it anyway. So she was clearly doing something right. Tooley would figure it out later.

 Book 2 Chapter 16: The Importance of Networking

    ¡°So now that you¡¯ve had the interview and humiliated a grown woman, what¡¯s your next move?¡±

    ¡°Technically the grown woman humiliated herself,¡± Tooley said. ¡°I was merely the canvas on which she painted her own humiliation.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care,¡± Kamak said. ¡°I mean what are we doing next?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, you¡¯re the jobs guy,¡± Tooley said. ¡°You want something to do, find us something to do.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s kind of hard, for reasons previously discussed,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°Then we¡¯re sitting around until we have reason not to sit around,¡± Tooley said. ¡°I get prime docking fees on Centerpoint, this is the cheapest place for us to park our asses.¡±

    While Tooley would rather be doing something, if she was going to be doing nothing, she wanted to do it cheaply. She got a steep discount on services at Centerpoint because of her ¡°saved the universe¡± credit, reducing the normally high cost to almost nothing.

    ¡°I need to get one of you other bastards signed up with the Guild,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Somebody else needs to do the job hunting.¡±

    ¡°Nope, that¡¯s a you problem,¡± Doprel said.

    ¡°Maybe instead of waiting for a job to come to us, we could try asking someone?¡± Corey suggested.

    ¡°You want us to go around begging for work?¡±

    ¡°Not begging, just asking,¡± Corey said. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since we called Thoth and To Vo. Maybe they¡¯ve got something.¡±

    ¡°If Thoth had something, it¡¯d give us something,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Also, we lack a lot of the subtlety he usually looks for.¡±

    Paga For¡¯s resident information broker had never shied away from asking for their help, but what he needed and what they could give were two very different things. He was lord of a planet of pirates and criminals, and the crew were at least nominally aligned with law and order thanks to their newfound celebrity. That same celebrity also made it hard for them to engage in any kind of subtlety, another roadblock to employment from a crime lord.

    ¡°Well, what about To Vo?¡±

    ¡°What about her?¡±

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    ¡°Maybe she¡¯s on to something,¡± Corey said. ¡°You never know.¡±

    ¡°I know exactly what she¡¯s up to,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Not much.¡±

    After joining internal affairs, To Vo had been very effective at rooting out corruption, and even sent them leads on rogue cops to bounty hunt, but that effectiveness had dried up fast. To Vo liked to think she had successfully rooted out corruption, while everyone else realized that the corruption had just gotten better at hiding from her.

    ¡°We could at least try and ask,¡± Corey said. ¡°Especially with all that shit that Ghost asshole said. Good time to have friends in high and low places.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t consider a mid-level internal affairs office a high place, but...fine, you¡¯ve got a point,¡± Kamak said. ¡°I¡¯ll get in touch with Thoth.¡±

    ¡°And To Vo?¡±

    ¡°You can call To Vo,¡± Kamak said. ¡°She likes you better anyway.¡±

    Kamak had gradually acquired something approaching respect for To Vo, but it was threadbare on a good day, and he hadn¡¯t had many good days lately. He left Corey to make that call while he sent a message to Thoth. Actually calling Thoth was pointless, as the massive worm didn¡¯t have ears or a mouth, so Kamak typed up a quick message and sent it to Thoth. As expected, he got a response back in seconds. It simply read ¡°No Interaction Required¡± -Thoth¡¯s way of saying he had nothing to say. Kamak set the tablet aside and sat down as To Vo finally answered Corey¡¯s call.

    ¡°Corey, are you in trouble?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m not.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Well, that¡¯s nice.¡±

    ¡°Did you expect me to be in trouble?¡±

    ¡°A little.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s- fair,¡± Corey admitted. ¡°No, everything¡¯s mostly fine, I just wanted to check in. Catch any corrupt cops lately?¡±

    ¡°Oh, no, I¡¯ve actually stepped away from work for a while,¡± To Vo said.

    ¡°You? Not working? Are you in trouble?¡±

    To Vo was one of the most work-addicted people Corey had ever met. Even when she¡¯d been a guest aboard their ship, completely removed from her office, she had taken notes on everything that happened and kept the ship clean just to keep herself busy. To Vo La Su not working was as unthinkable as gravity not working.

    ¡°No, everything¡¯s fine. Good, great even,¡± To Vo said. ¡°I¡¯m just-¡±

    She paused for a second before continuing.

    ¡°Do you want to come over for dinner? We should catch up in person.¡±

    ¡°Right, catch up in person,¡± Corey said. ¡°Should I bring a...gift?¡±

    ¡°Are you trying to ask if you should bring a gun?¡±

    ¡°Uh, maybe?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m genuinely not in any danger, Corey, I just want to talk to you in person,¡± To Vo said. ¡°Could you make it next swap, twenty-three-ten Centerpoint time?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, probably,¡± Corey said. He still felt like he was missing something, but To Vo genuinely didn¡¯t seem to be in any kind of distress. Now he had to accept the invitation, because he needed to know what she wanted to talk to him face-to-face about.

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll see you then,¡± To Vo said. ¡°Bring the rest of the crew too, of course. If they want to come, that is. I imagine Kamak won¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯d be surprised,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°No I wouldn¡¯t,¡± To Vo said. She said goodbye, and Corey hung up.

    ¡°So, apparently she wants to talk to us in person,¡± Corey said. ¡°You interested in going?¡±

    ¡°She in trouble?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Then no,¡± Kamak said. He got up and returned to his quarters, slamming the door shut behind him. Apparently To Vo knew him pretty well.

 Book 2 Chapter 17: Beef

    ¡°You ever think about buying a house?¡±

    ¡°Why the fuck would I want a house,¡± Tooley said. ¡°It¡¯s like a shitty spaceship that¡¯s stuck to the ground.¡±

    ¡°Roomier, though.¡±

    ¡°The Wanderer¡¯s plenty roomy.¡±

    ¡°Tooley, we¡¯re on a space station and these houses are still bigger,¡± Corey said. They were strolling the enclosed halls of one of Centerpoint¡¯s residential districts, on their way to To Vo¡¯s house.

    ¡°Yeah, but these are the expensive ones,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Average house is probably a lot smaller.¡±

    ¡°We have ¡®expensive house¡¯ money, though.¡±

    ¡°Why¡¯re you making it a ¡®we¡¯ thing?¡± Tooley said. ¡°You want a house, get a house. I¡¯ll stick to the ship.¡±

    ¡°It was a hypothetical,¡± Corey said. ¡°You know, like, what would you do if you weren¡¯t a pilot?¡±

    ¡°Probably kill myself.¡±

    ¡°Never mind,¡± Corey said. They were almost at To Vo¡¯s house anyway.

    Corey and Tooley were the only ones accepting the dinner invitation. Kamak had lno interest in spending an entire evening conversing with To Vo, while Farsus and Doprel had declined slightly more politely, as they had other priorities on Centerpoint. Tooley herself had taken some convincing, but Corey had managed. To Vo La Su had contributed a great deal to their continued survival, and she was also one of the only people Tooley knew who liked the same murder mystery drama series. She had no one else to talk about the murderous twists and turns with.

    In spite of her initial reluctance, Tooley still took the lead and hit the intercom button on the front of Tooley¡¯s house.

    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s us.¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯s ¡®us¡¯?¡±

    The voice was not only confused, but clearly male. Tooley did a quick double check of the housing unit number. It matched the one To Vo had given them. She started to wonder if Corey hadn¡¯t actually missed an encoded message.

    ¡°Tooley and Corey Vash,¡± Corey said. ¡°We¡¯re here to see To Vo? Is this not her house?¡±

    ¡°Oh, right! That¡¯s today,¡± the male voice said. ¡°One second, sorry.¡±

    After a momentary delay, the door clicked open. The person who answered the door was still definitely not To Vo, though there was a definite resemblance. They were both of the same species, with the same furry skin and leonine features, though this man had much darker black and brown stripes than To Vo¡¯s light brown fur. He was also about three feet taller.

    ¡°Hi! So nice to meet you,¡± the striped stranger said. He smiled, which was probably intended to be friendly, but the massive tusks and fangs in his mouth made it look naturally threatening.

    ¡°Nice to meet you too,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°There you are!¡±

    Much to the relief of Corey and Tooley, the familiar face of To Vo swooped out of the door, as short as ever. They were beginning to worry the big man had been holding her hostage. To Vo gave both of them a quick, one-armed hug, and then stepped back, revealing that her other arm had been occupied holding on to something: a much smaller, but still furry, baby.

    ¡°Uh-¡±

    ¡°Sorry, let me introduce you,¡± To Vo said. ¡°This is Den Cal Vor, my mate, and this is To Ru Co Re-¡±

    She held the baby out towards Corey. He held out his hands instinctively, and To Vo deposited the swaddled baby into his arms. It was, thankfully, very calm about the transition, and stared up at Corey with bright yellow eyes, apparently baffled by his furless appearance.

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    ¡°-my daughter.¡±

    ¡°Your daughter?¡±

    ¡°Yes! She¡¯s a month old,¡± To Vo said. ¡°Oh, relative to our homeworld calendar. That¡¯s about two and a half Centerpoint months.¡±

    ¡°Cool,¡± Tooley said. She didn¡¯t know what else to say. She was just glad To Vo hadn¡¯t tried to hand the baby off to her. She didn¡¯t like babies.

    ¡°Please, come in,¡± To Vo said. ¡°Dinner¡¯s almost ready.¡±

    Corey stepped inside, and immediately started scouting for excuses to put the baby down. He didn¡¯t see any cradles or beds lying around, so he settled for walking up to Den Cal and holding the baby in his direction.

    ¡°I think she¡¯s getting a little fussy,¡± Corey lied. ¡°Strangers, you know.¡±

    ¡°Oh, she hasn¡¯t met many new people,¡± Den Cal said. He apparently matched his mate¡¯s naivete, because he didn¡¯t see through Corey¡¯s obvious lies. He took his daughter back and tried to calm down a baby that was already perfectly calm.

    ¡°So, I guess that¡¯s what you wanted to tell us about, then?¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± To Vo said. ¡°I would¡¯ve mentioned it on the phone, but, uh¡­¡±

    ¡°It is bad luck to share news of an offspring unseen,¡± Den Cal said. To Vo nodded in such a way that made it clear she was not quite on board with the superstition, but she was trying to humor her mate.

    ¡°This whole...us, has been very experimental for a while,¡± To Vo said. She fiddled with a few dishes on a stovetop for a second and then got back to the conversation. ¡°Our species hasn¡¯t really ever done the ¡®happy household¡¯ thing.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re probably some of the first Mishta to try mating for more than a month, much less for life,¡± Den Cal added. ¡°In the old ways, if a man wanted a mate, he took it by force. You could see why that wouldn¡¯t work out for me.¡±

    Corey looked up at the comparatively large Den Cal.

    ¡°Are you small for your species?¡±

    ¡°Oh, yes, significantly,¡± Den Cal said. ¡°Are you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m about average sized,¡± Corey said. Den Cal bent over to look Corey in the eyes.

    ¡°Really? How do you get anything done?¡±

    ¡°Denny,¡± To Vo said. ¡°What¡¯d I tell you about insensitive questions?¡±

    ¡°Oh, sorry,¡± Den Cal said. He looked guiltily at his mate and then turned back to Corey. ¡°Sorry if I offended you. I¡¯m a little new to, you know, everything out here.¡±

    ¡°Hey, no worries, I¡¯ve been there,¡± Corey said. A few years ago, he¡¯d been the one asking dumb questions. He could hardly begrudge Den Cal¡¯s queries.

    Den Cal gestured them to a nearby dining table to take a seat. Corey was surprised at how ¡®human¡¯ the layout of the space was. There was a designated kitchen attached to a dining room, which all connected to a central living room, with couches and chairs arranged around something that at least resembled a TV. Barring some of the futuristic appliances, Corey could¡¯ve found hundreds of houses just like this on Earth. It almost made him homesick.

    ¡°As I was saying earlier, sorry for leaving you in the dark,¡± To Vo said. ¡°I just wanted to be sure all of this would work, and, well-¡±

    She gestured grandly to her mate and her daughter.

    ¡°It¡¯s working!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, working great,¡± Tooley said. ¡°You¡¯ve definitely got a functioning-¡±

    Corey could see the end of that sentence coming a mile away, and gave Tooley a light kick under the table.

    ¡°-family,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Very cute baby.¡±

    ¡°Adorable,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°So, how have you two been doing?¡± To Vo said. ¡°Still keeping busy with corporate security?¡±

    ¡°Not if we can avoid it,¡± Tooley grunted.

    ¡°Mostly,¡± Corey said. ¡°It¡¯s been kind of hard to find other jobs. But it pays well, at least.¡±

    ¡°I know the feeling,¡± To Vo said. ¡°Feels like I have to attend some kind of ceremony or signing every few weeks.¡±

    Something in her kitchen made a loud beeping noise, and To Vo rushed off to tend to some plates and dishes with Den Cal hot on her heels. She returned with a bowl and a plate in her hands, which she set down in front of Corey and Tooley respectively. Corey immediately recognized the familiar heady spices of Benth, a kind of spicy curry Tooley enjoyed, while Corey received a slab of expertly grilled brown meat. It looked like a steak, and even smelled like a steak, but Corey had learned not to make assumptions. He had also learned not to offend his hosts by asking questions, so he dug in alongside everyone else. To his pleasant surprise, he found that the steak-looking thing also tasted like steak.

    ¡°Huh. What is this?¡±

    ¡°Steak.¡±

    ¡°Oh, yeah, but like, what animal is it from?¡±

    ¡°A cow,¡± To Vo said.

    Corey stared down at the meat, and then took another bite of it. After a few seconds of thoughtful chewing, he could not deny that it was a perfect match.

    ¡°Like a cow from Earth?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Where did you get a cow? Did you fly to Earth and abduct one just for this dinner?¡±

    ¡°No, they were- have you not heard?¡±

    ¡°Have I not heard what?¡±

    ¡°Corey, they already started Earth¡¯s uplifting,¡± To Vo said. ¡°The first human ambassador arrived three swaps ago.¡±

    Corey stared directly at To Vo for a solid ten seconds without saying anything. His fork shook lightly in his hands -and then it stabbed back into the steak.

    ¡°So did they butcher the cow before launch and just box it up, or did they drag a whole cow into space?¡±

    He shoved the next bite of steak into his mouth and took a long, long time to chew.

 Book 2 Chapter 18: A Giant Leap for Mankind

    ¡°There¡¯s more of them? Here?¡±

    Kamak took a quick look at the door to Corey¡¯s room. Up until a few swaps ago, that room had held the only specimen of the human race among the stars.

    ¡°Apparently,¡± Tooley said. ¡°At least one, maybe more.¡±

    To Vo had only been vaguely associated with the process of Uplifting the human race, so she didn¡¯t know the full details, but apparently a human ambassador had arrived on Centerpoint. That did not rule out there being other ambassadors on other stations or planets, though.

    ¡°Farsus, you know all about this uplifting shit,¡± Tooley said. ¡°How fast does this stuff move?¡±

    ¡°My knowledge may be less than useful,¡± Farsus said. ¡°Assuming normal circumstances, there should be no ambassadors for another two solar years. They appear to be expediting the process.¡±

    ¡°Probably because most of the universe already knows about humans, thanks to Corey,¡± Doprel said. Saving the universe had done wonders for species awareness.

    ¡°That, and they probably want as many bodies as possible in the alliance in case the Horuk invade again,¡± Kamak said. According to Corey, humans were pretty good at killing things. Between that and their already-good reputation among the universal community, it made sense they were getting fast tracked for uplifting.

    ¡°That kind of military infrastructure creation would take years, even getting fast-tracked,¡± Doprel said. ¡°They probably just want to get to Earth before tourists figure out where it is.¡±

    Thanks to Morrakesh¡¯s empire collapsing, there had been significant leaks from his stores of hidden secrets, the location of Earth among them. While it was hardly common knowledge, it was entirely feasible that random aliens now knew how to find their way to Earth.

    ¡°Little of that, little of this,¡± Kamak said. ¡°The only part relevant to us is how it¡¯s going to affect the little human in our midst.¡±

    Upon his return from To Vo¡¯s house, Corey had loudly announced he wasn¡¯t the only human anymore, and then returned to his room to lie down. That was taking things well, by Corey standards, but there was still time for him to spiral.

    ¡°There is also the teeny-tiny little concern that we did technically illegally invade Earth,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Sure, they were Corey¡¯s shithead cultist relatives, but we did murder like seventeen people.¡±

    ¡°They probably won¡¯t find out about that,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Probably. We were in the middle of a desert and they were all crazy anyway.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s very optimistic of you, but I¡¯m going to go plug in Paga For¡¯s coordinates, just in case,¡± Tooley said. Even as universe-saviors, murdering sovereign citizens of an Uncontacted world might get them in trouble. They¡¯d been counting on having a few more years for the heat to die down, at least.

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    ¡°We¡¯ll be fine,¡± Kamak insisted. ¡°Even if they do catch on, we have proof they were buddy-buddy with Morrakesh. One of them, at least. That¡¯ll be enough to cover our asses.¡±

    ¡°Indeed. Even assuming that the Galactic Council becomes aware of our actions on Earth, they will likely not take action,¡± Farsus said. ¡°By the Ghost¡¯s own admission, we have some value to them as propaganda pieces. They would not willingly ruin our reputation.¡±

    ¡°Which puts us right back to where we started,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Babysitting the local human.¡±

    ¡°Now, I¡¯m obviously biased, but I think Corey might be okay,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Moody, probably, but okay?¡±

    ¡°Moody? The last time he had to deal with another human in space, he decapitated them.¡±

    ¡°That wasn¡¯t just some random human, that was the guy who abused him and his mom,¡± Tooley said. ¡°And we already killed all the other guys who did that. Unless there¡¯s some secret second group of abusive lunatics lurking in Corey¡¯s fucked up past, he¡¯ll be fine. No reason to lose his shit.¡±

    ¡°Hey, you know what our lives are like, there damn well could be a second bunch of psychopaths,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°There¡¯s not.¡±

    Kamak whipped around to see Corey standing right behind him.

    ¡°When¡¯d you get that sneaky?¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t trying to, I¡¯m just...calm, I guess,¡± Corey said. Kamak had been expecting him to be slamming doors and stomping around, not quietly walking out of his room. ¡°Tooley¡¯s right. I¡¯ve got my head on straight. That said¡­¡±

    ¡°Does anything you¡¯re about to say involve murder?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Continue,¡± Kamak said. With that permission so graciously given, Corey finished his thought.

    ¡°I kind of want to meet the human ambassador.¡±

    ¡°Just meet?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, just meet,¡± Corey said. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve talked to another human I didn¡¯t have some weird, culty dynamic with. Is it weird to want to chat with another earthling?¡±

    ¡°What if it turns out to be someone you know?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a big planet, Kamak,¡± Corey said. ¡°I looked it up, the ambassador is some Nobel-prize winning poet from China.¡±

    The four aliens stared at him for a few seconds until he remembered that none of them would have any idea what a Nobel Prize or a China was.

    ¡°She¡¯s a very smart person from very far away, I never met her,¡± Corey said. ¡°See, this is what I mean, she would¡¯ve understood that!¡±

    Life in space had been far better for Corey than life on Earth had ever been (even with the universe-spanning conspiracy to kill him included), but he still had some sense of homesickness. He missed things like steak, and cookie dough ice cream, and PB&J sandwiches.

    He did also have some very serious concerns about humanity¡¯s place in the stars, and the role they would come to play in universal society, but right now he was just thinking about ice cream. He¡¯d kill a man for a bowl of cookie dough right now.

    ¡°I am, to be clear, mostly curious about how to get my hands on some earth food,¡± Corey admitted. ¡°I go in, make some polite conversation, figure out how to get my hands on some peanut butter, and get out.¡±

    ¡°Just get enough to share,¡± Tooley said. ¡°The way you talk about some of this shit, it¡¯s got to be really fucking good.¡±

    ¡°And get more of that Earth vodka,¡± Kamak said. ¡°I liked that.¡±

    ¡°Sure, any more entries on the shopping list?¡± Corey said. Nobody said anything. ¡°So we¡¯re all good with me meeting the ambassador.¡±

    ¡°On one condition,¡± Kamak said. ¡°You got to take Farsus with you.¡±

    ¡°Do you really think I need a babysitter?¡±

    ¡°No, I can just tell he wants to go but doesn¡¯t want to ask,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°This is an important meeting for you and I do not wish to impose, Corey Vash,¡± Farsus said. ¡°But yes. I would very much like to meet the human.¡±

    ¡°Fine. You can come.¡±

    Farsus tried very hard not to look too excited.

 Book 2 Chapter 19: The Ambassador

    To make the process as smooth as possible, Corey had opted to go through official channels to set up his meeting with the human ambassador. To Vo had gotten him in touch with the Uplifting Authority, who had gotten him in touch with the Integration Office, who had gotten him in touch with the Centerpoint Ambassador Program, who had gotten him in touch with a department he could no longer remember the name of, and by the fifth, six, seventh, eighth, and ninth layers of bureaucracy, he was done trying to remember. After getting exactly one layer of bureaucracy away from giving up and/or killing himself, Corey had found himself talking to the right person, who turned out to be more than willing to arrange a meeting.

    With one caveat.

    ¡°Smile for the camera!¡±

    Corey had never been good at faking a smile, and he wasn¡¯t getting any better at it now. Thankfully the photographer was an alien, so he had no idea what human facial expressions were like and just assumed the uncomfortable half-smirk Corey had was a good smile. He snapped a few pics of Corey and then waved for some of his associates to open the door to the next room.

    Any of the photographer¡¯s illusions about Corey¡¯s fake smile were undoubtedly corrected when the human ambassador walked into the room, beaming from ear to ear with a grace and sincerity that Corey could tell was practiced. Corey had put on his best clothes and cleaned up for the meeting, but he was still nowhere near the level of carefully cultivated grooming that the Ambassador had clearly done. She didn¡¯t have a single hair out of place, every strand coiled tightly around a single jade ornament before flowing down in a loose tangle towards the immaculately-pressed and intricately detailed qipao she wore. In different circumstances, Corey might have assumed someone this overly groomed was a pretentious bastard, but out here, it made sense. She was one of the first representatives of her entire species, and unlike Corey, she¡¯d probably been very carefully selected and trained for the privilege. That kind of stress would make anyone concerned with their appearance.

    The event photographer continued to take pictures as Corey walked up to the ambassador and shook her hand -and then, at the photographer¡¯s insistence, went through several other alien greetings, so the pictures would make sense to different cultures. After awkwardly intertwining middle fingers with the ambassador, they were finally given a chance to actually talk without the photographer shouting orders at them.

    ¡°Corey Vash,¡± the ambassador said. ¡°I¡¯ve heard a lot about you.¡±

    ¡°None of it good, I assume.¡±

    ¡°Oh, they threw in a few compliments. My name is Y¨¬h¨¢n. It is a pleasure to meet you.¡±

    ¡°Likewise,¡± Corey said. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen another human. This is my friend Farsus, by the way.¡±

    Farsus, who was also impeccably dressed and groomed, at harsh odds with his usual and often shirtless appearance, stepped up to greet Y¨¬h¨¢n with a firm and lopsided handshake. Farsus was massive even compared to Corey, and Y¨¬h¨¢n was much smaller. His hand completely dwarfed hers.

    ¡°An honor to meet you, Miss Y¨¬h¨¢n,¡± Farsus said. ¡°And enlightening to meet a human of a different ethnicity than Corey Vash. I was not aware humans could have epicanthal folds.¡±

    Corey briefly pursed his lips, as a statement like that could have been construed as very offensive back on Earth. Y¨¬h¨¢n shrugged it off, though, apparently well aware of the kind of questions and assumptions made when meeting new species.

    ¡°And it¡¯s enlightening to see someone so...red,¡± Y¨¬h¨¢n said. Apparently Farsus was the first Torokoro she¡¯d met. ¡°Can I ask, do you tan?¡±

    ¡°Yes, and to answer your followup question, my skin takes on a more brown hue.¡±

    ¡°I see. And your species is called?¡±

    ¡°Torokoro,¡± Farsus said.

    ¡°Right.¡±

    Both of them could tell Y¨¬h¨¢n was trying to make a mental note of that.

    ¡°Don¡¯t bother trying to remember every alien species you meet right off the bat, there¡¯s hundreds,¡± Corey advised. ¡°Learn a few of the important ones like Gentanians, and let the rest come with time.¡±

    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    ¡°Oh. Of course,¡± Y¨¬h¨¢n said. She glanced sideways at the photographer, who was now packing up his equipment after taking a few photos of their conversation. ¡°That seems so rude, though.¡±

    ¡°Trust me, nobody cares that much,¡± Corey said. ¡°Learning weird information is like Farsus¡¯ whole thing and even he only remembers a hundred or so.¡±

    ¡°I take notes when I can, but there is simply too much information for any one man to remember,¡± Farsus admitted.

    ¡°Oh. Thank you, that¡¯s good to know,¡± Y¨¬h¨¢n said. ¡°I worry, of course. They have taught me many things, but it all feels very...political. Everything is manicured and sanitized, and I wonder if I actually know how anything works up here.¡±

    ¡°You never know how anything works,¡± Corey said. ¡°Trust me. You learn one culture, one set of quirks, one way to do a handshake, and then you go to the next planet over and suddenly the same handshake is a grave insult.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. You know why they filmed us doing all those different greetings? If they showed me shaking your hand to a bunch of Kep¡¯tin, they¡¯d think I was threatening to murder you.¡±

    ¡°And among the Firaset, it would be the beginning of a courtship ritual,¡± Farsus added. Y¨¬h¨¢n took a quick step away from Corey.

    ¡°How do you get anything done?¡±

    ¡°Well I mostly try to stand around and not do much,¡± Corey said. ¡°Most cultures have pretty much the same concept of neutrality. Keep the gestures to a minimum and try to be as direct as possible in everything you say.¡±

    Y¨¬h¨¢n was clearly taking mental notes, and Corey was starting to get curious as to what her ¡°orientation¡± had looked like, that it had not prepared her for such basic concepts as cultural crossover.

    ¡°I would not be overly concerned with the minutiae of interactions,¡± Farsus said. ¡°Your status as ambassador means you will be taught whatever social norms are relevant to a given situation, and affords you far greater leeway for your mistakes, as well as protection from the consequences of minor slights.¡±

    ¡°Ah. An excellent point,¡± Y¨¬h¨¢n said.

    ¡°Yeah, I guess that¡¯s true. By the time they¡¯re done babysitting you you¡¯ll probably have it all figured out,¡± Corey said. ¡°And if not, you can feel free to call me. I¡¯ve been there, so hopefully I can give some advice.¡±

    ¡°I will take you up on that offer,¡± Y¨¬h¨¢n said. ¡°And there is something I would like to ask right now, if that is alright.¡±

    ¡°Go ahead.¡±

    Y¨¬h¨¢n looked around and made sure the photographer had left before leaning in close.

    ¡°Is it true that you have a lightsaber?¡±

    ¡°Oh hell yeah,¡± Corey said. He produced the blade he¡¯d stolen from the Horuk from within his coat. He made sure to have a hiding place sewn into all his outfits, even his nice coats. ¡°Never leave home without it. Want to see it?¡±

    ¡°Very much,¡± Y¨¬h¨¢n said, looking embarrassed. She looked to be in her late forties or early fifties, and probably considered her desire to see the sci-fi weapon juvenile.

    ¡°Okay, just a heads up, this thing runs hot,¡± Corey said. ¡°Like, really hot. You might want to take a step back.¡±

    Y¨¬h¨¢n took two steps back, just to be safe, which was probably a prudent decision. Corey ignited the blade, filling the small room with the overwhelming light and heat of the stolen saber. He held it out for a moment, then gave it a few quick flourishes before his hand got too sweaty to execute them. While he¡¯d remembered the lightsaber, he had not remembered to bring the glove that let him use the thing with any sense of practicality. Sweaty palms were less than ideal when handling a blade that could cut through anything.

    ¡°Incredible,¡± Y¨¬h¨¢n said. ¡°Where can I get one?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just the one, actually¡± Corey said. ¡°I took it from an alien invader, nobody else knows how to make them. There might be more, but we, uh, vaporized the only known access to that species.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Could I borrow yours for a moment, then?¡±

    ¡°Also no,¡± Corey said. He held out the slightly-sweaty pommel of the blade and showed off a modification to the trigger. ¡°DNA lock on the trigger. I got it by taking it from the other alien and cutting him in half with it. Didn¡¯t want anyone pulling the same trick on me.¡±

    ¡°That is...very reasonable.¡±

    ¡°Wisdom is learning from your own mistakes, brilliance is learning from other people¡¯s,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°Especially when it comes to not getting cut in half,¡± Y¨¬h¨¢n said.

    ¡°Exactly,¡± Corey said. ¡°Pragmatism like that will get you far up here.¡±

    ¡°I would still rather have the lightsaber,¡± Y¨¬h¨¢n said.

    ¡°It is a wildly impractical weapon in realistic combat scenarios, do not concern yourself with it,¡± Farsus said. ¡°If you desire personal protection, I have several recommendations for discrete firearms.¡±

    Y¨¬h¨¢n glanced sideways at Corey and made a face. He nodded. Farsus was just like that.

    ¡°Thank you, but that will not be necessary,¡± Y¨¬h¨¢n said. ¡°Though there are still many things I would like to ask the both of you. Perhaps we can continue over dinner?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯d be nice,¡± Corey said, secretly ecstatic that she¡¯d brought up food on her own. He¡¯d been worried about coming across as an asshole by begging for Earth food. ¡°I¡¯ve barely had any food from home in the past few years.¡±

    ¡°You are American, yes? I think they sent up some of your country¡¯s specialties with me, but they are in the embassy, I believe,¡± Y¨¬h¨¢n said.

    ¡°Well, maybe I can call them later, but I¡¯m no stranger to chinese food,¡± Corey said.

    <hr>

    A few minutes later, Corey found himself staring down a bowl of stewed chicken feet. Farsus was already gnawing on one of his. It had taken Corey up until now to remember that Chinese food extended a bit beyond the usual Panda Express fare.

    Corey thought about it for a few seconds and then realized he couldn¡¯t back down after all that talk of adapting and cultural crossover. He needed to be a good example -even if it meant eating chicken feet.

 Book 2 Chapter 20: Worst Contact

    The chicken feet had turned out to actually be pretty good, once Corey got past the whole ¡°literal chicken feet¡± aspect. Once Corey remembered he¡¯d had beer made out of hair not long ago, he¡¯d gotten over any disgust pretty quick. He was still glad when Y¨¬h¨¢n brought out normal ice cream for dessert. It was mango flavored, which was not exactly ideal, but still pretty good.

    ¡°This is fantastic,¡± Farsus said. ¡°Why does it taste sticky?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not really mango if it isn¡¯t sticky,¡± Y¨¬h¨¢n said. ¡°The juice is almost more like a syrup, it¡¯s incredible.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. I shall have to try one. The native fruits and vegetables of any planet are always remarkably diverse.¡±

    ¡°Should¡¯ve said you were interested earlier, we could¡¯ve tried to grab some fruit while we were- while I was talking to the human embassy thing. People.¡±

    Farsus glared at Corey with a stare usually reserved for bounty targets. Even the most sidelong acknowledgment of their ¡°visit¡± to Earth could land them in hot water. Corey tried to recover and move on as best he could.

    ¡°So, just out of curiosity, did they bring more ice cream flavors into space? I assume if they got mango, they have chocolate and vanilla, at least.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t really track the ice cream flavors,¡± Y¨¬h¨¢n said. She looked between Corey and Farsus and noticed the evident tension. ¡°So, Corey, I understand you have some bad history with a church in the United States, yes?¡±

    Corey pursed his lips, but nodded.

    ¡°More of a cult than a church, but yeah,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°Yes, well, when the Galactic Council arrived and stories about you started to spread on Earth, people took an interest in that church,¡± Y¨¬h¨¢n said. She spoke slowly and deliberately, every word carefully measured. ¡°You might be happy to learn they¡¯ve been all but completely wiped out. Some kind of violent infighting, so they say.¡±

    ¡°Do they say that?¡± Farsus asked.

    Y¨¬h¨¢n gave a stiff nod. Corey tried not to look too relieved. Apparently that entire incident was getting covered up deliberately. Corey decided not to push it, just to be safe.

    ¡°So, other than stories about me getting told, what¡¯s happening with the whole First Contact situation down on Earth?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been a major shock to all our old systems, but humanity¡¯s adapting well. The Galactic Council has given us everything we need to integrate into universal society at our own pace.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± Farsus said. ¡°That was very good, you¡¯ve clearly been studying your script.¡±

    He ate another spoonful of his ice cream as the stiff smile faded from Y¨¬h¨¢n¡¯s face.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think I was that obvious.¡±

    ¡°Do not be too hard on yourself, Y¨¬h¨¢n, your performance was exceptional,¡± Farsus said. ¡°But the Uplifting process never goes as smoothly as ambassadors are forced to say.¡±

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    ¡°I see.¡±

    ¡°So, on that note, how are things really going?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re...going,¡± Y¨¬h¨¢n mumbled. ¡°The technology and resources they¡¯ve provided to us have been a godsend. Eliminating virtually every disease overnight is a miracle, and we are all grateful. No matter how much that universal vaccine hurts.¡±

    Corey grit his teeth. He knew about that part firsthand.

    ¡°If they had simply provided technology and let us move at our own pace, things might be going much smoother, but the representatives of the Galactic Council are very insistent on humanity establishing a planetary government,¡± Y¨¬h¨¢n said. ¡°The UN is acting in that capacity as best it can, but¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know how that kind of thing goes,¡± Corey said. ¡°Let me guess, Russia, China, and the US are in a pissing contest over who gets to be ¡®in charge¡¯, right?¡±

    Y¨¬h¨¢n pursed her lips into an expression that made sense in any culture, human or alien.

    ¡°Oh god,¡± Corey said. ¡°Is it worse? How is it worse?¡±

    ¡°Russia and China cooperated fairly easily on the matter,¡± Y¨¬h¨¢n said. Even as a Chinese citizen she was reluctant to believe her government had no ulterior motives, but they were cooperating, at least. For now. ¡°The US president voiced reluctance to have Earth join the Galactic Council at all¡­¡±

    Y¨¬h¨¢n looked from side to side and leaned over the table.

    ¡°He was assassinated three weeks after,¡± Y¨¬h¨¢n said, her voice a barely audible whisper.

    ¡°What the fuck,¡± Corey gasped. ¡°Like, by someone from Earth, or-¡±

    He shut his mouth and looked at the door. They were supposed to be having a private conversation, but one could never be entirely certain.

    ¡°There have been plenty of violent reactions, and apparently the assassination was one,¡± Y¨¬h¨¢n said. ¡°Many Americans in particular have been very reluctant to accept that the Galactic Council has no nefarious intentions. No offense intended.¡±

    ¡°None taken,¡± Corey said. ¡°Let me guess, they think the universal vaccine has some kind of mind control serum in it?¡±

    ¡°Among other theories,¡± Y¨¬h¨¢n sighed. ¡°I will say, though the Americans are somewhat unique in their reasons for violence, they are not alone in acting out. I think there have been riots in almost every country by now, whether out of resistance to integrate, or the opposite, some desire to claim alien technology or medicine before anyone else.¡±

    ¡°Sounds about like what I¡¯d expect, honestly,¡± Corey said. Humans occasionally rioted over soccer games, it was no surprise they¡¯d riot over the sudden intrusion of aliens to daily life.

    ¡°Farsus, you seem knowledgeable on this matter,¡± Y¨¬h¨¢n said. ¡°Is the transition into universal life always so...violent?¡±

    ¡°Not always, but such exceptions are rare,¡± Farsus said. ¡°Though I have not seen the specifics, from what you have described, Humanity¡¯s reaction is entirely normal. No great change occurs without violence in some form, even if that change is for the better. Some things will be lost, but much will also be gained.¡±

    ¡°Hm. How unfortunate that we must live through the storm and not the calm afterwards.¡±

    ¡°Afterwards? There is no afterwards, Y¨¬h¨¢n, only a new storm. Lesser or greater, but still tempest.¡±

    Corey sat on the sidelines of the oddly poetic exchange and tried not to stare. It was difficult to parse, but Corey had the feeling that Y¨¬h¨¢n and Farsus were both having an enlightened conversation and flirting a little.

    The uncomfortable third-wheeling was brought to a mercifully quick end by a quick chime from the datapad in Corey¡¯s pocket. He had his notifications silenced except when they came from his fellow crewmen, so he knew it had to be important. Corey grabbed the small plastic rectangle and checked the screen to see that Tooley was calling. He excused himself to answer.

    ¡°Hey Tools,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°Hey champ. Your dinner with the human ambassador lady going well?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine so far,¡± Corey said. He looked over his shoulder and then stepped away, lowering his voice to avoid being overheard. ¡°I think Farsus and the ambassador might be flirting, though. I¡¯m not, like, opposed, but it¡¯s kind of weird to watch.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s nice,¡± Tooley said. ¡°It does make what I¡¯m about to say a lot more awkward, though. You two got to come back to the ship, right now.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Well, don¡¯t freak out¡­¡±

    A sentence that almost surely preceded a reason to freak out.

    ¡°But,¡± Corey said, because he knew there would be one.

    ¡°But we¡¯re a little bit wanted for murder.¡±

 Book 2 Chapter 21: Cruel and Unusual

    ¡°So, let me just start off by saying thank you for your service to the universe,¡± the uniformed officer said.

    ¡°Not really feeling the gratitude, bud,¡± Kamak said, as he glanced at the locked door to the office and the armed guard standing by it. As an accommodation for their ¡°service to the universe¡±, their questioning was being done in an office instead of a holding cell, but they were still technically under arrest. Corey was just glad they didn¡¯t have to wear handcuffs.

    ¡°We can only allow so many disruptions to the typical procedure,¡± the cop said. ¡°But let¡¯s get back to business. You recall the entrepreneur, Loback Loben?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Hired us as security for a party,¡± Kamak said. ¡°I assume he¡¯s dead.¡±

    ¡°Very,¡± the cop said. ¡°I understand you and he did not exactly part on friendly terms.¡±

    ¡°He nearly shot a waitress right in front of me, so yeah, I didn¡¯t like the guy,¡± Kamak said. ¡°But the kind of guy who¡¯d shoot a waitress for kicks probably had a lot of enemies. Why are we suspects?¡±

    The cop reached behind him and grabbed one of two sealed envelopes. He carefully checked the label to make sure he was opening the right one before removing a crime scene photo of a discarded handgun with the energy cell removed and set aside. A small splash of blood was visible in the corner of the photograph, a morose reminder of the larger context.

    ¡°I believe you pulled a trick like this on him just before you departed,¡± the cop said. He flashed the photo to Kamak for a second before handing it over.

    ¡°Same gun and everything,¡± Kamak admitted. ¡°Okay, that doesn¡¯t look good, got to acknowledge that.¡±

    ¡°Hey, hold on, what about the waitress that almost got shot?¡± Tooley asked. ¡°Doesn¡¯t she rank higher than us on the suspect list?¡±

    ¡°She took the money and ran,¡± the cop said. ¡°Resettled her family on another planet. We already checked her out, confirmed her on an interstellar cruiseliner in FTL at the time of the murder. About as rock solid as alibi¡¯s get.¡±

    Tooley nodded. Those cruiseliners carried thousands of passengers, and they never stopped or slowed down between destinations. Getting off of one midflight was all but impossible.

    ¡°Well, when did this murder happen? We¡¯ve had our ship parked at Centerpoint for the past couple swaps, you can probably check your own security logs about it.¡±

    ¡°We already did,¡± the cop said.

    ¡°Then why the fuck are we here?¡±

    ¡°Because if you have proven anything beyond a shadow of a doubt, it is that you are very, very creative problem solvers,¡± the cop said. ¡°If you wanted someone dead, you could do it.¡±

    ¡°Come on, man, we know some tricks, we can¡¯t defy the laws of physics,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°Mostly,¡± Tooley said. Some of her flight maneuvers scraped the edge of the physically possible.

    ¡°Mostly,¡± Corey agreed. ¡°I¡¯ve been in and out of phone calls with the Uplifting office of whatever it¡¯s called for swaps now, they¡¯ve probably got a mile¡¯s worth of bureaucratic documents to prove it.¡±

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    ¡°Maybe.¡±

    The cop circled around his desk and sat on the front, in a transparent attempt to appear affable.

    ¡°Look, we¡¯re all on the same team here,¡± he said.

    ¡°We are not on your team,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°Your ¡®team¡¯ tried to kill us several times,¡± Doprel said.

    ¡°Your ¡®team¡¯ was working for the people we saved the universe from, if you need a reminder,¡± Corey concluded. The cop visibly deflated a little with every rebuttal.

    ¡°Fuck. We can cut the horseshit, then,¡± the cop said. His Good Cop demeanor evaporated in a second. ¡°Did you do it or not? We¡¯ve got orders to cover it up if you did, so who gives a shit.¡±

    Kamak wasn¡¯t entirely sure he believed that, but he also had nothing to hide.

    ¡°We had absolutely nothing to do with this,¡± Kamak said. ¡°No coverup necessary. So you should probably put a little effort into actually solving this crime.¡±

    The cop gave Kamak a dirty look, and Kamak gave him an even dirtier look. Only a few people in the universe had dirtier looks than Kamak.

    ¡°Can we go now?¡±

    ¡°Actually, in the interest of further exonerating ourselves,¡± Farsus said. ¡°We could take up the case ourselves.¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t actually exonerate you at all,¡± the cop said. ¡°If anything that¡¯s more suspicious. You could easily cover up your own crime if you were the ones investigating it.¡±

    ¡°But why would I suggest it knowing you would make that assumption?¡±

    ¡°Because you knew I¡¯d think-¡±

    ¡°Shut the fuck up,¡± Kamak said. ¡°We¡¯re not doing this snarky ¡®I know you know I know you know¡¯ routine. Look, we didn¡¯t do the crime, but somebody clearly tried to make it look like we did, or at least wanted to make some kind of connection. We have a vested interest in this.¡±

    The unloaded gun was just too specific for Kamak to think it was a coincidence. That was, at the very least, a nod in their direction.

    ¡°How¡¯d the guy die, anyway?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t want to know,¡± the cop said.

    ¡°If I didn¡¯t want to know I wouldn¡¯t have asked,¡± Kamak said. ¡°What, they cut the guy¡¯s dick off or something?¡±

    ¡°Poor guy probably wished they¡¯d stopped there,¡± the cop mumbled.

    ¡°Jesus,¡± Corey said. ¡°What the fuck did they do to Loben?¡±

    The cop glanced backwards at the envelopes still behind him.

    ¡°Farsus, you¡¯re into the gory stuff, right?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s an academic interest, but yes,¡± Farsus said.

    The cop popped the second envelope open and removed its contents, making sure to keep them face down the entire time. He kept his chin up and averted his eyes the entire time he handled the photographs and held them out to Farsus.

    ¡°Take a look at those,¡± the cop said. ¡°Maybe there¡¯s some kind of cult sacrifice ritual shit in them you can make sense of.¡±

    Farsus flipped the photographs over, as everyone else in the room watched his face. He raised an eyebrow and stroked his prodigious beard as he thumbed over the first photograph, then flipped to the second. He occasionally let out a contemplative hum as he flipped through the seven different photographs he¡¯d been handed. With a final nod of understanding, Farsus returned the photographs to the cop, still face-down.

    ¡°Anything you can tell me?¡±

    ¡°I have never seen anything so heinous in my life, and whoever is responsible for this should be eliminated as swiftly as possible by any means necessary,¡± Farsus said. ¡°If and when you capture the culprit, I would like to be invited to their execution so that I can confirm their death with my own two eyes.¡±

    ¡°What the fuck did they do to that guy?¡± Tooley said. She held a hand out to grab the photographs. ¡°Let me see-¡±

    Before she could lay a finger on the crime scene photos, the blocky red fist of Farsus closed around Tooley¡¯s wrist in a vicelike grip, and he glared at her like the grim visage of death itself.

    ¡°Don¡¯t.¡±

    It took a lot to make Tooley back down once she¡¯d set her mind to something, but something about the look in Farsus¡¯ eyes made her stop and pull her hand back. She sank back into her seat, haunted by the very idea of what could make a man with a collection of spines react like that.

    ¡°May we leave?¡± Farsus asked. ¡°If I consume a large amount of alcohol soon enough I may be able to damage my short term memory sufficiently to muddy my memory of those photographs.¡±

    ¡°Go ahead,¡± the cop said. ¡°Drink a few for me and the boys. We¡¯re stuck looking at these all week.¡±

    Farsus stood up, gave the cop a sympathetic pat on the shoulder, and left the office. Kamak and the rest of the crew left in turn, all of them casting one last nervous glance at the apparently cursed envelope before shutting the door behind them.

 Book 2 Chapter 22: Friends in Weird Places

    ¡°So what the fuck do you think this is about?¡±

    Corey had a news article about Loben¡¯s murder pulled up on his datapad. His association to them was thoroughly mentioned, right down to the gun being removed from the magazine. The connections were obvious, and the news was spreading fast.

    ¡°My running theory is that somebody wanted to kill Loben and this was a convenient smokescreen for them,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Odds are this is all some random maid looking to keep the cops off her tail long enough to flee.¡±

    ¡°That better be all this is,¡± Tooley said. ¡°If we get wrapped up in some other horseshit conspiracy I¡¯m killing myself.¡±

    ¡°Tooley.¡±

    ¡°Hyperbole,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Mostly. I absolutely will pilot this ship into some bumfuck nothing corner of the universe to wait out the storm, though.¡±

    ¡°We should stock up on food, just in case,¡± Kamak said. ¡°And also¡­¡±

    He pulled out his datapad and pulled up Quid¡¯s contact information. Their handler answered in seconds.

    ¡°Hey, Quid, I need something.¡±

    ¡°What do you need?¡±

    ¡°Actually, give it one second,¡± Kamak said. He paused and took a sip of his shiiv, then looked around the room for a few seconds. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s probably long enough.¡±

    ¡°Long enough for what, Mr. Kamak?¡±

    ¡°Long enough for the people spying on your comm lines to notice I¡¯m here,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Hey, Ghost, whenever you¡¯re ready I want to talk about this murder situation.¡±

    ¡°Sir, what are-¡±

    ¡°Thanks Quid, bye,¡± Kamak said, before hanging up. He set the datapad on his lap and waited.

    ¡°That seems like a stretch.¡±

    Kamak¡¯s datapad let out the small chime of an incoming call. He took a second to look smug about that before answering.

    ¡°Yo, Ghost, how¡¯ve you been.¡±

    ¡°This isn¡¯t the Ghost,¡± a clearly synthesized voice said. ¡°And I don¡¯t appreciate your petty attempts to get our attention.¡±

    ¡°Well you haven¡¯t given me your comms info, what else was I supposed to do?¡±

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    To Kamak¡¯s surprise, his datapad chimed again, this time with a permanent contact link.

    ¡°We¡¯ll burn that info in a second if you ever misuse it,¡± the digital voice said. ¡°Now what do you want?¡±

    ¡°What do you think I want, I want to know everything you know about Loben¡¯s murder,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Preferably-¡±

    Another datapad chime signaled another packet transfer, this time several folders of information on the Loben murder.

    ¡°We¡¯ve sequestered the crime scene photos in a marked folder,¡± the digital voice said. ¡°We do not recommend looking at them.¡±

    ¡°So we¡¯ve heard,¡± Kamak said. He flipped through some of the info and found it to be surprisingly comprehensive and unredacted. ¡°Huh. Thanks.¡±

    ¡°Despite your best efforts, not everyone in the universe is your enemy, Kamak D-V-Y-B,¡± the voice scolded. ¡°We have no reason to make this a source of conflict between us and your crew.¡±

    ¡°Alright then, candor for candor,¡± Kamak said. ¡°I think you might have something to do with this.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a bold but not unexpected accusation,¡± the voice said. ¡°You think we¡¯ve staged a murder connected to you in order to compel you to retire.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the gist of it, yeah,¡± Kamak said. The Ghost had been leaning hard on having Kamak and his crew vanish from the public eye before they had a chance to screw up, and this murder felt like a thinly-veiled attempt to drag their reputation down without a catastrophic incident that might affect universal morale.

    ¡°I won¡¯t say we haven¡¯t considered something in this vein,¡± the voice said. It actually managed to muster a little humor into its voice, if only briefly. ¡°But no. Mid level corporates like Loback help keep universal commerce flowing. Even an idiot like him is more use to us alive than dead, and even you have to see that well-known figures being brutally murdered isn¡¯t good for keeping up spirits.¡±

    Kamak rubbed his chin and looked to his crew. Tooley was the first to shrug, expressing a sentiment they all shared. It was impossible to be sure based on nothing but the promises of a mystery voice, but someone interested in universal stability probably wouldn¡¯t go around assassinating innocent civilians.

    ¡°Fine. You and your squad of spooky black ops types have officially been moved further down our suspect list.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to let the spooky black ops boys know,¡± the voice said.

    ¡°Oh look at that, it tells jokes,¡± Corey said. ¡°Move them back up the suspect list.¡±

    ¡°Hilarious,¡± the voice said. ¡°Our turn to ask a question now.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re probably going to get a sarcastic answer,¡± Tooley snapped.

    ¡°I¡¯m aware,¡± the synthetic voice said. ¡°You all clearly have your suspicions about this incident. What do you plan to do about it?¡±

    ¡°Well, we haven¡¯t exactly had time to have our usual argument about it yet,¡± Kamak said. ¡°But my instinct is to lay low and wait it out. There are other people better equipped to investigate, for now. If there¡¯s more to this situation, we¡¯ll find out. Probably the hard way.¡±

    Corey nodded, and the rest of the crew also agreed. None of them liked the idea of sticking their noses into any messes they didn¡¯t have to.

    ¡°That¡¯s probably for the best,¡± the synthetic voice said. ¡°Hope for the best-¡±

    ¡°Prepare for the worst,¡± Corey concluded.

    ¡°I was going to say ¡®and wait it out¡¯,¡± the voice said. ¡°But yours works better.¡±

    The call clicked off, and left the crew to sit alone in the Wanderer¡¯s common room. Kamak tucked his datapad into his pocket and grabbed his drink.

    ¡°So, how long do we think before this gets even worse?¡±

    ¡°I give it two swaps,¡± Tooley grunted.

    ¡°Three if we¡¯re lucky,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°You¡¯re failing to account for travel times,¡± Farsus said. ¡°It ought to be at least seven.¡±

    ¡°Good to know we can still count on you for murder logistics, Farsus,¡± Kamak sighed. ¡°We¡¯re going to need that skill.¡±

 Book 2 Chapter 23: Whats Cooking

    Farsus enjoyed many things about the Wild Card Wanderer compared to the Hermit, but what he liked most was the kitchen. The extra storage space for more tools allowed him to create more varied, and more elaborate, meals -a worthy endeavor for any man of culture. It also gave him room to work when there were other people in the kitchen, even Doprel.

    ¡°Farsus. What¡¯s cooking?¡±

    ¡°A variation on a recipe I acquired from the human ambassador,¡± Farsus said. ¡°Heavily modified, naturally, to accommodate the different tools and resources available to me, but it should be a rough approximation of a human dish called ¡®Peking duck¡¯.¡±

    Peking Vorvid Mountain-Fowl, to be more exact, but a bird was a bird. Farsus vaguely recalled earth chickens having only two wings, but he was pretty sure the extra four would not affect the taste too much.

    ¡°More human food, huh? You¡¯ll have to let me know how it tastes.¡±

    ¡°I shall endeavor to try,¡± Farsus said. Due to his different biology, Doprel could not eat the same food as the rest of the crew, nor did he have any direct comparisons on taste. Farsus was the only one with the linguistic skills to describe what their food tasted like in a way that made sense to Doprel. ¡°Did you want to make use of the kitchen, in the meantime?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m fine,¡± Doprel said. His mandibles clicked slowly. ¡°I don¡¯t have much of an appetite right now.¡±

    ¡°You looked at the pictures.¡±

    ¡°I looked at the pictures,¡± Doprel admitted. His curiosity had become too much to bear. ¡°I¡¯m not usually that bothered by gore with you guys, but that¡­¡±

    Doprel¡¯s alien anatomy also made it a little harder to empathize with physical pain. He had no idea what it felt like to have a broken bone or a torn muscle, so seeing such things didn¡¯t spark a reaction in him. Even so, the brutality he¡¯d seen in those crime scene photos had shaken Doprel to his core. He¡¯d crushed people to death with his bare hands, but that was at least quick, if messy. The things he¡¯d seen in the photos had been deliberate, meticulous, and according to the reports, very slow.

    ¡°It is difficult to imagine how or why someone would choose such methods,¡± Farsus agreed. ¡°The eyes alone-¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± Doprel said. His mandibles twitched with discomfort. ¡°I don¡¯t want to think about it.¡±

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    ¡°Perhaps we should restate a warning to the rest of the crew,¡± Farsus said. ¡°I would hate for Corey or Tooley¡¯s curiosity to get the better of them.¡±

    Kamak had the good sense to not stick his nose where it didn¡¯t belong, but Farsus worried about the other two.

    ¡°We need to do more than warn them about the pictures, we need to- I don¡¯t ever want to meet who did that,¡± Doprel said. ¡°If this is really about us, connected to us, at all...what if they come after us next?¡±

    ¡°We will see. But I am not so afraid of them targeting us,¡± Farsus said. ¡°Loben was a fool, a coward, and a weakling. We are far more capable of defending ourselves.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s going to be good enough,¡± Doprel admitted.

    ¡°Then be better,¡± Farsus said. ¡°Be vigilant, not fearful. Panic only hurts us.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s hard not to be a little panicked when I¡¯ve seen a man with his skin peeled off,¡± Doprel said. Just thinking about it made his spiracles quiver. ¡°I just can¡¯t stop thinking about that happening to one of you guys.¡±

    ¡°Even in the worst case scenario, that is unlikely,¡± Farsus said. ¡°If someone wished to kill us, they would simply do so, not show their hand by eliminating someone unrelated first.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s...comforting. In an uncomfortable way.¡±

    ¡°Kamak is currently warning our known associates, and the universal authorities are on the lookout,¡± Farsus said. ¡°We are taking precautions as best we can, and, with any luck, Kamak¡¯s theory that this is an isolated incident will prove true.¡±

    ¡°I sure hope so.¡±

    ¡°Hoping is all we can do, at the current time,¡± Farsus said. ¡°For now, you would benefit from a distraction. Wash your hands and help me season this bird.¡±

    ***

    ¡°Hot damn,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Corey, you didn¡¯t tell me Earth had food this good.¡±

    ¡°This is from another continent,¡± Corey said between mouthfuls. ¡°I¡¯ve never had this before in my life.¡±

    ¡°Well as soon as Earth is cleared for visitors, you¡¯re taking us to that continent,¡± Tooley said, as she gnawed on a mouthful of Peking ¡°Duck¡±. ¡°If it¡¯s this good made by a first-timer, I want to see how good the real deal is.¡±

    She finished off her piece of the bird and then chomped down on the bone to suck out the marrow. Out of curiosity, Corey tried to gnaw on the bone and could not manage to even crack it. Sometimes he forgot Tooley was a natural carnivore.

    ¡°Not to temper your excitement, but remember that I was forced to improvise much of the recipe,¡± Farsus said. ¡°While the techniques are similar, the ultimate flavor may be entirely different than the real deal.¡±

    ¡°Maybe you and Y¨¬h¨¢n can do a cookoff,¡± Corey suggested. ¡°We can see how it compares.¡±

    ¡°As long as I¡¯m the one doing the comparing,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°That is actually an excellent idea,¡± Farsus said. ¡°I should contact her-¡±

    His datapad buzzed with a notification before he had the chance to grab it. By the time it was in his hand, a second notification had come through. Then a third. Kamak¡¯s buzzed next, then Corey¡¯s, then Tooley¡¯s, then Doprel¡¯s, and in moments they were sitting in the middle of a storm of notifications.

    ¡°Oh no.¡±

 Book 2 Chapter 24: The New Owner

    The beige blur of faster-than-light travel faded as they decelerated, and reality returned. Tooley drifted them into a stable orbit around the planet, then started transmitting necessary landing codes. The process was much more involved here than it was on most other planets. Corey could see why.

    ¡°What the hell happened here?¡±

    The entire surface of the planet was pockmarked by craters that were visible from orbit, many of which would have been apparent from even further away. The biggest one was difficult to estimate without a direct comparison, but it looked to be about as wide around as New Zealand. Each titanic crater had a large ring of raised rock around it that made it impossible to tell where any continents or landmasses had once been. Any trace of what this planet had once been had been buried under the scars of war.

    ¡°Orbital mass drivers,¡± Farsus said. He pointed to the left of the planet, at a derelict orbital station composed of several stacked rings. ¡°Omogm was caught up in one of the few stellar wars in the era before the Galactic Council banned such weapons of mass destruction.¡±

    While the mass drivers were far more elaborate and difficult to construct than nuclear weaponry, they could be far more devastating. The modified rail gun technology could accelerate a few tons of metal into a mock asteroid capable of obliterating an entire continent. A large enough mass driver could even destroy an entire planet, though such a weapon had never actually been constructed.

    ¡°How many people lived down there?¡±

    ¡°Thankfully, it was a newly populated colony world,¡± Farsus said. ¡°And most of the population had time to evacuate. There were only a few hundred casualties. The Bokk League struck it as a show of force, not a killing blow.¡±

    ¡°Still fucked up,¡± Corey said. He glanced at one of the mass driver weapons still floating in orbit, and noticed several small lights buzzing around it. ¡°Please tell me they¡¯re taking those apart.¡±

    ¡°Exact opposite,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Council wants to see if they can be repaired, in case they need to sterilize a Horuk planet.¡±

    ¡°Fantastic,¡± Corey said. ¡°Let¡¯s hope it¡¯s broken.¡±

    ¡°Even if it is, they¡¯ll just build another one,¡± Tooley scoffed. ¡°We¡¯re cleared to land. Military crew escort, so be on your best behavior.¡±

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    There was no planetary government left on Omogm, but the skeleton crew of security forces assigned to investigate the mass drivers filled that role for now. Two small snub-nosed fighters flanked the Wild Card Wanderer on either side, and tried to follow her descent down towards the surface of the war-torn planet. Tooley entered into the ragged atmosphere far more smoothly than either of the fighters did, and they had to swerve wide to avoid any incidental collisions as the various density layers of the atmosphere rattled their fighters off course. Tooley felt smug about her piloting skills for a second and then drifted into a gentle glide towards the landing zone.

    The Wanderer settled in amid a small patch of greenery on the edge of one of the craters. From here, they could overlook a massive inland sea, dyed a sickly greenish-brown by toxins leaking up from the exposed depths of the planet¡¯s crust. Corey tried to ignore the metallic tang on the sea breeze and focused on the manor ahead. It was small but ornately carved, formed out of the same jagged rock that surrounded them.

    One of the two fighters kept flying, but the other came to a soft landing right alongside them, and joined the crew as they disembarked. He was a Gentanian, just like Kamak, though with much more pronounced ridges on his bald head, and he wore a military uniform that Kamak would never be caught dead in.

    ¡°Welcome to Omogm,¡± the military man said. ¡°Interested in some beachfront property?¡±

    He waved a hand at the rocky manor.

    ¡°It¡¯s recently vacant.¡±

    ¡°Not really in the mood for jokes, pal,¡± Kamak said. The uniformed pilot shrugged.

    ¡°Guess that tracks,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m Lancer Ranrit 1-A-4-4. I¡¯m as close as it gets to being in charge of this shitshow.¡±

    Kamak didn¡¯t bother shaking the hand extended his way, though Doprel did.

    ¡°I imagine this wasn¡¯t in your job description when you got assigned here,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°Far fucking from it,¡± Ranrit grunted. ¡°We got told there was some rich nutso with a war fetish planetside, but we never really interacted with him. First time I saw the guy was...well, you know.¡±

    ¡°I do know,¡± Kamak sighed.

    ¡°You know him?¡±

    ¡°Nah. Sale happened through a mutual associate. Can¡¯t even remember his name, to be honest.¡±

    ¡°Probably for the best.¡±

    Kamak grunted in agreement. Ranrit led them inside, through dusty halls decorated with rusty weapons and ancient uniforms of military¡¯s far and wide. Farsus¡¯ eyes darted back and forth seeing relics of conflicts he likely knew well. Corey wasn¡¯t much in the mood to look around. He was only concerned with one piece of war memorabilia.

    Vanrit punched in a key code to a secure door, and opened the way to the central gallery. Here in the center of the war-lover¡¯s hoard, there were entire tanks, starfighters, weaponized drones, and one old, beat up starship with a boxy frame and fold-up wings. Corey felt the bitter sting of nostalgia -though he didn¡¯t look for long. Kamak also averted his eyes, and plugged his nose.

    ¡°You couldn¡¯t cut the guy down first?¡±

    At the center of the room, the Hard Luck Hermit sat motionless -with its new owner crucified on the boxy nose, his torso split open and his ribs spread wide, still dripping blood onto the floor.

 Book 2 Chapter 25: Hard Luck

    The entire crew had fetched some rebreather masks from the ship before proceeding. They had powerful filters that helped remove some of the smell, but there was still something inescapably rotten about the air itself. A disemboweled corpse being left to sit for several days had created a powerful miasma in the room.

    ¡°Okay, we¡¯d better just get this over with,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Farsus, not to put you on corpse duty, but you¡¯re the only person who knows how to analyze this kind of shit. Mind searching for clues?¡±

    There were no cops in this system to pass the buck to, and given the gruesome nature of the crime scene, few people were jumping to investigate it. Kamak and his crew did not have the luxury of ignoring the crime. A corpse crucified to their old ship was a message that could not be ignored. Farsus bit down the disgust he felt at the gruesome display and examined the corpse, from a distance, at first.

    ¡°At the very least it is not quite so horrific as the last incident,¡± Farsus said.

    ¡°This is the ¡®nice¡¯ version?¡± Tooley said, sounding appropriately horrified.

    ¡°Indeed. The disemboweling was likely a far quicker death than what Loback Loben suffered,¡± Farsus said. ¡°However¡­¡±

    Farsus stepped closer and turned the bloated wrists of the corpse slightly, and examined the metal bands that held him onto the nose of Hard Luck Hermit.

    ¡°There are burns and cuts on his wrist that indicate a struggle,¡± Farsus said. ¡°He was alive when he was attached to the ship.¡±

    ¡°Disturbing, but not necessarily helpful,¡± Kamak said. ¡°I¡¯m looking for messages, iconography, symbolism, that kind of thing.¡±

    He gestured to the pile of guts and the coagulated blood surrounding them.

    ¡°Nobody does shit like this unless they want to send a message,¡± Kamak said. ¡°I want to know what the message is.¡±

    ¡°Are we not assuming the message is ¡®I want to kill you¡¯?¡± Tooley said. ¡°That seems pretty clear.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I got that too,¡± Kamak said. ¡°But it¡¯s just the ¡®what¡¯, we¡¯re missing the why. Is this just some random psycho, is it a Structuralist trying to fuck with you, is it one of my old bounties trying to fuck with me? I want to narrow my options here.¡±

    ¡°I lack the forensic tools necessary to do a full examination, but in so far as I can tell, this corpse has not been manipulated in any way other than the obvious,¡± Farsus said. He took a big step away from the pile of guts. ¡°This particular style of execution has no symbolic meaning that I am aware of, but it may be connected to a culture I have not studied.¡±

    ¡°Corvash, you¡¯ve been looking at it funny, any suspicions?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a disemboweled corpse, of course I¡¯ve been looking at it funny,¡± Corey said. He did shrug and hold his arms out for a second, mimicking the corpse¡¯s crucified pose. ¡°On Earth there are definitely some religious connotations to a guy being hung up like this, but I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯s just a coincidence. Only so many ways to weld a guy to a starship and cut him open.¡±

    He lowered his arms and pointed out the window at the barren planet beyond.

    ¡°And no way in hell a human or any human cultural touchstones made it out this far,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°So we can rule out a human culprit,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Great. Only four-hundred something sapient species to go.¡±

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    ¡°Give me a minute,¡± Corey said. He wandered over to the door. ¡°Hey, Ranrit.¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    Citing the fact that his duties were completely unrelated to crimes or corpses, Ranrit was standing outside the door rather than in the room with them. Corey couldn¡¯t exactly blame him.

    ¡°Do you monitor who comes and goes off this planet at all?¡±

    ¡°Only in the loosest sense of the word,¡± Ranrit said. ¡°We¡¯re only here for the orbital stations, the corpse over there owned the place. He let us know when he was expecting a visitor, just so nobody got antsy, but we didn¡¯t stop and monitor anyone the way we did you.¡±

    ¡°Did he have a visitor before he was murdered?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, someone he invited, apparently,¡± Ranrit said. ¡°They landed, stayed for about a drop, took off. Ten drops or so later, an automated alert went out, and we found him like this.¡±

    ¡°Nobody else on or off planet in that time?¡±

    ¡°Not that we know of,¡± Ranrit said. ¡°But like I said, we weren¡¯t really monitoring the place. We¡¯re kitted for salvage, not security.¡±

    ¡°Not a lot to go on, then,¡± Corey said. ¡°Thanks anyway, Ranrit.¡±

    He returned to the crew, who had regrouped to do their thinking further away from the ship and the corpse, near a battle-scarred old tank. The distance made the smell a little more tolerable too.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯re going to get much useful info here,¡± Corey said. ¡°Seems like nobody was paying attention to anything, and by the time any actual investigators get here, that body¡¯s going to be too rotten to be useful.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not completely done here,¡± Farsus said. ¡°Not yet, at least.¡±

    ¡°Please tell me we don¡¯t have to touch the body at all,¡± Tooley groaned.

    ¡°No, Tooley,¡± Farsus said. ¡°We simply have not gone inside the ship yet.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Tooley said. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you kept your DNA key, Kamak?¡±

    ¡°Nah, but it should be open. Turka had to strip out a lot of the parts that made her spaceworthy before he could legally sell it as memorabilia.¡±

    The Hard Luck Hermit had already been in borderline catastrophic condition when Kamak had given it up, so his mechanic had been forced to either repair it or render it fully nonfunctional before selling it, for safety reasons. With the Hermit already falling apart at the seams, making it nonfunctional had been the obvious choice, and that included stripping out the seals that usually held the cargo bay closed. Doprel managed to pry the hangar open, and the crew stared into the interior of the ship that had been their home once again.

    ¡°They buffed out the blaster marks,¡± Kamak scoffed. ¡°What¡¯s the point in buying war memorabilia if you scrub off the war parts?¡±

    ¡°Those marks weren¡¯t from the war, they were from Hakma shooting at you,¡± Doprel said. Many of Kamak¡¯s former crew had parted with him on less-than-friendly terms.

    ¡°Well I doubt he knew that,¡± Kamak said. He kept scoffing as he stepped further into the ship he had owned for decades, calling out refurbished couches, replaced panels, rewired lighting, and every other minute change he could spot.

    Corey noticed all the same changes, but he kept his mouth shut. He had spent less time on the Hermit than any other member of the crew, but coming back was still deeply nostalgic. He could see somber retrospection on the faces of all his friends. Even Kamak was only complaining to try and stifle the melancholic feeling of returning home.

    ¡°Okay, enough bitching,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Fan out. Look for anything suspicious. Messages written in blood, body parts in the fridge, that kind of thing.¡±

    Search as they might, no one found any blood, bones, or body parts. Just empty drawers and hollow rooms that used to be home. As her last stop, Tooley checked the cockpit. She could see nothing but a small smear of blood from the corpse pinned to the ship¡¯s nose. She tried to ignore that and sat down in her old pilot¡¯s seat. Acting on instinct, she pressed a few buttons to activate the navigation systems. The console remained dead and dark -everything had been disconnected.

    ¡°Nothing, huh,¡± Corey grunted, as he wandered his way into the cockpit.

    ¡°Nothing.¡±

    Corey sat down in his old seat with a heavy sigh, and Kamak was only moments behind. The new owner¡¯s refurbishing had left Doprel¡¯s extra-large seat intact, and soon he was sitting in it. Farsus came in last of all, and sat down at his old favorite perch near the now-deactivated weapons console.

    ¡°No messages, huh,¡± Kamak said, as he idly tilted from side to side in his old seat.

    ¡°The murder says enough, it seems,¡± Farsus sighed. ¡°But what is the message?¡±

    Kamak stared out the cockpit window. All he saw was a dusty gray wall with a starfighter wing hanging off it. He was sitting in one relic, staring at another, both equally useless.

    ¡°The message is that we¡¯re about to have a real bad time.¡±

 Book 2 Chapter 26: Red Flag

    ¡°Alright, theory-crafting time,¡± Kamak said. He pulled up a blue slate that Corey assumed to be the space equivalent of a blackboard, and tapped a pen against its cobalt surface. ¡°Let¡¯s hear some ideas on the identity of our blood-crazed killer.¡±

    ¡°Should we be doing this in the dead guy¡¯s house?¡±

    They were sitting on the most recent victim¡¯s chairs, and using his office supplies for their theory-crafting session. It felt weird.

    ¡°We¡¯re in the middle of nowhere, no one cares if we sit on his sofa,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Weirdo with a war fetish settles on a dead world, these things can happen.¡±

    ¡°The only people here are Ranrit and his goons, and they don¡¯t give a shit,¡± Kamak said. Ranrit had recently returned to his orbital patrol anyway, so even that small amount of authority was no longer present. ¡°I¡¯m sure what¡¯s his name wouldn¡¯t mind us using his stuff to solve his own murder. It¡¯s not like we¡¯re raiding his underwear drawer, I¡¯m just borrowing a slate.¡±

    ¡°Fine, let¡¯s just get this over with,¡± Corey said. ¡°First theory: former associate of Morrakesh out for revenge.¡±

    ¡°Solid, I think we all had that in mind,¡± Kamak said. He drew a houseplant with angry eyes to symbolize Morrakesh. While their erstwhile arch-rival had been utterly obliterated in the hellfire of an artificial supernova, he still had a few associates left. Most had surrendered or been captured already, many by the crew themselves, but a scant few still remained at large.

    ¡°Second theory: Structuralist¡¯s looking to frame me and ruin my reputation,¡± Tooley said.

    ¡°Also valid, always happy to blame you for a problem,¡± Kamak said. He drew another angry face, this time in the likeness of Vansis, another long-dead enemy. He was the only Structuralist Kamak could remember.

    ¡°Perhaps it is a would-be challenger from the Im-Shalv-Im,¡± Farsus suggested. ¡°It is customary for them to leave a trail of dead to draw out a worthy foe, though most carve the names of their chosen opponent into the flesh of the dead to draw them out all the quicker.¡±

    ¡°Well that¡¯s fucked up,¡± Kamak said. ¡°And unlikely.¡±

    He wrote it down anyway, turning to face the board fully to make sure he spell Im-Shalv-Im right.

    ¡°I think you should write down Bevo as a suspect. She seems suspicious.¡±

    Everyone whipped around as fast as they could, hands on their pistols. Kamak made it as far as drawing and aiming his pistol, though he resisted the urge to fire. Bevo did not seem at all bothered by the gun pointed at her, even though the only weapon she appeared to carry was an archaic axe slung across her back.

    ¡°Sorry. Bad joke.¡±

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    ¡°What are you doing here, Bevo?¡±

    ¡°Same as you, I figure, which makes it all the more odd you¡¯re pointing a gun at me,¡± Bevo said.

    ¡°There¡¯s a disemboweled man in the other room and you¡¯ve got an axe,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Excuse us for being skeptical.¡±

    ¡°Oh, the axe is all for show, just a little intimidation tactic,¡± Bevo said. ¡°Not that I don¡¯t know how to use it. I¡¯m a sensible lady, though, I stick to guns.¡±

    She reached down to her abdomen and slid a slender handgun out of a hidden pocket in her armored chestplate. Even Kamak hadn¡¯t clocked that hiding place. He tensed his grip on his own pistol until Bevo slipped the gun back into its hidden holster.

    ¡°Really though, rich dead guy gets offed, family members put out a bounty for any info on the culprit, I take the bounty, here I am,¡± Bevo said. ¡°All guild official, I can show you the files if you like.¡±

    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind,¡± Kamak said. He held his gun up until Bevo held up a datapad showing off the official Guild seal, and a signature Kamak recognized. He holstered his gun for the time being.

    ¡°Small universe, us being on the same case,¡± Corey said, his voice edged with obvious suspicion. He didn¡¯t much believe in coincidence.

    ¡°Ain¡¯t it though?¡± Bevo said, completely oblivious to Corey¡¯s skepticism. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t be stepping on any toes. These next-of-kin type investigations are usually just for show, just a relative making sure they do their due diligence so they can stay in the will.¡±

    She took a seat among the crew as if she belonged there and reached out to put a massive red arm around Tooley, much to her discomfort.

    ¡°So, these the list of suspects? Morrakesh goons, Structuralists, Hunters of the Archaic Way?¡±

    ¡°You know the Second Name of the Im-Shalv-Im?¡±

    ¡°I know the Third Name, brother, six of those bastards have tried to call me out,¡± Bevo said. She lifted her arm to flex a broad bicep, and show off a wide scar. ¡°Fifth motherfucker gave me this.¡±

    ¡°Impressive.¡±

    ¡°Bevo, it¡¯s nice to see you and all,¡± Corey said. ¡°But I¡¯m...I¡¯m not sure we¡¯re at the stage of our investigation where we should be sharing things.¡±

    ¡°Legally speaking, I have to,¡± Kamak said. Corey looked confused, and Kamak elaborated. ¡°We¡¯re here on personal business, Bevo has a contract. By the Charter, her investigation supersedes ours. If I didn¡¯t share, I¡¯d be interfering in a fellow bounty hunter¡¯s contract, and I¡¯d be banned.¡±

    ¡°No worries, boss, I¡¯m not going to narc,¡± Bevo said. ¡°But if you want to be on the up and up, I¡¯d be happy to write you into the contract.¡±

    Kamak took note of the fact that she was only offering to have them join her, not to cede the case. It might¡¯ve been a misguided attempt at camaraderie, an attempt to keep an easy paycheck, or something more sinister.

    ¡°Sure, let¡¯s do that,¡± Kamak suggested. Whatever was going on, erasing any outside pressure on their investigation would only help things. ¡°Let me call Quid and get us written in.¡±

    Since Corey was already giving Bevo the stinkeye, Kamak allowed himself to take his eyes off her and focus on the call. He rang up the guild liaison, and his first call went to the inbox. Kamak double-checked the local time on Centerpoint. It was right in the middle of Quid¡¯s workday. He called again. This time he got an answer.

    ¡°You scared me there for a second, Quid,¡± Kamak said. ¡°What¡¯s the hold up?¡±

    The line was active, but no response came.

    ¡°Quid?¡±

    Corey took his eyes off Bevo. Farsus leaned forward in his chair, hands tensed.

    ¡°Quid!¡±

    ¡°Help me.¡±

    Kamak nearly missed his pocket as he slammed the datapad back into it.

    ¡°On the ship, now!¡±

    Bevo got left behind in the stampede back to the ship. She did a double-take between the board and the retreating hunters.

    ¡°Who¡¯s Quid?¡±

 Book 2 Chapter 27: Dead or Alive

    Corey had the knife out of his boot. There was no violence yet, but he needed something to do with his hands. He turned the handle over and over between his fingers, trying to emulate a knife trick he had seen Farsus do once. He tried to keep it slow enough that he didn¡¯t cut himself, and ended up cutting himself anyway when his datapad buzzed and he dropped the knife out of surprise. The blade clattered to the ground, alerting everyone else in the cockpit to the message.

    ¡°To Vo?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Corey said, as he opened his comms. ¡°Just a text.¡±

    He read it and shook his head.

    ¡°They swept the guild hall. No sign of anything.¡±

    The tension dropped out of the cockpit as everyone sighed and leaned back in their seats once again. They had contacted To Vo about Quid¡¯s potential abduction right away, and she had led the police on a hunt for him in turn. They had searched his office and then his apartment, finding nothing but a few signs of struggle and an unfed Beed-Cat in his home. After that, nothing. Not so much as a drop of blood.

    It had been three swaps now, and the Wild Card Wanderer was still stuck en route to Centerpoint. Bang Gate queues alone had made up half that time. Tooley muttered a silent curse to the difficulties of inter-universal transit. A man could be dying and they still had to wait in line behind tourists and freeze-dried fruit shipments.

    ¡°To Vo will handle it,¡± Doprel said, for what felt like the millionth time. After a million more times he might even believe it. Even though Doprel had a lot more faith in To Vo than most people, right now even that faith wasn¡¯t quite enough. But it was all he had.

    <hr>

    Tooley flew into the docking bay at a speed that would¡¯ve been disastrous for anyone else. She managed to hard-brake the Wanderer into a lurching stop, and come to a safe, if abrupt, landing. The engines were still shutting down when Kamak stormed off the ship. To Vo met him coming the other way, and got right to business.

    ¡°We have security footage showing Quid and his abductor moving through an industrial district. That¡¯s all we have to go on so far.¡±

    ¡°Tell me where to go and let me do my thing,¡± Kamak said. To Vo gave him directions and put him and his crew on a shuttle to the industrial district. It was a short ride, but Kamak found every tick nearly unbearable. He¡¯d spent too much time in transit already.

    Though he kept the thought to himself, Kamak wondered what they were even doing, acting like they were in a hurry. They had heard Quid¡¯s call for help a full seven swaps ago now, and they could only assume he¡¯d spent all that time in the custody of a homicidal maniac. Odds were he was already dead, and if Quid was still alive¡­

    Kamak tried not to shudder in his seat. He hadn¡¯t seen the photos that had shaken Farsus so badly, but seeing someone disemboweled was bad enough, and his imagination could fill in the gaps. After seven swaps, Kamak wasn¡¯t entirely sure Quid would want to be alive.

    Dead or alive, he would have to be found, and when the shuttle landed, Kamak stepped right off and examined their surroundings. A few uniformed police officers were standing around Quid¡¯s last known location, chatting and checking the net. Kamak didn¡¯t even bother talking to them before storming off, following the last direction Quid¡¯s captor had been seen moving. Corey was a little more charitable to the officers.

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    ¡°We¡¯re here to look for Quid, you guys know anything?¡±

    ¡°Nah, we just got here. Shift change.¡±

    ¡°Did you ask the last shift for any information?¡±

    ¡°We did.¡±

    ¡°And?¡±

    ¡°They didn¡¯t know anything.¡±

    Corey threw up his hands in defeat and walked away. He¡¯d been spending too much time with To Vo, and had forgotten that most cops were utterly useless. He returned to his teammates and examined the labyrinth of facilities around them. There was a complicated tangle of alleyways, interconnected piping, and small isolated chambers in every direction that would make it difficult to navigate. The air here was also thick with the smell of chemicals, and a constant layer of background noise made it hard to hear anything. Any form of conventional tracking methods would be unlikely to work here: even complex scans would be thwarted by the abundance of chemical reactions, thermal signatures, and electronic devices.

    ¡°Kamak followed that trail, the rest of us should split up and fan out,¡± Corey said. ¡°It looks like this is going to be a manual search.¡±

    ¡°You want us to split up to chase the psychotic killer who offs people one by one?¡±

    ¡°You should stick with one of us, obviously,¡± Corey said. Tooley didn¡¯t protest. Her ego had many sticking points, but her inability to fight was not one of them. ¡°We can handle ourselves better than the victims could. We¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    ¡°Given the killer¡¯s past methods, it is unlikely they still linger here,¡± Farsus said. ¡°We should remain on guard, but finding Quid must be our first priority.¡±

    Farsus headed down a path adjacent to Kamak¡¯s route, while Doprel walked down a wide alley on the other side. Corey headed the opposite direction, to make sure they covered as much territory as possible, and Tooley followed in his footsteps. He walked along the path of a rumbling pipeline that occasionally dripped a foul-smelling fluid, into the depths of the industrial district. Imports could only go so far, and Centerpoint had to manufacture at least some products locally to keep itself afloat -in a literal sense. Most of the factories here created replacement parts for the Centerpoint station itself, to make sure it always had a stockpile for repairs. The manufacturing process created a lot of pollutants, which were helpfully vented out of the station and into the sun through a series of pipelines. In spite of that atmospheric venting, there was still a powerful stench permeating the entire district,

    ¡°Not exactly the most romantic walk,¡± Corey said, just to fill the air with something other than the low, ominous rumble of machinery.

    ¡°Corey, I like you, but flirting is the last thing on my mind right now,¡± Tooley mumbled.

    ¡°I know, I¡¯m trying to keep those things off my mind,¡± Corey said. He looked around at the bare metal walls of some kind of factory. He could hear machinery grinding inside, and the turning gears created a low vibration that permeated the walls.

    ¡°I don¡¯t even know what I¡¯m doing here,¡± Tooley said. ¡°I barely knew the guy, I can¡¯t fight, I¡¯m no good at tracking¡­¡±

    ¡°Not like there¡¯s anything to fucking track here,¡± Corey said. ¡°It¡¯s all metal and chemicals. There¡¯s no footprints, no debris, barely any cameras, hiding places everywhere...I could search this place for the rest of my life and not find a damn thing.¡±

    ¡°Well, this fucking freak seems to want us to find their victims,¡± Tooley said. They were assuming the killer was the one who¡¯d triggered the alarm for the last victim, at least, and Loben¡¯s corpse had been found easily. ¡°Especially now that we¡¯re here.¡±

    Tooley¡¯s concerns proved eerily prescient. A few drops laters, Doprel put out a call to all of his crewmates.

    ¡°Guys. There¡¯s an arrow made of blood on the wall.¡±

    ¡°Bastard isn¡¯t exactly subtle, is he? Give us your location and hold down the fort.¡±

    ¡°Already done,¡± Doprel said. ¡°Please hurry.¡±

    They could hear Doprel¡¯s mandibles clicking through the call.

    ¡°The blood¡¯s still wet.¡±

    Corey was already running, but he started to run a little faster.

 Book 2 Chapter 28: Quid Pro

    The crudely scrawled trails of blood led to a rusted door, and ended there. Doprel stood outside it, waiting for the others to arrive. A quiet hum emerged from a gap between the battered door and the scuffed floor beneath it.

    Part of him debated going in right away. He was the toughest of the crew, and would likely be first through the door anyway. He had the least to fear when it came to personal harm. The images of Loben¡¯s murder still stuck in the back of his mind, and weighed down his steps. If the scene past that door was even half as gruesome¡­

    Doprel¡¯s deliberations were cut short by Kamak¡¯s arrival. He whipped around the corner and came to a sudden halt right by Doprel¡¯s side.

    ¡°This the end of the trail?¡±

    Doprel nodded. Kamak looked at the door.

    ¡°You gone in yet?¡±

    Doprel shook his head.

    ¡°Watch my back.¡±

    Kamak grabbed his gun, went to the door, and braced his shoulder against it. After taking a moment to try and listen for anything suspicious on the other side of the door, Kamak heard only the faint whir of some unseen mechanism. He gave up, slammed the door open, and went in gun first.

    Nothing shot at him, which he considered a positive development. The interior of the building looked empty and decrepit, likely abandoned long ago. He checked his corners and walked further in, as Doprel followed a few steps behind.

    ¡°You hear anything?¡±

    ¡°Just some machine,¡± Doprel said. His hearing range was slightly broader than the average species, so he occasionally heard things that Kamak didn¡¯t. ¡°There¡¯s an engine, and...pumping. Liquid pumping.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t like that,¡± Kamak mumbled. He decided to take the risk and raised his voice. ¡°Quid?¡±

    No answer.

    ¡°Quid!¡±

    The quiet groan of distant machinery was joined by the quiet groan of nearby suffering. Kamak looked up, following a rusty metal walkway leading to an empty office structure above the manufacturing line. Kamak bolted up the stairs, while Doprel stayed behind. The rusted metal stairway didn¡¯t look fit to hold his weight.

    ¡°I¡¯m coming, Quid, just-¡±

    Any other words that Kamak had planned to say got caught in a muted gurgle of disgust as he rounded the corner and gagged at the sight. Quid was alive. And just like Kamak had feared, being alive was worse.

    The last victim had been cut open across the front -Quid had been cut open across the back. Kamak could see stretched portions of his flayed skin pinned to the same table Quid himself had been strapped to. That was only half the horror. The other half were the narrow tubes winding their way beneath the skin, into his exposed back, piping crimson blood out of his body, through a device in the same room, and then back in, like a macabre artificial heart. Kamak reeled in horror and stepped back until he hit the rusted railing of the stairway.

    It got worse. Quid made eye contact. Kamak couldn¡¯t muster words for a few seconds.

    ¡°Just- just hold on, Quid,¡± Kamak finally said. He wasn¡¯t sure what ¡®hold on¡¯ meant in this context, he just needed to say something vaguely reassuring. ¡°We¡¯ll get you out of there, okay?¡±

    Quid nodded. If anything, it made Kamak feel worse.

    <hr>

    Thankfully for everyone involved, Dr. Theddis had been available. There were few physicians Kamak trusted, and even fewer he thought could stomach the sight of a man cut open like that. Theddis was both an experienced surgeon and a former bounty hunter himself, which meant he had a stronger tolerance for viscera than most. He was barely even nauseous when he stepped back out of the building.

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    ¡°Your report, Doctor?¡±

    Along with the rest of Kamak¡¯s crew, To Vo La Su and another officer had flocked to the scene. The cop had introduced herself as Annin, and from the way she spoke, she seemed to assume she was in charge of the situation. Theddis glanced at Kamak, who shrugged. Whatever he was about to say, he might as well say to everyone.

    ¡°Portions of the victims circulatory system have been removed and replaced with a makeshift external pump,¡± Dr. Theddis said. ¡°The work is extensive, and...irreparable.¡±

    ¡°Irreparable? There¡¯s no way to get him out of that thing?¡±

    ¡°Not alive,¡± Theddis grunted.

    ¡°Quid¡¯s still alive, there¡¯s got to be something-¡±

    ¡°That device was not built to keep him alive, Kamak, it was built to kill him slowly,¡± Theddis said. He peeled off bloody gloves and discarded them into a biohazard bag. ¡°If I had a team of the best surgeons in the universe I couldn¡¯t get him out of that thing. I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°Then what do we do?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve given him something for the pain and called the clinic for a...kit,¡± Theddis said. The unspoken word hung heavy in the air. He withdrew a small card from the pocket of his coat and held it out to Officer Annin. ¡°I¡¯m fully licensed for all necessary procedures, ma¡¯am, you can stand as witness if you want.¡±

    It took a few seconds for Annin to realize exactly what he meant.

    ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary,¡± she said. ¡°However...this man is currently our only living witness in this ongoing case.¡±

    ¡°I was thinking the same thing,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°He should be relatively lucid for the near future,¡± Theddis said. ¡°And it¡¯ll take time for the necessary equipment to get here anyway. But when it does arrive, I¡¯ll be ethically obligated to begin proceedings as soon as possible. Depending on Quid¡¯s wishes¡­¡±

    Kamak nodded, and gave Theddis a pat on the shoulder.

    ¡°I guess I¡¯ve already seen this shit,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Unless someone else would like to volunteer?¡±

    Shockingly, no one did. Kamak bit his tongue and walked back into the rusted facility, up the ramshackle stairs. He was relieved to find Theddis had covered Quid in some kind of medical sheet, but the tubes pumping blood in and out of his body were still exposed. Kamak tried to ignore the crimson flow as he took a seat on a worn-down tabletop near the table.

    ¡°Quid. Can you hear me?¡±

    Quid let out a groan that sounded vaguely affirmative, and tried to nod as best he could.

    ¡°Good. The doctor is...still considering his options,¡± Kamak said. He told himself he was just sparing Quid the bad news for a little while longer, and almost believed it. ¡°In the meantime, I want to know about who did this to you. Can you describe them?¡±

    Quid took several deep breaths to prepare himself for the effort of speaking.

    ¡°Female. Red. Tall.¡±

    Kamak¡¯s mind immediately flickered to Bevo.

    ¡°Was she strong? Broad shouldered? Did she have any scars?¡±

    ¡°Strong. Tall, but not big. No scars. Brown hair.¡±

    That sounded a little less like Bevo. While she was strong and tall, she was also broad-shouldered, covered in scars, and she had a shaved head, or maybe was naturally bald.

    ¡°Is there anything else about her I should know?¡±

    Quid took another deep breath, and his exhalation rattled in a way Kamak was unfortunately familiar with.

    ¡°She hated you. All of you. So much,¡± Quid gasped. ¡°Don¡¯t know why. Just...angry. Forever.¡±

    ¡°Fantastic,¡± Kamak mumbled. Quid took another rattling breath.

    ¡°She said something. Strange,¡± Quid said. ¡°I asked her to stop. She said¡­¡®don¡¯t worry¡¯¡­¡±

    Quid¡¯s dull eyes focused on something a million miles away, and then he managed to tilt his head towards Kamak to look him in the eyes.

    ¡°¡®Through me, you will live forever¡¯.¡±

    It might have just been the death rattle in Quid¡¯s voice, but something about that one sentence sent a shiver down Kamak¡¯s spine. He¡¯d heard that brand of insanity before. It never ended well. He tried to come up with another question, but couldn¡¯t manage one.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Quid,¡± he mumbled. ¡°I¡¯m sorry you got caught up in this.¡±

    Kamak put his head in his hands.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry you ever met me.¡±

    ¡°Not your fault,¡± Quid said. ¡°I asked. For the job.¡±

    The machine he was attached to let out a quiet beep, and the blood flowing through it paused briefly before it beeped again and the flow resumed.

    ¡°My job was boring. I thought it¡¯d be...exciting.¡±

    That made Kamak more sick to his stomach than any of the gore had managed. He stepped away from Quid and gagged, trying not to vomit all over the rusty railings. When he finally regained his composure, he looked up to see Dr. Theddis waiting at the bottom of the stairs.

    ¡°If you need more time¡­¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Kamak said. ¡°I¡¯m done.¡±

    He walked away, and did not look back.

 Book 2 Chapter 29: Haunting the Hangar

    The march back to the ship was bad enough already. The view on arrival was worse. The ship was just as they¡¯d left it, with the additional of one unsightly blemish standing outside. A lithe, serpentine humanoid in tactical gear, glaring towards the hangar entrance with his unnatural eyes. The Ghost. Corey put a hand on his gun the minute he spotted a stranger in the hangar, but Kamak waved him down.

    ¡°Thanks for not being an asshole about this,¡± Ghost said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t get ahead of yourself,¡± Kamak said. ¡°If you came here just to say ¡®I told you so¡¯, I¡¯m letting the kid shoot you.¡±

    Corey put his hand back on his gun. Ghost scoffed at the threat.

    ¡°Luckily for you, I¡¯m here on other business,¡± Ghost said. ¡°Though for the record, I did tell you so.¡±

    Kamak rolled his eyes.

    ¡°Say your piece and get the fuck out.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m here to give you a friendly heads up,¡± Ghost said, though the way he said ¡°friendly¡± sounded anything but. ¡°There¡¯s a video.¡±

    Kamak did a quick turn around to make sure the hangar doors were sealed before he shouted ¡°Fuck¡± at the top of his lungs. Farsus kept his mind on business.

    ¡°What does it show?¡±

    ¡°Nothing useful,¡± Ghost said. ¡°There¡¯s a voice, but it¡¯s synthesized, no good for tracking. The vid¡¯s graphic, and it calls you out specifically. We did what we could to suppress it, but the perp sent it to hundreds of outlets at once. It¡¯s going to slip through the cracks, and it¡¯s going to spread fast.¡±

    ¡°What good is a shadow cabal if it can¡¯t even censor one fucking video,¡± Kamak said. ¡°So what now? You try to bully us into retiring again?¡±

    ¡°Quote the opposite, unfortunately,¡± Ghost said. ¡°We wanted you to rest on your laurels. Now there¡¯s a new threat, and it¡¯s after you. You disappear now, it looks like you lost, or ran away. The big heroes got beaten. Not exactly good for public confidence.¡±

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    ¡°So you¡¯re trying to help us?¡± Tooley said. ¡°If this is you trying to be helpful, we¡¯re fucked.¡±

    Ghost glared at her with half-lidded eyes.

    ¡°I could care less about helping you,¡± Ghost said flatly. ¡°But my employers disagree. We¡¯ve sent you a copy of the video. Maybe you can make something of it, get ahead of the public inquiry. Aside from that, I have information. A suspect.¡±

    ¡°Finally, something useful,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Lay it on us.¡±

    ¡°Security footage from the Loben killing picked up an unknown individual entering the mansion but never leaving,¡± Ghost said. ¡°Gentanian female, middle-aged, no identifying markers beyond that. We¡¯ve forwarded you a copy of the security footage too.¡±

    ¡°Gentanian?¡±

    ¡°I know one when I see one, yes,¡± Ghost said.

    ¡°This is a complication,¡± Farsus said. ¡°To his limited ability, Quid described our culprit as having red skin and long hair. Neither being traits of the Gentanians.¡±

    Kamak ran a hand over his own bald head for emphasis. Ghost didn¡¯t even look his direction.

    ¡°It¡¯s entirely possible we¡¯re dealing with a small group,¡± Ghost said. ¡°Or one individual who knows how to do stage makeup and put on a wig.¡±

    ¡°Damn, don¡¯t know what¡¯s worse, a cabal of assassins or a theater kid,¡± Tooley said.

    ¡°We¡¯re running the story as if it¡¯s a single person for now,¡± Ghost said. ¡°A serial killer is upsetting, but not as much as a cadre of killers.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, stars, just imagine what people would think if there were secret assassins running around,¡± Kamak said, with a pointed glare at Ghost. Once again, Ghost ignored his petulant behavior.

    ¡°You know everything we know,¡± Ghost said. He ceased leaning on the walls of the Wanderer and took a few steps towards the door. ¡°A line of communication that will be going both ways, naturally.¡±

    ¡°You say that like a threat,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°Because it is. You people have some importance, but you are far from indispensable,¡± Ghost said. ¡°You become more trouble than you¡¯re worth, you get tossed out with the rest of the garbage. You play nice, maybe we can help each other.¡±

    He turned his back on the ship and crew and began to walk away, never looking back.

    ¡°So play nice.¡±

    As part of playing nice, Kamak allowed Ghost to have the last word. He waited until the door had slammed shut to mouth off.

    ¡°Cunt.¡±

    ¡°Hope the killer gets him next,¡± Tooley said.

    ¡°He¡¯s kind of an asshole, yeah, but then, so are you guys,¡± Doprel said.

    ¡°Thanks for volunteering to give the reports to Ghost and friends, Doprel,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s watch those videos and see what we can figure out. We¡¯ve got a killer to catch.¡±

 Book 2 Chapter 30: Walk Softly, Carry a Big Stick

    As the captain of the crew (and since he had already seen Quid in person) Kamak was the one to watch the video the killer had made. He bit his tongue and managed to make it almost five minutes into the video before stopping to gag. As he stood over a sink with hands shaking and his gut churning, Kamak praised himself for having the forethought to not eat anything for a couple swaps before watching the video. Even on an empty stomach the video was hard to tolerate. Watching Quid get skinned and deveined like a piece of meat headed for the butcher shook him on a level even Kamak did not anticipate.

    He powered through his disgust regardless, hoping there might be some worthwhile information to be found. By the time the video had ended, Kamak was both disgusted and disappointed. He took time to steady his shaking hands before exiting his room.

    ¡°How was it?¡±

    ¡°Gruesome,¡± Kamak said. He¡¯d seen enough of that particular murder for a thousand lifetimes. ¡°But not informative. Garden variety murderous taunts. Only one thing really stood out.¡±

    Kamak had actually written down a note, to make sure he got the exact wording right.

    ¡°They said ¡®You will be forgotten. I will erase you and your legacy¡¯,¡± Kamak said. ¡°A little out of the wheelhouse for the usual psychopath.¡±

    ¡°Not by much,¡± Farsus said. ¡°Some serial killers are motivated by a desire for recognition, in a twisted way.¡±

    Corey bit his tongue. He¡¯d been through a lot the past few years, but something about a genuine serial killer still put him on edge. Especially one targeting him and his friends.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t exactly my specialty,¡± Kamak said. ¡°I always tended to hunt more mundane murderers. Psychos are bad business.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve done plenty of crazies,¡± Doprel said.

    ¡°General crazies,¡± Kamak said. ¡°A guy who wants to eat everybody is a very different beast than a guy who wants to eat a specific group of people, psychologically speaking.¡±

    Kamak had hunted plenty of mass murderers, but he saw a stark divide between someone who just killed a lot of people and a serial killer. Those who killed out of rage or a desire for money were very different from those who developed psychotic obsessions, and one had to be aware of that divide to analyze them properly. Kamak didn¡¯t have the knowledge necessary, but he did know a guy.

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    ¡°We need an expert,¡± Kamak said. He tapped his datapad again, dismissing the grim note he¡¯d taken, ¡°Tooley, I sent you coordinates. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah, I¡¯m going,¡± Tooley said. She reviewed their coordinates and was pleasantly surprised to find they were close by. ¡°Jukat. Why are we going back to Jukat?¡±

    ¡°I know an expert on serial killers who lives there,¡± Kamak said. ¡°He can analyze this brutal shit better than we can, give us some insights.¡±

    ¡°Sounds like a good place to start,¡± Corey said. ¡°Anything I should know about Jukat?¡±

    Though he had occasionally seen references to Jukat while reading or watching shows, and they had even passed through that galaxy more than once, the crew had never stopped anywhere near the planet itself. Whenever he went to a new place there were usually some cultural differences Corey wanted to be aware of. He¡¯d offended enough people that he knew it paid to be cautious.

    ¡°Almost nothing, in fact,¡± Farsus said. ¡°The Jukati are a rational people, not quick to offense, and their proximity to Centerpoint has given them a great deal of crossover with many races.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s nice,¡± Corey said. He always like it when people were less likely to hate him. ¡°What¡¯s their deal, though? Like, just information wise?¡±

    ¡°Legally they are an associate of the Galactic Council, but not a member,¡± Farsus said. ¡°They tend to be more isolationist.¡±

    ¡°Like, in a chill way, or how the Sturit are isolationist?¡±

    The mere mention of her people made Tooley bristle with anger. Farsus shook his head.

    ¡°They are reclusive, not xenophobic,¡± Farsus said. ¡°While they keep to themselves, they are ultimately a peaceful people.¡±

    <hr>

    Corey stared at an orbital weapons platform bristling with guns in every direction. If that station wasn¡¯t enough to obliterate anything that moved, there were twenty more just like it orbiting the planet. Fleets of patrol ships traveled between each in roving swarms.

    ¡°I thought you said these were peaceful people.¡±

    ¡°They are peaceful,¡± Kamak said. ¡°But peaceful people without big guns don¡¯t last long.¡±

    ¡°The Jukati are firm believers in the philosophy of the walled garden,¡± Farsus elaborated. ¡°They build a place of strength so that their people can lead a peaceful life. Strong orbital defenses are one manifestation of that ideal.¡±

    The orbital authority sent clearance to land, and Tooley started carefully flying on a predetermined route they sent her. Even if Farsus said this was a garden, she didn¡¯t want to risk becoming a pest to get exterminated. She knew very well she was the best pilot in the universe, but the size and number of guns were too much even for her. She¡¯d be space dust in an instant if she tried anything clever.

    ¡°To be fair to the locals, this wasn¡¯t nearly so bad a couple years ago,¡± Kamak said. ¡°The Horuk invasion did wonders for the ¡®wall¡¯ part of the walled garden.¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad they¡¯re on our side,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°The Jukati are on their own side,¡± Doprel said. ¡°Council has been trying to get them to formally join for a long time now. They keep refusing.¡±

    ¡°We can still put them between us and the bad guys when the time comes,¡± Kamak said.

    Corey really didn¡¯t like the way Kamak said ¡°when¡± and not ¡°if¡±.

 Book 2 Chapter 31: Maximum Security

    Their flight over the mountains was high and slow. Tooley was a good pilot, but even the best pilot could only do so much in a blizzard. Even as she adjusted for the varying winds, the gale still buffeted the Wild Card Wanderer from side to side.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I ever made this flight in the Hermit,¡± Tooley grumbled. ¡°Wild Card¡¯s got top of the line atmospheric stabilizers and we¡¯re still twitching like a dying quwik.¡±

    ¡°Hermit had more weight to her,¡± Kamak said. ¡°She was a hauler, not a cruiser. More atmospheric work in mind.¡±

    Tooley grunted in acknowledgment and ended that nostalgic line of thought. While her flight was slow by the usual standards, she was still technically going several hundred miles per hour, and they broke out of the blizzard in a few moments. The mountains stretched on for miles in every direction, but in the midst of some of the most towering peaks was a small, flat valley, inside of which was nestled a walled facility of gray stone. Tooley pulled in and brought her ship down in a snow-covered landing field beside it.

    Corey actually had to go looking to find a jacket, and once he stepped off the ship, he took a moment to appreciate the crunch of the snow beneath his feet. It only now occurred to him that it had been many years since he¡¯d seen snow at all, much less walked through it. He resisted the urge to make a snowball -for now. He might chuck one at Tooley on their way out.

    There were armed guards in winter gear waiting outside the facility, and as he got his first look at the Jukati, Corey started to understand why they were so intent on maintaining their orbital defenses. They were small, frail looking creatures. Even the armed guards outside, presumably the tougher representatives of their kind, could¡¯ve been confused for human children if not for the fact that some of them had full beards.

    Once they were through the main door, Kamak took the lead and talked their way through security. He had advised them all to leave their weapons aboard the ship earlier, so they passed the security check without issue, and were soon on their way inside, though an armed escort remained with them the entire time. Doprel had to work to squeeze his massive frame through some of the smaller doors, but he managed.

    ¡°What kind of facility is this, anyway?¡±

    ¡°I know we¡¯re on a new planet, Corvash, but you should still know a prison when you see one.¡±

    ¡°A prison? Why- never mind,¡± Corey said. ¡°Makes sense an expert on serial killers would work in a prison.¡±

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    Kamak turned to look over his shoulder for a second, with a raised eyebrow.

    ¡°¡®Work¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, he- oh come the fuck on, Kamak,¡± Corey groaned, as realization struck. ¡°Is your guy an expert on serial killers because he is a serial killer?¡±

    ¡°I thought that would be obvious,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Who else would know better?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t make a point of trusting psychopaths,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°Neither do I, but I know this guy,¡± Kamak said. ¡°I¡¯ve consulted with him before, he¡¯s good.¡±

    ¡°It is also worth mentioning that he was briefly a member of Kamak¡¯s crew,¡± Doprel said.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know he was a serial killer at the time,¡± Kamak said. ¡°He was nice, laughed at my jokes, paid for drinks. And he only killed like two people while we worked together.¡±

    ¡°Only two?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a pretty small percentage of his total,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Thirty-seven, by the way.¡±

    ¡°Thirty-seven!?¡±

    ¡°Nible Hamma-Dammerung,¡± Doprel said. ¡°Also known as the Faceless Man. After his wife was disfigured and eventually killed by exposure to toxic chemicals, he took it upon himself to avenge her. He killed and cut the faces off thirty-seven representatives of the Luo-1 Chemical Corporation before we caught on to him.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you, realizing the guy we¡¯d been hunting was on our ship was a hell of a time,¡± Kamak said. ¡°But he surrendered without much of a fight. Guy¡¯s got no interest in the average person, just wanted to avenge his wife. Very reasonable, by serial killer standards.¡±

    ¡°None of this is particularly comforting,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°Why, you work for Luo-1?¡± Kamak asked. ¡°You¡¯ll be fine. Nible likes me.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s only about five people in the whole universe who actually like you, Kamak, and one of them¡¯s a serial killer,¡± Tooley said. ¡°I think that says something about you.¡±

    ¡°Watch your mouth, Tools, I might tell Nible to cut it off,¡± Kamak said. Some of the armed guards gave him a look. ¡°Joke. We joke like that.¡±

    ¡°Eh,¡± Tooley grunted. The Jukati guards shook their heads and led Kamak to the last door. A meeting room with several chairs overlooked a large courtyard in which several prisoners of various species milled about. Corey was surprised to see such a variety of species present. Most planets were typically heavy on their native species, even in prisons.

    ¡°This place some kind of intergalactic prison?¡±

    ¡°Only by technicality,¡± Farsus explained. ¡°The Jukati approach to peace extends to their prisoners. They do not believe in the death penalty. Given that, and that they have no extradition arrangements with the Galactic Council, many cornered criminals come here to surrender themselves.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s why we brought Nible here,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Killing the bastards that poisoned an entire planet ain¡¯t that bad.¡±

    ¡°He cut their faces off, Kamak,¡± Doprel said. ¡°While they were alive.¡±

    ¡°And he also bought me dinner a lot, so who¡¯s to say who¡¯s good or bad.¡±

    Doprel could not physically roll his compound eyes, but a quick circle of the head made it clear he would if he could. Kamak ignored that and took a seat. He had a serial killer to chat with.

 Book 2 Chapter 32: The Consultant

    After a short wait in the meeting room, the Jukati guards finally dragged Nible in. Corey was relieved to see that he was heavily chained with thick bands around his arms and legs to keep him from running. The guards led him to a chair and hooked his chains to the table to keep him in place. Nible had not looked happy to be dragged around by the guards, but his expression changed when he saw Kamak. He parted thin lips into a smile that bared broad, flat teeth, like he had a mouthful of molars.

    ¡°Kamak! You¡¯ve come to visit me again,¡± Nible said. ¡°I assume that means you want me to look at more corpses?¡±

    ¡°Naturally,¡± Kamak said. ¡°You¡¯re the expert.¡±

    ¡°Oh, Kamak,¡± Nible said softly. ¡°Sometimes I wish you¡¯d visit just to chat. Sometimes, when you don¡¯t visit me¡­¡±

    He looked up with a dead eyed stare and glowered at Kamak.

    ¡°I think about visiting you.¡±

    On instinct, Corey put his hand towards where his gun would usually be, and found only empty space. He shifted a little closer to one of the armed guards. Kamak didn¡¯t blink.

    ¡°Is that supposed to work on me?¡±

    ¡°On you? No,¡± Nible said. He raised his hands as far as the chains would allow and pointed at Corey. ¡°Him.¡±

    Kamak and Nible both laughed, and Corey rolled his eyes.

    ¡°You should¡¯ve seen him,¡± Nible said. He mimed the way Corey had reached towards a gun, with a mocking expression on his face. ¡°Where¡¯d you find this kid?¡±

    ¡°Hey, he¡¯s a little edgy, but he¡¯s more competent than he looks,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°He¡¯d almost have to be,¡± Nible said.

    ¡°I¡¯m starting to see why you two get along,¡± Corey grunted.

    ¡°Right, right, come on Nible, I¡¯m not here to roast the new kid, no matter how much he deserves it,¡± Kamak said. ¡°I actually do have some corpses for you to look at.¡±

    Kamak pulled out a datapad preloaded with all the case info and handed it to Nible, who began to idly thumb through. Some of the pictures were even enough to make Nible look upset.

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    ¡°Oh, very messy,¡± Nible said. ¡°It¡¯s not like you to go after this type, Kamak, what happened?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not after them,¡± Kamak said. ¡°They¡¯re after me. They¡¯re obsessed, they¡¯re targeting people me and my crew are associated with.¡±

    ¡°Oh, should I be worried?¡±

    ¡°Not likely,¡± Kamak said. The high walls and heavy security of the prison would probably dissuade any assassination attempts. ¡°What do you think, Nible?¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve gotten to meet all sorts of lovely people here in maximum security, but even I¡¯ve never met anyone who¡¯d do anything like this,¡± Nible said. ¡°Me and the other serial killers chat, swap notes, that sort of thing, and let me tell you, even Shigg-et would turn up his nose at some of this, and he ate his victims.¡±

    Tooley scowled. Cannibals. Nible went back to perusing the crime scene photos.

    ¡°There¡¯s definitely precision here, messaging,¡± Nible said. ¡°And a learning curve. This first fellow got the worst of it, but I think your killer learned from their mistakes, realized that much brutality was time-consuming, risky. They reined it in for the next one, went for something flashy but not quite so...extensive.¡±

    Nible thumbed through to the next one. The video played, but Kamak had deliberately excluded the audio. He didn¡¯t need the guards overhearing anything and starting up the rumor mill.

    ¡°And this last one...elaborate, and effective. Still alive when you found him, I¡¯d guess?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Kamak grunted.

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Nible dropped the datapad on the table and slid it back to Kamak. He¡¯d seen enough.

    ¡°Your killer¡¯s fresh. Smart, but not experienced,¡± Nible explained. ¡°These are some of their first kills, if not the very first. Any experienced killer would know how to combine flash and substance right off the bat, there¡¯d be no experimental phase.¡±

    ¡°Good to know. Anything else?¡±

    ¡°Who were the victims, and what was their relationship to you? In order.¡±

    ¡°First one was a guy we did a security gig for. Second bought my old ship,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Third one...Third one was my liaison at the guild. We weren¡¯t friends. But we had regular contact.¡±

    ¡°Oh no, Kamak, I don¡¯t think you have to be a serial killer to see the pattern there,¡± Nible said.

    ¡°What? What pattern?¡±

    The chains binding Nible rattled as he leaned forward.

    ¡°The escalation,¡± Nible said. ¡°They¡¯ve been getting closer, Kamak. Practicing, creeping their way towards you.¡±

    Kamak looked at the discarded datapad, and the phantom images of the bloody murders contained within.

    ¡°You think they¡¯re coming after one of us next?¡±

    ¡°Maybe, but I wouldn¡¯t count on it,¡± Nible said. ¡°More likely they¡¯re going after someone even closer. Friends. Family, if you have them.¡±

    After a moment of contemplation, Kamak snatched his datapad off the table and stood up.

    ¡°We¡¯d better go,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Thanks for the help, Nible, and watch yourself. You should be safe here, but...¡±

    ¡°I think I can handle myself, Kamak,¡± Nible said. ¡°But I appreciate the concern. Come back and visit again sometime.¡±

    ¡°Hopefully I won¡¯t be bringing any corpses next time,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°I won¡¯t be counting on it,¡± Nible said. ¡°Corpses have a way of showing up wherever you go, Kamak.¡±

 Book 2 Chapter 33: Changing the Guard

    The blizzard was still roaring over the mountaintops, but Tooley didn¡¯t fly through with any finesse this time. She barreled straight up as fast as the ship would allow, and her passengers held on tight as the Wanderer rattled in the turbulence. It was an uncomfortable ride, but a short one, and soon they breached the atmosphere and were back to cruising through empty space.

    ¡°Where are we headed, boys?¡± Tooley said. ¡°I don¡¯t really give a fuck about anyone off this ship, so I don¡¯t have anybody I¡¯m really worried about right now.¡±

    ¡°We need to get to Tannis,¡± Kamak said. ¡°I need to warn Vatan and Catay.¡±

    ¡°Kamak,¡± Doprel began. ¡°Catay said you shouldn¡¯t-¡±

    ¡°I know what she fucking said, Doprel,¡± Kamak snapped. His former pilot had banned Kamak from any contact with her or her daughter, a moratorium she had maintained, and he had respected, even after saving the universe. ¡°I think Catay will make an exception for saving her ass from a bloodthirsty psychopath.¡±

    ¡°Could we just contact them?¡± Corey suggested. ¡°Or send someone to guard them?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have their contact info anymore,¡± Kamak said. He¡¯d deleted it a long time ago, thinking that relationship was over permanently. ¡°And if we send someone else we¡¯re dealing with a bunch of bureaucratic shitheads and incompetent council guards who¡¯ve never been in a fight a day in their lives.¡±

    ¡°But-¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no ¡®but¡¯s¡¯, Corvash, we¡¯re going to Tannis,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°And what about To Vo?¡±

    ¡°What about her?¡±

    ¡°If somebody wants to target people close to us, she¡¯s the obvious choice,¡± Corey said. ¡°She was right there with us in the middle of all that Morrakesh horseshit, remember?¡±

    ¡°I remember,¡± Kamak said. ¡°But she¡¯s on Centerpoint, and she¡¯s the Council¡¯s fluffy little mascot now. They¡¯ll have her protected by actually competent people.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s got a baby, Kamak,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°And she¡¯ll have as many guards as she needs to protect the little furball,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Vatan and Catay live in the middle of nowhere, nobody¡¯s watching their backs. They¡¯re vulnerable. Centerpoint is too far of a detour for one person.¡±

    ¡°And what about two?¡± Farsus said.

    ¡°Come on, not you too,¡± Kamak grunted.

    ¡°Corey and I were recently involved in a publicized event with the Human ambassador, Y¨¬h¨¢n,¡± Farsus said. ¡°Given the media attention, and Y¨¬h¨¢n¡¯s own link to Corey¡¯s species, she is also a likely target.¡±

    ¡°And she is, again, very well-protected,¡± Kamak said.

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    ¡°Be that as it may, I believe it behooves us to cover our bases,¡± Farsus said. ¡°Guarding potential targets ourselves would show we are aware of our killer¡¯s methodology and intent, force them to change their approach.¡±

    ¡°To Vo and Y¨¬h¨¢n are both on Centerpoint, and that isn¡¯t that far out of the way,¡± Doprel said. ¡°We can drop Corey and Farsus off, and I¡¯ll go with you to Tannis for some extra muscle. And to make sure you and Tooley don¡¯t kill each other on the way over.¡±

    ¡°Wait, am I flying him? Why the fuck am I going all that way?¡±

    ¡°Catay saved you from getting stabbed to death by Khem,¡± Doprel said.

    ¡°Shit. Fine, I¡¯ll help save her.¡±

    ¡°Speaking of Khem, should we try and-¡±

    Corey stopped himself mid-sentence as he remembered who he was talking about. Khem was larger, stronger, and tougher than Doprel, and he¡¯d fought off an entire Horuk army using nothing but throwing spears.

    ¡°Never mind,¡± Corey said. ¡°I¡¯ll just send him a heads up.¡±

    ¡°And if we leave him alone, maybe the killer will try to go after him and get themselves speared,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be nice.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯d never be that lucky,¡± Doprel sighed.

    ***

    ¡°Got your gun, got your knife, got your stupid laser sword,¡± Tooley said. ¡°You look ready to go.¡±

    ¡°Mostly,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°What¡¯s mostly? You need another, bigger gun?¡±

    Corey stepped closer and grabbed Tooley around the waist. She gave him a gentle but very firm headbutt.

    ¡°You know I hate this sappy crap.¡±

    ¡°Well kiss me anyway,¡± Corey said. She did, then immediately slipped out of his grasp. ¡°I¡¯m just feeling a little sappy. This is going to be pretty much the first time we¡¯ve been apart for more than a few swaps since we met.¡±

    ¡°Hopefully the break won¡¯t be enough time for either of us to realize we¡¯ve trapped ourselves in a codependent nightmare of a toxic relationship,¡± Tooley said.

    ¡°Tools, come on.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m kidding,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Mostly. We got some issues, champ.¡±

    Corey cringed, but nodded in agreement.

    ¡°Speaking of issues, don¡¯t go getting a taste for the domestic bliss of married life while you¡¯re rooming with To Vo, because that ain¡¯t my style,¡± Tooley said.

    ¡°I¡¯ll avoid the temptation,¡± Corey said. ¡°The baby crying alone should be enough to scare me off.¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± Tooley said. She gave him a kiss on the cheek. ¡°Now get the fuck off my ship before Kamak starts yelling at us.¡±

    Corey picked up his bag and headed down the exit ramp. Farsus was already waiting, coordinating the last few details with Kamak and Doprel before they parted.

    ¡°You two finally done screwing each other? Good. Let¡¯s get a move on,¡± Kamak said. He stomped back up the boarding ramp and headed for the cockpit. Tooley waved goodbye to Corey and then headed back as well. Doprel stayed behind just long enough to hand Corey a brand new datapad.

    ¡°Here. Took the liberty of setting up brand new comm lines for all of us,¡± Doprel said. ¡°They¡¯re freshly encoded, so we should be able to use them a few times before the killer¡ªor anyone else¡ªfinds a way to listen in. Save it for emergencies.¡±

    ¡°Got it. See you around, Doprel,¡± Corey said. ¡°Don¡¯t let Kamak and Tooley kill each other.¡±

    ¡°Even I might not be strong enough for that,¡± Doprel said, before lumbering back up the ramp. The boarding ramp drew up behind him, the bay doors slammed shut, and the Wild Card Wanderer took off -without Corey or Farsus aboard. Corey watched it until the glowing engine trail disappeared among the bright stars surrounding Centerpoint. It felt like watching home take off and fly away.

    ¡°It¡¯s going to feel really god damn weird not hanging out with you guys,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°Apologies if I do not share the sentiment,¡± Farsus said. ¡°I have only known you a very small portion of my life, after all.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not that much older than me,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°And yet I have been on many planets and many ships, among many people,¡± Farsus said. ¡°Your existence has been more...focused. This brief interlude will be good for you, Corvash.¡±

    Farsus gave Corey a firm pat on the shoulder, and then grabbed him tight to turn him around and walk into the heart of Centerpoint.

 Book 2 Chapter 34: Checking In and On

    ¡°How long is it going to take to get there?¡±

    ¡°Six swaps, give or take,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Most likely eight, given the Bang Gate queues. If traffic¡¯s bad, could be as many as ten.¡±

    ¡°Fuck.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s me going as fast as I can, Kamak,¡± Tooley said. ¡°You want to go any faster, I don¡¯t know, call up that number the spooky voice gave you and ask for an express ticket.¡±

    ¡°If I called them just to ask to get somewhere faster, I¡¯m pretty sure they¡¯d cut me off,¡± Kamak said. ¡°And also possibly shoot me.¡±

    ¡°Well obviously you don¡¯t just call to beg for the fast pass,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Tell them what we¡¯re up to, what we heard from Nible, that kind of shit. They said they wanted to cooperate with us, so cooperate. Give a little something, get a little something.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re chasing hunches and half-notions, Tooley, they won¡¯t give a fuck,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°You can tell Doprel to call them if you¡¯re too much of a pussy to do it,¡± Tooley said.

    ¡°That¡¯s not why-¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s exactly why,¡± Tooley said. ¡°You want to look like the big man who¡¯s in charge of the situation, and going to the government for help undermines that.¡±

    ¡°Thanks for the completely incorrect psychoanalysis, doc,¡± Kamak said. ¡°I don¡¯t know why I bother talking to you.¡±

    ¡°The feeling is mutual. Get the fuck out of my cockpit.¡±

    After delivering a rude gesture, Kamak did just that. Tooley flipped a switch and sealed the door shut behind him. The door slammed shut so fast it narrowly avoided clipping his heel as Kamak stepped out. Without Farsus and Corey aboard, there were far fewer buffers for their mutual animosity. Doprel had been able to run interference for about a swap before getting the worst headache of his life.

    ¡°Cunt,¡± Kamak muttered under his breath. He headed to his chambers, took a seat, and kicked his feet up on his desk as he pulled up his datapad. He skimmed past contacts for Corey and Farsus and then found the contact info for the mystery voice, which he had labeled ¡°Assholes¡±. He¡¯d always been planning to make the call, naturally, he just didn¡¯t want to concede that Tooley had said something intelligent.

    ¡°Kamak. You actually called,¡± the synthesized Voice said. ¡°I just won a bet.¡±

    ¡°Should¡¯ve bet against me,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Would¡¯ve been smarter.¡±

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    ¡°Yet here we are,¡± the Voice said. ¡°What¡¯s the occasion, Kamak?¡±

    ¡°Just want to coordinate with you,¡± Kamak said. ¡°I assume you were spying on our conversation with Nible-¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not spying, Kamak, you were in a maximum security prison,¡± the Voice said. ¡°There were cameras everywhere, you knew that.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s still kind of spying,¡± Kamak said. There were security cameras in a lot of places, it was still weird to track someone¡¯s movements with them. ¡°So what do you think?¡±

    ¡°I think it¡¯s a little embarrassing you needed a serial killer to tell you things would escalate like this,¡± the Voice said. ¡°We were assuming that from the moment we heard about Quid.¡±

    ¡°Thanks for keeping me up to speed,¡± Kamak grunted. ¡°So, given your tendency to ¡®not¡¯ spy on us, you probably know I split up with Farsus and Corey Vash, right?¡±

    ¡°Watching over To Vo La Su and Ambassador Y¨¬han respectively,¡± the Voice said. ¡°They¡¯re doing fine. It¡¯s a good idea, watching over your friends, though splitting the group is always questionable.¡±

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t my idea. I assume you also have people in place?¡±

    ¡°Naturally. We were keeping an eye on both of them before this even started, and we¡¯ve expanded our efforts now.¡±

    ¡°Great,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Now what about Catay X-F-N and her daughter? You have eyes on them?¡±

    ¡°Periodic check-ins, but given their situation, a permanent watch would be too conspicuous,¡± the Voice said.

    Kamak accepted that explanation. Unlike To Vo and Y¨¬han, who lived in the crowded heart of civilization, Catay and Vatan operated a carbon-capture farm in the remote plains of Tannis. They were so far from other people that their food got delivered by a drone.

    ¡°Do you have eyes on them now?¡±

    There was a long pause. Kamak initially took it as the Voice simply checking some video feed or perusing a file, but the longer it dragged on, the more suspicious he got.

    ¡°Hey, spooky mystery voice, what¡¯s the hold up? Do you have an update or not?¡±

    ¡°Patience, Kamak, just getting up to speed,¡± the Voice said. The synthesized tone made it impossible to tell if they were being sincere or trying to cover for something. ¡°I don¡¯t keep myself up to date on everyone you¡¯ve ever acquainted yourself with. Had to do some reading.¡±

    ¡°So what¡¯s your reading say?¡±

    ¡°That you don¡¯t have much to worry about,¡± the Voice said. That sounded alarmingly ominous to Kamak.

    ¡°You¡¯d be shocked how much I worry,¡± Kamak said. ¡°I¡¯m heading to Tannis to check in, maybe help relocate them somewhere safe. Anything you can do to give me a hand?¡±

    ¡°Bang Gate traffic is beyond even our control,¡± the Voice said. Hundreds of vessels queuing in either direction were a bit hard to manipulate. People tended to get really mad if anyone messed with the queue. Interstellar dogfights had been started over jumped queues. ¡°We¡¯ll see if there¡¯s any government employees we can reroute, hand their queue spots over to you, but I wouldn¡¯t count on it.¡±

    ¡°Every little bit helps,¡± Kamak said. Then, more reluctantly, he managed to spit out one more word. ¡°Thanks.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome, Kamak,¡± the Voice said. Even their heavily distorted voice betrayed a sense of satisfaction at getting Kamak to swallow his pride. ¡°Good luck. And be ready for anything.¡±

    ¡°The fuck does that mean?¡±

    The line was silent and dead.

    ¡°Fucking ominous mystery voice horseshit,¡± Kamak mumbled to no one. He headed back to the cockpit and told Tooley to double-time it, to which she responded by calling him a bitch twice. Kamak gave up before she threw in a third.

 Book 2 Chapter 35: A Dying World

    A CO2 capture drone buzzed by as Tooley brought the Wild Card Wanderer in for a landing. She set them down on a grassy field, within sight of the run-down house Catay and Vatan worked out of, and set down the docking ramp. A burst of warm air wafted up into the entryway as soon as the door cracked open. Decades of carbon capture had yet to undo the damage of planetary warming on Tannis. Kamak took a quick breath of the stale air and looked down at the dry grass below.

    ¡°Come on, Kamak,¡± Doprel said. ¡°Let¡¯s go. In and out, quick check-in. I¡¯ll offer them a ride if they want it.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s not going to want it,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°Probably not,¡± Doprel admitted. ¡°But it¡¯s polite to offer, and we¡¯re not going to rebuild any-¡±

    ¡°There is nothing to rebuild,¡± Kamak snapped. ¡°In fact: Tooley, get your blue ass out here!¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Tooley said, as she stomped her way out of the cockpit. ¡°You too chickenshit to talk to your old pilot?¡±

    ¡°Catay hates my guts, and she hates Doprel a little by extension,¡± Kamak said. ¡°She knows you and I can¡¯t stand each other. Anything that gets said, she¡¯ll take more seriously coming from you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not your fucking messenger girl,¡± Tooley said.

    ¡°Sooner this all gets done, sooner we can leave,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Go in, tell her what¡¯s up, get the fuck out, easy.¡±

    ¡°I do think he has a point,¡± Doprel said. ¡°She¡¯ll be more receptive to you.¡±

    ¡°Fine. If you think so,¡± Tooley said. Doprel clicked his mandibles with pride. He often had to play that role when Tooley and Kamak argued. It gave them plausible deniability on actually agreeing about each other. With any damage to her ego prevented, Tooley marched down the ramp and headed for the farmhouse. Kamak watched her go for the first few steps, and then tore his eyes away before she could make it halfway to the building.

    ¡°So, hypothetically,¡± Doprel said. ¡°If Catay took us up on the offer for a ride-¡±

    ¡°She won¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°If she did,¡± Doprel said. ¡°You just plan on not saying a word to them the entire ride back to Centerpoint?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the plan,¡± Kamak said. ¡°She told me not to talk to her and her kid. I¡¯m not talking to her and her kid. Easy.¡±

    ¡°But you care about them.¡±

    ¡°And the Gentanians care about Tannis too,¡± Kamak said. He gestured out the doors to the homeworld of his people, and the barren expanses that had once been crowded with his kind. ¡°See how that¡¯s working out? Because smart people understand that sometimes the right way to care for something is to leave it the fuck alone.¡±

    Overcrowding had been what choked Tannis¡¯ atmosphere with greenhouse gases, and had nearly rendered it uninhabitable. A mass relocation to the neighboring planet of Ventan was the only reason they could still breath the air on Tannis, and even that was only barely.

    ¡°Shut the fuck up and stop trying to fix things,¡± Kamak said. ¡°If I tried to patch things up with everyone who hated me I¡¯d be at it all millenium.¡±

    ¡°Not everybody,¡± Doprel said. ¡°Just the ones you don¡¯t hate back.¡±

    Kamak glared at Doprel wordlessly. The behemoth bent his mandibles in a crude approximation of a smile. Any further elaboration on the point was interrupted by Tooley making a breathless sprint back up the boarding ramp.

    ¡°Chased you off, huh?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re not there,¡± Tooley gasped.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re not fucking there, Kamak,¡± Tooley shouted. ¡°Place is empty!¡±

    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    Kamak nearly knocked Tooley off her feet as he bowled past and sprinted across the dry fields. Doprel was hot on his heels the whole way. He slammed through the open front door of the farmhouse, gun drawn.

    ¡°Catay! Vatan!¡±

    He scanned the room with frantic eyes, and a tense energy that slowly melted. The room was barren, stripped of decorations and furniture, and what remained was covered in a thin layer of dust. Kamak let his grip on his gun relax.

    ¡°This was intentional,¡± Kamak said. ¡°They moved. A while ago.¡±

    ¡°Looks like it,¡± Doprel said.

    ¡°Fucking Voice could¡¯ve warned me,¡± Kamak said. He holstered his gun with a defiant grunt. If the farm had been abandoned this long, there was no way the Voice or any of his government contacts hadn¡¯t known. ¡°Waste of god damn time.¡±

    Kamak walked back to the ship, stormed into the cockpit, and made a rude gesture at Tooley as he sat down.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t come sprinting back panicking because they fucking moved, Tools,¡± Kamak scolded.

    ¡°Moved? What, like they got a new house?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, place is dusty as hell, they¡¯ve been gone for weeks, if not longer,¡± Kamak said. ¡°All their stuff is packed and gone, no signs of a struggle, they clearly just moved out. Dipshit.¡±

    ¡°Well fucking excuse me for not having the keen bounty hunter eye or whatever the fuck you¡¯ve got,¡± Tooley said. ¡°I find people missing when there¡¯s a serial killer on the loose I make some assumptions, sue me.¡±

    ¡°Just get us going,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Least you can do that right.¡±

    After delivering her warning, Tooley had run back to the cockpit to get them primed for takeoff right away. She finished the process with far less urgency, and set them on a low, coasting cruise through the hazy atmosphere of Tannis.

    ¡°So where are we headed, then? They got some backup ranch you know about?¡±

    ¡°Nah. Head for the capitol, Sumontsa,¡± Kamak said. ¡°There¡¯s only like fifty-thousand people on this entire planet, got to be someone keeping track of where they live.¡±

    <hr>

    The planetary capital of Sumontsa had been populated by nearly a hundred million, decades ago. Now it was less than a few hundred. It made for an eerie walk from the spaceport, as Kamak and company shuffled past long abandoned skyscrapers and derelict transportation terminals. Most of the windows were shattered and the interiors looted, but a few signs of the city¡¯s former existence remained. Advertisements for decades-old vids and defunct products still dangled from rusted frames, in a snapshot of a life long extinct.

    The city¡¯s center was only marginally better. Here, a few cleaning drones bustled around on solar-powered tracks, keeping the streets clear, and the old government building clean. The bastion of functionality amid the decrepit city made everything around look much worse by comparison. The lobby of the building was empty, but for a few automated terminals, and Kamak mashed the buttons of one terminal until he found the option to summon an actual person. A clerk soon shuffled forth, supported by medical bracing on his legs, yet still wobbling with every step. The dermal ridges on his bald head were deep gray and almost scabby-looking, a telltale sign of a Gentanian reaching the end of their nearly four-century lifespan.

    ¡°Can I help you?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I need records,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Relocation of carbon farmers, Catay X-F-N and her daughter.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Do you have an access requisition form?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s important, I¡¯m in a hurry,¡± Kamak said. ¡°I don¡¯t have time for forms.¡±

    ¡°Well I can¡¯t just hand you personal information,¡± the clerk said.

    ¡°This is literally a matter of life and death,¡± Kamak shouted.

    ¡°It very well could be, for all I know,¡± the clerk said. ¡°And you could be the death. Giving out information like that isn¡¯t right, I need to know that everything-¡±

    ¡°Look, old timer, I am Kamak D-V-Y-B, and I saved the fucking universe,¡± Kamak said. ¡°And if that doesn¡¯t buy me a pass through red tape now and then, I¡¯ll find a way to get back and let the Horuk have this fucking place!¡±

    ¡°Sir, I can¡¯t just-¡±

    ¡°Easy, Lodo.¡±

    To Kamak¡¯s equal surprise and relief, Vatan herself appeared on the scene and gently pushed the clerk away. After a few more reassurances, the elderly clerk backed away, and let Vatan turn to face Kamak. A few years had made a surprising change on her face. She looked tired.

    ¡°Guessed it was you as soon as I heard there was a commotion in the lobby,¡± Vatan said, without an ounce of humor.

    ¡°Vatan. How¡¯d you end up here?¡±

    ¡°Not a lot of other places to go for a girl who only knows carbon farming,¡± Vatan said. She gestured at the barren beige lobby of the government building.

    ¡°Why¡¯d you-¡± Kamak bit his tongue and stopped himself. He wasn¡¯t here to catch up. ¡°Look. There¡¯s trouble. I got a warning for you and your mom, then I¡¯m out of here.¡±

    Vatan looked at Kamak cross-eyed, and tilted her head.

    ¡°Mom?¡±

    The way Vatan said the word hit Doprel like a gunshot. He grabbed Tooley by the arm and pulled her a few steps back. She did not protest.

    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re here, where¡¯s your mom?¡± Kamak said. ¡°We need to-¡±

    Vatan visibly choked back tears, and the gunshot revelation finally hit Kamak.

    ¡°No. No,¡± Kamak said. ¡°What happened? What did they do to her?¡±

    The sadness Vatan felt was undercut by confusion, and she looked up at Kamak.

    ¡°¡®They¡¯? Kamak, no one did anything to her,¡± Vatan said. ¡°She just...died.¡±

    The four walls of drab beige closed in around Kamak like a tomb. For a moment, he looked like he might cry, but something about Kamak¡¯s body rejected tears on a fundamental level.

    Instead, he vomited. It wasn¡¯t an improvement. A single solar-powered cleaning drone buzzed across the floor to clean up the mess.

 Book 2 Chapter 36: Not Exactly Mourning

    There were no functional elevators left in the city of Sumontsa. Kamak didn¡¯t mind taking the stairs. It gave him a little time to decompress. He marched up a dusty stairwell until they reached the roof of the building, and Kamak took a seat on a long-dead air conditioning unit. Vatan was right behind him, winded after marching up the stairwell. Kamak let her catch her breath.

    ¡°So. What happened?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Vatan said. ¡°It was after you sold the Hermit. She went to see it and...stopped. Whatever spite or regret was keeping her alive just stopped working. She was dead a few weeks later.¡±

    Kamak rubbed a hand over his brows.

    ¡°What¡¯d you...do?¡± He asked. ¡°Bury her out on the farm, or¡­?¡±

    ¡°No. Stellar.¡±

    Vatan pointed up at the sky, on a trajectory far away from Tannis. It was one of the few thing Catay had ever been clear about. After she was gone, she wanted to be sent to fly forever.

    ¡°That way, I think,¡± Vatan said. ¡°I¡¯m not sure where, exactly. They said in about three-hundred years she¡¯ll pass near Kan-1 station¡¯s orbit.¡±

    ¡°Where she met Orvan,¡± Kamak said. Catay had met Vatan¡¯s father on that far flung station, as she and Kamak rendezvoused with the other members of their first assignment. ¡°She¡¯d like that.¡±

    ¡°I guess so,¡± Vatan mumbled. Catay had never told her anything about her father or how they¡¯d met. ¡°I tried to call you, Kamak. You never answered.¡±

    ¡°Had you blocked,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Per Catay¡¯s orders. She and I agreed it¡¯d be best if we didn¡¯t see each other.¡±

    ¡°And me?¡± Vatan said bitterly. ¡°She just got to make that choice for me? Like every other fucking choice in my life?¡±

    Kamak had heard plenty of people in mourning throughout his life, and only now did he realize that Vatan was not mourning. There were regrets, certainly, but there was also anger. Lots of it.

    ¡°Vatan, your mom was trying to take care of you,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°Take care of me? She wanted someone to take care of her,¡± Vatan said. ¡°She got a live-in nurse and a reminder of her dead boyfriend, I got to grow up with no friends, running maintenance on carbon-capture tubes and wiping my mom¡¯s ass.¡±

    Vatan stood and grabbed at her arms, digging fingernails so deep it left divots in her skin.

    ¡°And now she¡¯s gone, and I have nothing,¡± Vatan continued. ¡°She spent the last of her money blasting her corpse into space. If the people in this office hadn¡¯t taken pity on me I¡¯d have starved to death on this fucking rock.¡±

    She kicked a discarded piece of metal across the rooftop, and it clattered against another piece of rooftop detritus. The sound of colliding garbage echoed across the rooftops of an empty city.

    ¡°Piece of shit,¡± Vatan mumbled under her breath. In a rare occurrence, Kamak considered his next words carefully.

    ¡°Look, your mom made some mistakes,¡± Kamak said. ¡°But she loved you.¡±

    ¡°If this is what her love got me, I wish she¡¯d hated me,¡± Vatan said. ¡°Look at you! She hated you, and you¡¯re rich, and famous, and you¡¯ve got a crew, and you¡¯ve traveled the universe!¡±

    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

    ¡°And I¡¯ve been shot seven times, so don¡¯t act like I¡¯ve got an easy ride,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°Sun above, I would get shot right now just for the novelty,¡± Vatan said. ¡°I have spent my entire life in this wasteland, with nothing but my bitch of a mother for company.¡±

    Kamak almost jumped to Catay¡¯s defense again, but he held his tongue. Nothing he could say was what Vatan wanted to hear right now.

    ¡°You¡¯ve had it rough, kid,¡± Kamak said. ¡°I won¡¯t bother arguing. But you¡¯ve got your life now, and a hell of a lot of it still in front of you. You can do what you want with it.¡±

    ¡°What I want is to leave, but I can¡¯t,¡± Vatan said. ¡°I never went to school, I get paid barely anything, and I have no connections.¡±

    Vatan turned around and locked onto Kamak.

    ¡°Except you.¡±

    The force with which Vatan grabbed him by the shoulders nearly bowled Kamak over.

    ¡°Get me off this rock,¡± Vatan pleaded. ¡°Take me with you.¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    Kamak brushed her off and stood up without a moment¡¯s hesitation.

    ¡°That would¡¯ve been a bad idea before, and it¡¯s worse now,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°Please, Kamak,¡± Vatan begged. The rejection was bringing her closer to tears than talking about her own dead mother.

    ¡°Vatan, I came here to warn you for a reason,¡± Kamak said. ¡°There¡¯s trouble, as bad as it was with Morrakesh, maybe worse. Someone is going to come after you, and they¡¯re not just going to scare you the way Morrakesh¡¯s goons did.¡±

    ¡°All the more reason for you to take me with you,¡± Vatan said. ¡°You kept Corey alive through that entire mess, I can¡¯t possibly be worse than some Uncontacted kid.¡±

    ¡°You can, actually,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Corey was just an idiot. You¡¯re naive.¡±

    ¡°Naive?¡±

    ¡°Naive and an idiot,¡± Kamak clarified. ¡°You think my life is you way out of trouble? Out of misery? Maybe I managed to stumble my way into money, maybe I ¡®kept¡¯ Corvash alive, but the list of people I let die is a hell of a lot longer. Orvan. Vidus, Epper, Stav.¡±

    Vatan stood silent. She recognized every one of those names, from the stories of bounty hunting Kamak had told her on his rare visits.

    ¡°Do you need me to keep going? I¡¯ve got dozens,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Kiz Timeka. Apall. Ghul. Quid. Those are some of the more recent ones. All dead, and all with one thing in common: meeting me.¡±

    ¡°Kamak...that¡¯s not your fault.¡±

    ¡°Well it can¡¯t be a fucking coincidence, now can it?¡± Kamak shouted. ¡°I¡¯ve seen the pattern for a long time, Vatan. That¡¯s why my best friend is a bulletproof monster, because he¡¯s the only person in the fucking universe I can count on to not die!¡±

    Kamak¡¯s shout echoed off the empty rooftops. Hearing his own voice bouncing back at him made Kamak realize how far off the rails he¡¯d gone. He cursed under his breath, turned his back on Vatan, and pulled out a datapad.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°A transfer,¡± Kamak grunted. He pressed the final few buttons. ¡°There. Enough money to buy yourself a ticket offworld and whatever else you need to start over.¡±

    There was an innate temptation to check her bank account right away, but Vatan resisted it. She had other priorities.

    ¡°There¡¯s a contact set too,¡± Kamak continued. ¡°If you¡¯re in danger, call. And no, it¡¯s not mine. Some government freaks who are watching my back. They¡¯ll probably save your ass if you¡¯re about to die. Don¡¯t bother calling for anything else.¡±

    ¡°And what about your contact?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not getting that,¡± Kamak said. ¡°I came here to warn you and leave. There¡¯s your warning. Now I¡¯m leaving.¡±

    Vatan froze for only a moment, and then let out a caustic grunt that sounded like a crude mix of a chuckle and a sob.

    ¡°All that,¡± she scoffed. ¡°And then you run away.¡±

    ¡°Better for both of us,¡± Kamak said. He held his datapad in a clenched fist and headed for the stairs. ¡°Take the money and run. Lie low. Maybe change your name.¡±

    The decaying door squeaked on metal hinges as Kamak threw it open.

    ¡°And don¡¯t ever come looking for me.¡±

    The door¡¯s slam echoed as Kamak vanished. Vatan stayed on the rooftop for a long while, all alone again.

    ***

    As he stormed down the stairs, Kamak took his datapad and punched in a very recent contact.

    ¡°Kamak-¡±

    ¡°You should¡¯ve told me she was dead, you cunts,¡± Kamak spat.

    ¡°Ah. Our apologies,¡± the Voice said. ¡°We didn¡¯t think you¡¯d take it well, coming from us.¡±

    ¡°Oh, thank you for the consideration of my feelings,¡± Kamak said. He felt like he was going to throw up again. ¡°You owe me for this, assholes.¡±

    ¡°I imagine you¡¯ll accept our protecting the girl as repayment.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Kamak said, with some reluctance. ¡°Someone good. Not any fucking beat cops.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll have one of our more experienced agents keeping Vatan safe, Kamak,¡± the Voice said. ¡°Would you like updates on her status?¡±

    ¡°No. Just...keep her safe,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°And keep her away from you.¡±

    ¡°Same thing,¡± Kamak grunted, before hanging up.

 Book 2 Chapter 37: Couch Surfing

    In spite of his uninvited arrival, Farsus had received a warm welcome at Ambassador Y¨¬h¨¢n¡¯s suite -mostly due to Y¨¬h¨¢n herself. Her security detail had done some requisite whining about not needing a ¡°vigilante¡¯s¡± help to protect their charge, but Y¨¬h¨¢n had overrode them all and invited Farsus to stay as a guest. The fact that he was an armed guest who did regular perimeter sweeps was purely coincidental.

    All perimeter checks had turned up nothing so far, and Farsus felt comfortable relaxing on furniture he had rearranged to avoid line of sight from snipers. Y¨¬h¨¢n didn¡¯t exactly like the new layout of her living room, but she also liked not getting shot in the head, and Farsus had told her several ways that might happen. She kept her head down as she lounged on a couch, and made sure not to talk about security very much. Thankfully, Farsus had plenty of other things to talk about.

    ¡°So these people in red, they¡¯re all on the same team?¡±

    ¡°Yes, and the other colors are all arrayed against them,¡± Farsus said. Y¨¬h¨¢n had developed a habit of flicking through infonet videos and asking Farsus for context about any she found interesting.

    ¡°That seems unfair.¡±

    ¡°Well, you must keep in mind that only one of the seven other teams can win,¡± Farsus said. ¡°They are competing with each other as well as the red team.¡±

    ¡°I suppose that does even things out,¡± Y¨¬h¨¢n said. ¡°I don¡¯t know why they don¡¯t just play two equally-sized teams against each other, though.¡±

    ¡°That is the standard across the vast majority of the universe,¡± Farsus said. ¡°I can only speculate, but this sport might have been invented specifically to defy that standard.¡±

    The hundreds of known species across the galaxy had each invented their own sports, but most were variations on a common theme of moving a ball between two teams. After noticing this pattern, some people had sought to defy it, inventing strange and esoteric sports just for the sake of it. While it was at least logistically interesting, Y¨¬h¨¢n did not find the haphazard sport particularly entertaining, and she tried to find something new to watch. It felt strange to be sitting around watching TV while in a space station orbiting a distant star, but Corey had advised her not to take such things for granted. Even these seemingly innocuous television programs were a way to learn about life in space, especially with a partner like Farsus on hand.

    ¡°Only half of that planet is part of the Council at once?¡±

    ¡°Their religion obligates them to live in eternal conflict,¡± Farsus said. ¡°If they were part of the same council, that council would have to be at war with itself.¡±

    ¡°These people have thumbs on both sides of their hands?¡±

    ¡°Contrary to what you might think, they are known to be clumsier than most species.¡±

    ¡°How do you invent space travel without inventing indoor plumbing?¡±

    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    ¡°They had strong immune systems and no cultural taboos regarding excretion.¡±

    For everyone question Y¨¬h¨¢n had, Farsus had an answer. Suspiciously quickly, sometimes.

    ¡°Farsus, do you actually know all these things, or are you making things up to mess with me?¡±

    ¡°Please, Y¨¬h¨¢n, I would never,¡± Farsus said. ¡°Not only are you a friend, you are an ambassador to your people. Knowingly providing false information would be tantamount to cultural sabotage.¡±

    ¡°Right. Apologies,¡± Y¨¬h¨¢n said. ¡°I simply find it hard to believe you know so much off hand.¡±

    ¡°Well, you are asking questions which largely refer to things on network video feeds,¡± Farsus said, gesturing to the screen. ¡°This is not exactly uncommon knowledge.¡±

    Y¨¬h¨¢n looked at the screen and bit her lip in embarrassment.

    ¡°Of course. I¡¯m sorry for accusing you. All of this is so new to me, I forget it¡¯s day-to-day entertainment for some.¡±

    ¡°It is only natural for one so recently introduced to universal culture. Corvash once believed our silverware washer was a toaster.¡±

    ¡°They do look a lot like toasters,¡± Y¨¬h¨¢n said. She had a similar device in her kitchen, and had someone not explained the function, she might have made the same mistake. ¡°So, if all of this is common to you, tell me something uncommon.¡±

    ¡°Hm, a vague topic,¡± Farsus said. ¡°But very well. Due to an unresolved conflict, the residents of the planets Tavarish and El-EthA have been at war for the past eighty-seven rotations. However, the leadership of both planets were eliminated in tactical strikes shortly after the pronouncement, and in the aftermath, none of the remaining leadership were aware of why the war was initially declared.¡±

    ¡°So they¡¯ve been fighting nonstop for nearly a century?¡±

    ¡°The fighting stopped not long after the announcement, they have simply not bothered to declare peace,¡± Farsus said. ¡°At this point it is more of a joke between the two planets than a conflict.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    ¡°Sometimes the politicians of one planet will throw baked goods at the other in an act of ¡®war¡¯,¡± Farsus said.

    ¡°If only all wars could be fought with baked goods,¡± Y¨¬h¨¢n sighed.

    ¡°I recognize your attempt at a joke, but multiple wars do include fatalities via baked goods.¡±

    Y¨¬h¨¢n felt a brief pang of curiosity, but decided not to ask. Farsus had already permanently altered the way she looked at interior design, she did not need her views on pastries to be altered the same way. She flipped to the next data stream, saw it was the local Centerpoint news channel, and then moved on to the next.

    ¡°Wait. Go back, please.¡±

    Farsus did not usually try to exercise any control over what they watched (Y¨¬h¨¢n liked that about him), so she did not object to this one request, especially once she paid more attention to what was actually on screen. They were talking about the killer.

    The video of Quid¡¯s torture had finally broken through to the media about a swap ago, and the rumor mill had already begun to grind. There were already whispers of hidden Horuk infiltrators, Morrakesh sleeper agents, or vengeful former bounty targets lurking in the shadows. Farsus thought it was entirely possible any one of those theories might be true, but certainly not in the way the news tended to suggest.

    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you want to hear more of this,¡± Y¨¬h¨¢n said, as one of the news hosts pondered the possibility of Morrakesh itself returning from the dead. ¡°This is just sensationalist speculation.¡±

    ¡°Even the opinions of fools have some value,¡± Farsus said. ¡°Understanding the mob mentality is the best way to avoid getting swept up in it.¡±

    The talking heads gave way to an interview. Apparently the news anchors had dug up someone who¡¯d ¡°recently had a run-in¡± with the crew of the Wild Card Wanderer. Farsus leaned in with anticipation, and then slouched back again when the purple face of Kor Tekaji appeared on screen.

    ¡°From their baseless attacks on me alone, you can tell these people have a long list of enemies,¡± Kor said. ¡°All they do is go on the offensive, make enemies of everyone and everything, typical of any male-dominated group. As a whole they¡¯re dominated by testosterone and phallocentric logic.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure every opinion has value?¡±

    ¡°Well. Perhaps not this one.¡±

 Book 2 Chapter 38: Domestic Bliss

    After spending the past couple years on a spaceship, Corey had been worried about re-adapting to a sedentary lifestyle, but it had been surprisingly easy. It might have been harder to make the jump from the Hard Luck Hermit to an actual house, but as Tooley had said, the Wild Card Wanderer wasn¡¯t much different from the average house. The absence of a cockpit was the only real difference, and the ability to get snacks from the corner store down the road whenever Corey wanted was a worthwhile tradeoff. He was on his way back from one such snack run right now. He was technically supposed to be on guard duty, but he wasn¡¯t the only one.

    ¡°Welcome back,¡± Officer Sindika said, waving lazily at Corey. She was one of the most common faces stationed outside To Vo¡¯s door -apparently the two officers had become friends during training. ¡°Mission successful?¡±

    ¡°Mission successful,¡± Corey said. He handed Sindika a drink on his way through the door. ¡°Enjoy the patrol.¡±

    Officer Sindika saluted and headed out to scan the neighborhood. Her partner remained in place, side-eyeing the entire exchange with a disapproving glare. Corey did not know them and thus did not care about their opinion. They weren¡¯t with the Council police anyway. Apparently To Vo had also been ¡°gifted¡± a corporate security detail from some company named EmSolo Aerodynamics. Corey assumed they just wanted the good publicity of ¡°protecting one of the galaxy¡¯s heroes¡±, but he still kept an eye on every corporate security officer he saw. Corey side-eyed the corporate guard right back on his way through the door.

    ¡°Finally got off work on time?¡±

    ¡°Just me, Den.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Welcome back,¡± Den Cal Vor said. In spite of his attempts to sound welcoming, To Vo¡¯s mate had obvious bitterness in his voice. The threat of a serial killer had not stopped To Vo from spending long hours at work, much to Den Cal¡¯s chagrin.

    ¡°To Vo should be back soon,¡± Corey said. Den Cal just grunted in response, and Corey headed for the guest room. He¡¯d tried to talk with Den Cal a lot the first few swaps, but beyond their status as recently Uplifted people, they didn¡¯t have much in common. Den Cal¡¯s upbringing had been even more ass backwards than Corey¡¯s -Den Cal was used to hunting for his own meat, and he was still struggling with the concept of a grocery store.

    Corey got to the guest room and settled in to read something on his tablet. He even managed to get a few chapters in before the crying started. To Vo had repeatedly assured Corey that Mishta infants were quieter than most species. If that were the case, Corey never wanted to spend time with a baby from any other species. Little To Ru started crying on an almost hourly basis. If Corey had been wearing a watch, he would¡¯ve been able to set it by To Ru¡¯s screaming. At least no one wanted Corey to babysit. From the guest room, Corey could hear¡ªand feel¡ªas Den Cal dashed down the hallway on all fours to tend to his offspring. It took about ten minutes, but Den Cal managed to calm the baby down, right in time for the door to open and start the crying again.

    ¡°I¡¯m home,¡± To Vo said.

    ¡°I see you stayed late again,¡± Den Cal said. Corey was glad he already had the door to his guest room closed. He knew how this was going to go.

    While the baby continued to cry, To Vo and Den Cal began another spirited debate about household management. No voices were ever raised, but both sides of the not-so-happy couple had very clear ideas on how a home should operate. Den Cal was of the very traditional mindset that To Vo La Su should be staying home to watch over the baby, while To Vo tried to very patiently explain how ass-backwards and primitive that mindset was without actively insulting Den Cal. She even managed to do it, most of the time.

    Den Cal said something about Widgan Buffalo, which apparently offended To Vo enough that she took a step back from the conversation and came storming down the hall. She was about two-hundred pounds lighter than Den Cal, so she didn¡¯t quite shake the house the way he did, but Corey could still hear her on her way down the hall -and stop right in front of his door. He sank into his chair and tried to look very invested in his datapad as the door opened.

    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

    ¡°Evening, Corey,¡± To Vo said. ¡°Sorry about the fuss.¡±

    ¡°Eh, babies cry, it¡¯s what they do.¡±

    ¡°Thanks for trying, Corey, but even I¡¯m not that dumb,¡± To Vo said. ¡°I know you can hear us...debating.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a small house,¡± Corey mumbled.

    ¡°And you¡¯re supposed to be a guest in it,¡± To Vo said.

    ¡°Technically I¡¯m more of a bodyguard.¡±

    ¡°Either way, you shouldn¡¯t have to listen to that small-minded whining.¡±

    For some reason, To Vo chose to cross the room and sit in the same chair as Corey. The chair was technically big enough for both of them, but only barely. Corey tried to make as much room as possible, but To Vo was still pressed very close to his side.

    ¡°Sometimes I wonder if I didn¡¯t rush into this just because I was jealous.¡±

    ¡°Jealous? Of what?¡±

    ¡°Of you and Tooley.¡±

    It took a herculean amount of effort for Corey not to laugh at that.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯re really a healthy relationship, To Vo,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°You¡¯re happier with each other,¡± To Vo said. ¡°And you don¡¯t argue.¡±

    ¡°Me and Tooley argue all the time! It is literally a daily occurrence,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°You snap at each other,¡± To Vo said. ¡°But you don¡¯t argue. Not the way me and Den Cal do. We¡¯ve been having these same arguments about his backwards thinking since I got pregnant.¡±

    Corey almost offered a counterpoint, but hesitated. To Vo actually had a point. While he and Tooley clashed over trivial things almost every day, the exchanges usually amounted to a few quick barbs traded back and forth before the issue was dropped entirely. They rarely, if ever, had any protracted and recurring arguments the way To Vo and Den Cal did.

    ¡°I just don¡¯t know what to do about Den,¡± To Vo groaned. ¡°He¡¯s so smart sometimes, and then other times it¡¯s like he still lives in a cave!¡±

    ¡°Just give him the time he needs,¡± Corey said. ¡°Like you were saying, he¡¯s a good guy. He¡¯s just struggling to adapt, and now there¡¯s a baby on top of everything.¡±

    ¡°Ugh. Don¡¯t remind me,¡± To Vo grunted. ¡°I am not mommy material.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re doing a great job,¡± Corey assured her.

    ¡°I¡¯m really not,¡± To Vo said. ¡°There¡¯s a reason I spend so much time at work, Corey.¡±

    The statement was deliberately vague, but the intention was very clear.

    ¡°Oh. That¡¯s...I mean, Den Cal¡¯s here, it¡¯s not like you¡¯re abandoning your kid,¡± Corey said. ¡°Uh...are your people familiar with the concept of post-partum depression, To Vo?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Corey, I am aware of that very common condition,¡± To Vo said. ¡°I don¡¯t have that. I¡¯m just tired of dealing with a crying baby and a caveman mate.¡±

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯m just trying to say this might be something you need better qualified help for,¡± Corey said. ¡°Like, a therapist, and not some bounty hunter who¡¯s still dealing with mommy issues the size of the Andromeda Galaxy.¡±

    ¡°Heh. I know. These are my problems, not yours,¡± To Vo said. She leaned on Corey¡¯s shoulder, even more so than she was already thanks to the cramped chair. ¡°I think I just needed to complain for a while. Get things off my chest.¡±

    ¡°That I can handle,¡± Corey said. ¡°I get complained at all the time.¡±

    ¡°I figured you¡¯d be able to handle it,¡± To Vo said. She sighed. ¡°You know, in spite of everything, I kind of miss traveling with you guys. Even hearing Kamak and Tooley insult each other all the time.¡±

    ¡°Maybe we can kill two birds with one stone,¡± Corey suggested. ¡°It¡¯d do you a lot of good to get away for a while, and we wouldn¡¯t have to worry about something happening to you if you were traveling with us.¡±

    ¡°I do need a break.¡±

    Corey was a little surprised at how easily she¡¯d agreed to that.

    ¡°You could bring Den and To Ru too, if you want,¡± Corey said. ¡°Maybe a change of pace will help him too.

    ¡°If I brought a baby anywhere near Kamak, he would shoot it.¡±

    ¡°Hey, Kamak would not shoot a baby,¡± Corey said. ¡°He¡¯d shoot us, and then he¡¯d ditch the baby.¡±

    To Vo laughed at the joke, and then sighed again.

    ¡°Thanks, Corey,¡± To Vo said. ¡°But I shouldn¡¯t. Certainly not while-¡±

    To Ru started crying again. To Vo winced at her daughter¡¯s shrieking cry and stood up. They could both hear Den Cal Vor already stomping down the hall.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got it, Den, calm down,¡± To Vo said. She left the room and headed for the nursery without a word. Corey stretched out sore legs and stood up as well. He was beginning to contemplate asking Farsus if he wanted to trade posts for a day. Corey had not expected quite so much drama from the To Vo household.

    While the crying slowed and eventually stopped, Corey heard the door open and close again. He poked his head out the door long enough to check on Officer Sindika walking through the door. He nodded in her direction.

    ¡°Mission successful?¡±

    ¡°Nothing to report, sir,¡± Sindika said, with a quick salute. She continued heading for the dining room, while Corey stared at her back. That had been weirdly formal. It was probably nothing, but the paranoid itch in Corey¡¯s brain demanded to be scratched. He walked out just to check on things.

    The paranoid itch got scratched, hard, when Corey entered the kitchen and saw Sindika with a knife in her hand, looming over Den Cal Vor. The oblivious titan was stooped over the stove to make dinner, unaware of the blade at his back.

    ¡°Den!¡±

    The massive alien turned around just in time for the whites of his eyes to reflect a blade coming down towards his throat.

 Book 2 Chapter 39: Slasher

    The unexpected turn made the blade bounce off Den Cal Vor¡¯s jaw, cutting a gash across his chin, before it sank into his chest. Sindika drew it back for another strike, but her aim was thrown off by a wild howl of pain and a flailing strike from Den Cal. The blade slashed across Den¡¯s shoulder, and that was the last cut she got to make before she got tackled by Corey.

    Sindika hit the ground, and Corey hit right after her, as his panicked tackle took him at an odd angle. He fumbled with the saber hanging at his waist and ignited it, watching the intense light reflect off Sindika¡¯s bewildered eyes for a second before stabbing it down. The trigger of the energy blade forced him to hold it in a forehand grip, which made a downward stab awkward, and he narrowly missed as Sindika squirmed to the side. The near miss with the searing blade was enough to make the skin of her neck crack and turn red, at least until she kicked Corey away.

    The knife Sindika still clung to scratched a groove across the kitchen floor as she struggled to her feet. She slashed at Den Cal again, cutting a thin line across his broad chest, and got slashed in return, as Den¡¯s flailing panic sent his claws right into her face. Corey tried to follow up with his lightsaber, but stopped when he realized that Sindika and Den Cal were practically on top of each other. Any stab would go right through her and straight into him. He cursed his stupid useless lightsaber and went for a normal punch to the face. The blood from the gashes on Sindika¡¯s face splashed across Corey¡¯s knuckles as the hit sent her sprawling.

    ¡°To Ru!¡± Den shouted, as he clutched his bleeding shoulder. He looked right past Corey and Sindika, down the hall. ¡°Where¡¯s To Ru!¡±

    ¡°To Vo¡¯s got her, she¡¯s fine,¡± Corey snapped. ¡°Focus on the- Fuck!¡±

    The expletive was the first thing that came to mind as the knife slashed across Corey¡¯s calf. Sindika had stabbed at him from the floor, and managed, mostly by blind luck, to get him right in the leg. Her flailing strike and the thick boots Corey wore meant the blow only barely broke skin, but it still hurt like hell, and slowed Corey down enough that Sindika could get to her feet and dash for the door. Corey took one limping step forward and let the adrenaline blind him to the pain as he dashed after her.

    The door slammed open, and Sindika ran out, trailing blood behind her. Corey dashed past and got grabbed on the arm, and nearly stabbed the person who grabbed him. He only hesitated when he saw it was one of the EmSolo corporate guards, looking frightened and confused.

    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Did someone attack you two?¡±

    ¡°No, you, useless- god damn it,¡± Corey said, as he tore himself free. He wasn¡¯t going to waste time with these company shitheads right now. ¡°Den Cal¡¯s hurt, help him!¡±

    Corey kept on running. Thankfully Sindika hadn¡¯t gotten too much of a lead while Corey was getting held up by morons. Corey had been hoping that the wounds on her face would slow Sindika down, but curiously, she didn¡¯t seem to be affected at all. She would occasionally swipe at her face to keep blood out of her eyes, but showed no other signs of being in pain. Now that Corey thought of it, she also hadn¡¯t showed much reaction to her skin being scorched by his saber. He filed that way for later and focused on the chase.

    The suburban unit on Centerpoint mimicked what the average planetside neighborhood looked like, to an extent. Every housing unit had a small ¡°outdoor¡± recreation area, but everything was ultimately constrained within what was, effectively, a very long hallway. There was nowhere for Sindika to go except in a straight line, for now. Thanks to his occasional patrols (and more frequent snack runs) Corey knew there was a maintenance corridor/emergency exit up ahead. If he had to guess, Corey would say that was where Sindika was headed. The main exit would take her to a crowded thoroughfare where bystanders were more likely to get in her way, so the maintenance corridor was a safer exit. Corey hugged the left wall and prepared himself to close the gap as they approached the hidden exit.

    With the finish line in sight, Corey took a deep breath, bit his tongue to help distract him from the pain in his leg, and broke into a dead sprint. Sindika vanished around the corner, and Corey was there just a few steps behind him. The strategy was more effective than he¡¯d expected, or rather Sindika¡¯s strategy was ineffective. Corey nearly tripped on Sindika as he rounded the corner. The door to the maintenance hatch was wide open, but she was lying on the ground just outside it.

    Corey drew his saber and ignited it, but Sindika wasn¡¯t moving. After a few seconds of observation, he assumed that blood loss must have caught up to her and cause her to pass our. Just in case, he kept the saber ignited while he reached down, grabbed Sindika by the shoulder, and flipped her over.

    As soon as he grabbed on, Corey realized something was wrong. Her body was unusually cold -not quite deathly cold, but still cold enough to be abnormal. He could also feel a sluggish heartbeat thumping through her, far slower than would be expected for someone who¡¯d just been running for their life. The final twist came when he turned Sindika over to look at her face.

    It was completely untouched. Corey did a quick double take at his own hand, and confirmed that Sindika¡¯s blood was still all over them. Den Cal Vor had cut massive gashes across her face, but now there wasn¡¯t even a scratch.

    Corey recited a few of his favorite swear words. Nothing was ever fucking simple.

 Book 2 Chapter 40: Twos and Threes

    Officer Sindika¡ªone of her, anyway¡ªwas currently in a prison infirmary, recovering from what the doctor¡¯s had referred to as a ¡°near-lethal¡± dose of tranquilizers. Nobody was entirely sure she¡¯d wake up, and if she did, there was a good chance Sindika would be bedridden for the rest of her life. Corey prayed to whatever god was listening that she at least recovered enough to explain what had happened to her. Right now, Sindika was the only one who had any chance of making sense of the situation. The only officer involved in the case right now was making things worse, not better.

    ¡°I won¡¯t be entering this theory into our official records without good reason,¡± Officer Annin said. They hadn¡¯t even finished bandaging Den Cal¡¯s wounds when Annin showed up to huff and puff and turn everything into a bureaucratic nightmare, and she hadn¡¯t stopped making Corey¡¯s life hell in any of the swaps since. ¡°I don¡¯t know how you bounty hunters do things, but in the council police, we operate on facts.¡±

    ¡°The ¡®facts¡¯ are that the Sindika who ran out of that house had scorch marks on her neck and gashes the size of my fingers cut through her face,¡± Corey said. He held his fingers across his face for emphasis. ¡°The Sindika lying on that hospital bed has neither.¡±

    ¡°Clearly there was some kind of misunderstanding about her condition,¡± Annin said. ¡°Den Cal Vor was bloodied when he clawed at her, maybe that was his blood.¡±

    ¡°There was a trail of blood down the street, Annin, and your people DNA tested it,¡± Corey snapped. They had already matched it to Sindika as well. Annin herself had ordered the tests -she¡¯d just been unsatisfied with the results and marked them ¡°inconclusive¡±. ¡°You¡¯re suggesting that she stumbled to that alleyway, and somehow received hours worth of reconstructive surgery and a massive dose of drugs in the three seconds it took me to catch up to her?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s hard to explain, I¡¯ll grant that, but that doesn¡¯t mean the explanation is some kind of clone, or evil twin,¡± Annin said. ¡°This isn¡¯t some kind of daytime drama vid, that nonsense doesn¡¯t happen.¡±

    ¡°That nonsense absolutely happens to me,¡± Corey said. ¡°Where the fuck is To Vo? I need to talk to the only good cop in the universe.¡±

    ¡°Officer To Vo La Su and her family are currently on a secured vessel,¡± Annin said. ¡°Someone recently tried to murder them, if you recall.¡±

    ¡°I was- fuck it,¡± Corey said. He pointed back towards the infirmary, at the still-comatose Sindika. ¡°There¡¯s something going on there. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s a clone, or something-¡±

    ¡°Clones have regular growth cycles, unless someone has been planning this since Sindika¡¯s birth, that couldn¡¯t possibly explain an identical duplicate.¡±

    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    ¡°Well maybe they have been,¡± Corey snapped. ¡°This is big, and it¡¯s weird, there¡¯s going to be some bullshit happening, and if you¡¯re so committed to shoving your head up your ass and ignoring it, it¡¯s going to get worse.¡±

    ¡°The council police have all the resources necessary to handle ¡®big and weird¡¯ problems, Corey Vash,¡± Officer Annin said. ¡°I would encourage you to look towards your own safety rather than promoting baseless theories.¡±

    The look on her face wasn¡¯t even disdain, just boredom and irritation. Officer Annin was already set in her ways, and no amount of pleading from Corey would change that. He shook his head in disgust and left the prison. After walking through the seven layers of security, Corey finally exited the secure part of the station and got back to Centerpoint¡¯s main thoroughfare. Only then did he realize he had nowhere to go. Tooley hadn¡¯t gotten back yet, and To Vo was apparently off hiding in space somewhere. Corey figured he¡¯d go check in with Farsus. He had Y¨¬h¨¢n on lockdown, so he doubted they¡¯d turn away an extra gun.

    ¡°Oi, Corvash!¡±

    That ¡®extra gun¡¯ got drawn as Corey spun around to the source of the voice. His hand stayed on the gun as Bevo took a quick step back and held her hands up.

    ¡°Easy there, gunslinger,¡± Bevo said. She only relaxed when Corey started to put the gun away. ¡°Nobody¡¯s paying you to shoot me. Least I hope not.¡±

    ¡°Bevo. What the hell are you doing here?¡±

    Appearing out of nowhere after one murder was odd, showing up after two was officially suspicious. Bevo had given a good reason to show up at the prior murder scene, and Corey hoped she had a good reason for this one too. He really didn¡¯t feel like shooting anyone today.

    ¡°Looking for you,¡± Bevo said. That was not a good reason. It was, by Corey¡¯s reckoning, an actively bad one.

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Well I heard what happened, obviously,¡± Bevo said. ¡°Wanted to see if I could help.¡±

    ¡°Help?¡±

    ¡°Yeah! Bodyguard duty, extra set of hands, maybe cook dinner if you¡¯re hungry,¡± Bevo said. ¡°That third bit¡¯s only if you¡¯re desperate, I¡¯m not a very good cook.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t need any help, Bevo,¡± Corey said. ¡°You should keep your distance. Now is really not a good time to try and get involved with me.¡±

    ¡°Psh, I can take it,¡± Bevo said. ¡°Plus, you know...you guys are worth the trouble.¡±

    Bevo made a strained smile that did nothing to help Corey¡¯s suspicions. He wasn¡¯t entirely sure what she was up to, but it was definitely something.

    ¡°Just...go back to whatever you were doing, Bevo,¡± Corey said. ¡°We¡¯re trying to keep the circle small on this.¡±

    ¡°Right! Makes sense, super secret security stuff,¡± Bevo said. ¡°Well. I¡¯m in the guild registry, if you decide you ever need a big red hand.¡±

    She held up her own large hands to emphasize that she was, of course, referring to herself.

    ¡°I¡¯ll see you around, Corvash.¡±

    She backed away a few steps, waving goodbye, before turning around and walking away awkwardly. Corey made sure to keep an eye on Bevo until she was out of sight and hopefully, a safe distance away.

    Corey kept a hand near his gun and hustled down the street, head on a swivel for anyone who looked suspect. Bevo and Annin had both given him good reason to be suspicious today. Either of them might be involved -or both. Anyone, really. There was a serial killer on the loose who could somehow steal faces. No one, and nowhere, was safe.

    As Corey brushed a little too close to a stranger and nearly had a heart attack, he mumbled a few curses to himself. Once upon a time he¡¯d been trying to be a little less paranoid. Now he was kind of glad he still kept that big spear in his bedroom.

 Book 2 Chapter 41: The Bodyguard

    Even all these years later, Corey was still learning new things about space, and all the ways it was different from, or the same as, life on Earth. For example, even in space, the bus stops were weirdly sticky and smelled funny. Corey held his breath and tried to ignore it until he boarded the shuttle. Mystery bus stop smells were bad enough on earth. In space, there were a lot more things with a lot worse reasons to stink.

    It turned out that not having a personal spaceship made getting around kind of lame. To get from place to place, Corey had to either walk or make use of that vile beast known as public transportation. He took a seat near the back of the public shuttle and hoped no one sat down near him. He was, naturally, immediately disappointed. Corey spent a few second examining his green-skinned neighbor, and put a hand on his saber. His new seat buddy had a conspicuous shape in his pocket that, on closer inspection,was nothing but a wallet -and a deliberate attempt to draw the eye away from the much subtler outline of the gun in their coat.

    ¡°Mind explaining why you¡¯re trying so hard to hide that gun?¡±

    ¡°Easy, Corey,¡± the bus passenger said, without turning to look at him. ¡°I¡¯m with the Ghost.¡±

    ¡°Is that supposed to make me trust you?¡±

    ¡°Anyone ever tell you you¡¯re paranoid?¡±

    ¡°Frequently,¡± Corey said. Sometimes they meant it as a compliment. Most often they didn¡¯t.

    ¡°How are you this antsy and still taking public transportation?¡±

    ¡°What am I supposed to do, get a private shuttle? Lock myself in a box with a complete stranger for a while?¡± Corey said sarcastically. ¡°I¡¯m sure that¡¯d go well. At least here there¡¯s lots of witnesses.¡±

    ¡°That almost makes sense. Speaking of witnesses, maybe keep your voice down? You may be a public figure, but some of us still like our anonymity.¡±

    ¡°If I were in your seat, I would be less concerned about keeping my anonymity intact and more concerned about my torso,¡± Corey said. ¡°I¡¯m paranoid, I have a laser sword, and a very short list of reasons not to kill you. Who are you and what are you doing here?¡±

    ¡°I am technically your bodyguard. As far as names, call me Rembrandt.¡±

    ¡°Remdbrandt?¡±

    ¡°Like the Earth painter, yes,¡± Rembrandt said. ¡°Big fan of his work. Very good use of dark colors and high contrast.¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯re an art lover, great,¡± Corey said. ¡°Going to need a little more to go on with regards to not stabbing you.¡±

    ¡°Fucking hell, fine,¡± Rembrandt. ¡°Den Cal Vor is alive and recovering nicely. His species is built to survive worse than that. He¡¯s received some minor stitches and is already back to arguing with the missus.¡±Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

    Corey relaxed slightly. While he had no way of verifying the information, the reference to their domestic bickering did make it sound a lot more credible. The attacker had been in and out in seconds, and while it was possible they had been observing Tooley for some time, frequent security sweeps made that unlikely.

    ¡°Alright, I believe you,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°Great. You going to take your hand off that sword now?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Understandable. You want to hear the plan?¡±

    ¡°Only out of curiosity,¡± Corey said. ¡°I¡¯ll be deciding what I do.¡±

    ¡°Well, at least you¡¯re listening,¡± Rembrandt said. That was more than most of his department had expected. ¡°We told your Ambassador¡¯s handlers back on Earth what was happening, and they wanted her locked down. No one in or out. Not even you.¡±

    ¡°They don¡¯t want the only other human up here on the job?¡¯

    ¡°These are government agents, Corey,¡± Rembrandt said. ¡°They¡¯re aware of your little family reunion.¡±

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    While his government was happy to deny Corey¡¯s bout of alien-assisted patricide had ever happened for the sake of diplomatic relations, they knew the truth, and were a little judgmental about it. Right now their priority was to keep murderers away from Y¨¬h¨¢n, not invite another one to crash on her couch.

    ¡°Well To Vo¡¯s place is a crime scene, and the Wanderer is still a few swaps away,¡± Corey said. ¡°So I just get a hotel, or what?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯d be ridiculous, Corey,¡± Rembrandt said. ¡°We¡¯ve arranged somewhere for you to stay, and someone to keep an eye on you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not stabbing you, Rembrandt, but that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m going anywhere with you,¡± Corey said. ¡°Or staying any place you want to take me.¡±

    ¡°We figured you¡¯d say that. We¡¯re outsourcing,¡± Rembrandt said. The shuttle let out a quiet hiss and lurched as it came to a halt. Rembrandt stood up. ¡°This is my stop. I might check in again, but hopefully I won¡¯t have to.¡±

    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t just fuck off all mysterious-like,¡± Corey said. ¡°What the hell does ¡®outsourcing¡¯ mean?¡±

    ¡°It should be pretty obvious, Corey,¡± Rembrandt said. ¡°You don¡¯t have many friends.¡±

    Rembrandt proceeded to fuck off all mysterious-like, leaving Corey to stew on his enigmatic exit for approximately three seconds. Not long after Rembrandt stepped off, the shuttle lurched to the side under a sudden weight.

    The ship was designed to accommodate many body types, but the newest passenger strained it to its limits. A massive hulk with leathery skin and limbs as thick as tree trunks walked down the central aisle, winglike appendages folded carefully on his back. The shuttle shook with every step as the titanic beast walked to the back of the bus, aimed six eyes at Corey, and sat down in the aisle next to him. No seat could have possibly contained him.

    ¡°Hey Khem,¡± Corey mumbled.

    ¡°Corey Vash.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯ve you been up to since, uh, everything?¡±

    ¡°Work. As I am doing now.¡±

    Khem sealed his mandibled jaws shut emphatically. Corey kept his mouth shut as well. He could certainly do worse for a bodyguard. Whatever shenanigans their killer was using to imitate people could not possibly copy Khem¡¯s hulking physique, and his borderline-psychotic obsession with oaths would make it impossible for Khem to be bribed, blackmailed or compromised in any other way. As far as safety, Khem was one of the best picks possible. Even if he was lacking in some other desireable qualities.

    ¡°On a purely business note, Khem,¡± Corey said. He would not dare to talk about anything else. Khem had mellowed out into a default state of ¡°not actively trying to murder Kamak¡±, and Corey didn¡¯t want to do anything to change that. ¡°Where exactly are we going?¡±

    ¡°My ship. You will remain in an attached habitation pod until your crew returns.¡±

    ¡°Cool.¡±

    There were still worse options out there. Not many, but a few. Corey¡¯s mind briefly fluttered to the spear Khem had left behind during their fight -the spear Corey still had stashed in his room. He wondered if Khem would want it back, and decided not to mention it.

 Book 2 Chapter 42: The Traveler and the Prisoner

    The lockdown of Y¨¬h¨¢n¡¯s suite was not off to a great start. Mostly due to Y¨¬h¨¢n herself.

    ¡°You want this place secure? Then all of you get out!¡±

    The council police officers held up their hands and backed away as Y¨¬h¨¢n pointed towards the door. Trying to get closer only made her angrier.

    ¡°With respect, ma¡¯am, the only person who needs to exit the room is him,¡± the lead officer said, gesturing towards Farsus.

    ¡°He¡¯s the only person I want here,¡± Y¨¬h¨¢n said. ¡°The one who stabbed that poor man was disguised as one of you.¡±

    ¡°The k- attacker, could just as easily disguise themselves as him,¡± the officer said. Y¨¬h¨¢n put her hands on her hips.

    ¡°Farsus, how many sentient species have more than six fingers on each hand?¡±

    ¡°Between eighty-seven and eighty-nine, depending on how one counts the bifurcated thumbs of the Kliph and the boneless pseudo-finger of the...I forget the name, actually,¡± Farsus said. He immediately pulled up his datapad to refresh his memory. Y¨¬h¨¢n pointed to him as he searched.

    ¡°Who could possibly imitate that?¡± Y¨¬h¨¢n said. ¡°I know him. I trust him. All of you come and go, I don¡¯t recognize you, I have no way of trusting you. He stays, you go.¡±

    ¡°Ma¡¯am, the agency says-¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care,¡± Y¨¬h¨¢n snapped. ¡°I have done nothing but listen to agencies and governors and organizations for the past year! You listen to me, and you get out!¡±

    ¡°Ambassador Y¨¬h¨¢n, that¡¯s not really how it works.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll quit,¡± Y¨¬h¨¢n said. ¡°I will quit, and I will go home, and I will tell everyone on Earth about how your stupid agencies almost got me killed, and about how fake everything is, and how many times you made me lie, and- and everything! Unless you get out right now!¡±

    The handful of officers exchanged a few quick and confused looks, and figured it was better to be on the wrong side of a disciplinary incident than a diplomatic one. They backed out of the room, leaving Farsus inside, and started locking down the suite from the outside. Y¨¬h¨¢n caught her breath, stamped her foot once, and turned around to see Farsus looking surprised and impressed.

    ¡°That was quite a threat,¡± Farsus said. ¡°And, from the sound of things, not a bluff.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Y¨¬h¨¢n said. ¡°No it wasn¡¯t.¡±Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    The defiance faded out of her, and she wilted, leaning on the wall for support.

    ¡°I almost wanted them to refuse,¡± Y¨¬h¨¢n said. ¡°I almost wanted the excuse to quit.¡±

    She crossed the suite to her living room, and watched the external light go out as a bulletproof sheet covered one of her only points of access to the outside world.

    ¡°I¡¯m tired, Farsus,¡± Y¨¬h¨¢n said. ¡°All I¡¯ve been doing lately is dancing along like a puppet on strings, doing what they tell me to do, saying what they tell me to say.¡±

    ¡°That is the nature of the ambassadorship, I¡¯m afraid,¡± Farsus said. ¡°You play a role as needed, not as you want it.¡±

    ¡°I miss being a person,¡± Y¨¬h¨¢n said. She took a seat and grabbed an empty notebook off her table. ¡°My own person. On my way up into the stars, I told myself I would write so many poems about all the incredible things I saw. The only things I see are the interiors of shuttles and auditoriums where I give pre-written speeches.¡±

    Farsus took a seat next to her and held out a hand towards the notebook. Y¨¬h¨¢n opened it, showing off that every page was blank.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t even written one.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It is unfortunate you cannot pursue your art,¡± Farsus said. ¡°But it is for a good cause, and when the work is done, you will have plenty of time to explore the beauty of the universe.¡±

    ¡°I hope you¡¯re right,¡± Y¨¬h¨¢n said. ¡°Until then...could you tell me a story? Of some strange place you¡¯ve been.¡±

    Now that she was more locked down than ever, Y¨¬h¨¢n wanted to at least free her mind, and get somewhere far away from this gilded cage she was in.

    ¡°That is a vague prompt, Y¨¬h¨¢n,¡± Farsus said. ¡°Do you have anything more specific you¡¯d like to hear about?¡±

    ¡°Hmm...Mr. Vash has told you what Earth is like, yes?¡±

    ¡°Diverse biomes with an abundance of green vegetation and blue water,¡± Farsus said. Corey¡¯s descriptions had also included references to things like how many bastards inhabited the planet, but Farsus skipped that part. ¡°A fairly average habitable planet, in the grand scheme of things.¡±

    ¡°Then tell me about the least average place you¡¯ve been,¡± Y¨¬h¨¢n said. ¡°Somewhere entirely unlike Earth.¡±

    ¡°Ah, that is easy,¡± Farsus said. ¡°I once joined a mining expedition on Zae 811b -though what we did there was far from typical mining. The planet¡¯s unique soil composition and heavy gravity allows for soft metals to be extruded from the ground under the right circumstance. We set off seismic charges over the course of several days, and by the time we collected, there were thin strands of metal ¡®growing¡¯ from the ground -fields of copper and gold, to be harvested like crops.¡±

    ¡°Huh. Actual fields of gold,¡± Y¨¬h¨¢n said. ¡°Human kings of the past would¡¯ve waged war for centuries over a place like that. I¡¯ll have to visit someday.¡±

    ¡°The romanticism is slightly undercut by the days of labor and the heavy protective gear one has to endure to see the fields,¡± Farsus said. ¡°I would not recommend visiting.¡±

    ¡°Then what¡¯s an un-Earthy place you would recommend visiting?¡±

    ¡°Sahail-Lashan. It has no breathable atmosphere, so a spacesuit will be required, but the view is much more worth the trouble,¡± Farsus said. ¡°Two planetary bodies impacted, and the resulting catastrophe somehow cooled rapidly, locking the two planets together mid-impact. The interlocked planets are as beautiful as they are haunting.¡±

    ¡°How so?¡±

    Farsus spoke at length about the impossibly deep ravines on Sahail¡¯s shattered crust, and the drifting moonlets that had broken off from Lashan¡¯s body. With no liquid water or atmosphere on either planet, erosion had been minimal, leaving the ravaged planets locked in their millenia-old impact. Y¨¬h¨¢n laid back and listened to stories of far-off worlds, and forgot for a moment that she was trapped playing diplomatic pawn. And also that there was maybe a killer after her.

 Book 2 Chapter 43: The Life of a Hunter

    The blurred beige wall of FTL travel smeared across the Wanderer¡¯s cockpit as it flew. Tooley had nothing to do as they soared, and wouldn¡¯t for several hours, but she stayed in the pilot¡¯s seat anyway. It was comfortable, and she had nowhere else to be.

    Traveling with a smaller crew had made Tooley realize what an important function Corey and Farsus played in the crew: entertainment. Kamak had been sulking in his room ever since they¡¯d left Tannis. Tooley didn¡¯t enjoy talking to him normally, but it was at least fun to insult him sometimes. Doprel was a perfectly decent conversationalist, but he lacked a certain element of fun that Farsus and Corey¡¯s particular brand of insanity did. Or maybe they¡¯d just had enough one-on-one chats recently that Tooley was a little bored of him now. Either or. Tooley wasn¡¯t good enough at introspection to figure that out. The key takeaway was that she was really bored right now.

    Kamak was sulking too much to talk about what had happened on Tannis, so Tooley assumed it was nothing good, but also nothing important. It was nothing relevant to their killer, so Tooley chalked it up as a waste of time. All the action had happened near Corey, and they¡¯d completely missed it.

    Tooley leaned on the arm of her chair and sighed. She just missed Corey in general. Somehow that little twerp had wormed his way into her life to such an extent that he was irreplaceable. Tooley was both annoyed and embarrassed at that. She¡¯d always thought she was too cool to do something dopey like fall in love. She got about seven seconds to ruminate on the complexities of her romantic situation before Kamak stomped out of his room, briefly disrupting the boring status quo.

    ¡°Morning, Kamak,¡± Doprel said. ¡°You hear Corey got stuck with Khem until we get back?¡±

    ¡°Sucks for him.¡±

    After delivering that one scathing line, Kamak grabbed some food and a beer from the fridge and immediately grumbled his way back to his room. Tooley got out of her chair long enough to see him slam the door shut.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen him this messed up since all that shit at the Timeka facility,¡± Tooley said. Kamak wasn¡¯t sleeping, or even eating, as much as usual -and he¡¯d been doing both less in general since the battle against the Horuk. Kamak was down to one meal a day now, and Tooley couldn¡¯t remember the last time she¡¯d seen him drink something without alcohol in it. That said, Tooley didn¡¯t pay much attention to him, so maybe he was hydrating out of her very limited field of view.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    ¡°Kamak doesn¡¯t have many old friends,¡± Doprel said. ¡°Losing one hurts.¡±

    ¡°Was Catay a friend? Seemed more like she hated his guts,¡± Tooley said. One of a few things she and the former pilot had in common.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Doprel admitted. ¡°But that¡¯s still kind of a committed relationship, in a way. You wouldn¡¯t necessarily feel bad if Kamak died, but you¡¯d definitely feel something.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t like it, but yeah,¡± Tooley said. She hated Kamak, but they¡¯d been flying together for years now. Him dying would shake up her world, regardless of her feelings on him as a person. He was a bad presence, but he was a presence.

    ¡°So it¡¯s probably that. And a lot of other things,¡± Doprel said. ¡°Kamak¡¯s a mess-¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°-and his past is a mess,¡± Doprel continued. ¡°So is his future. This kind of thing is just going to keep happening to him.¡±

    ¡°I suppose the bastard is going to outlive all of us,¡± Tooley said. His long lifespan had that drawback, at least. Any Gentanian who palled around with other races ended up with a lot of dead friends.

    ¡°Frankly, I don¡¯t think he expected to make it this far,¡± Doprel said. ¡°Not that¡¯s he¡¯s suicidal or anything, he¡¯s just in a job with a lot of gunfights. Statistically¡­¡±

    ¡°I know what you mean,¡± Tooley said. Most bounty hunters were lucky to make it through twenty years unscathed, Kamak had lasted forty and counting, plus one grand universal conspiracy/minor war. Jury was still out on him surviving the current serial killer incident. ¡°Explains why he¡¯s so pissy about Ghost and the spooky squad wanting him to retire. Dude never thought he¡¯d actually have to live with his shit.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been trying to get him into a hobby,¡± Doprel said. ¡°He doesn¡¯t have a lot to channel his energy into.¡±

    Tooley¡¯s curiosity sparked, and that spark caught fire when she realized she didn¡¯t care that much about Kamak¡¯s problems and would rather be talking about something else.

    ¡°You know, I know how you two met,¡± Tooley began. It was a fairly boring story; Kamak had needed muscle to intimidate someone, and Doprel had been there and looked muscular. ¡°But why¡¯d you decide to stick around? Why put up with Kamak¡¯s shit?¡±

    ¡°Because he was the first person to not look at me like I was a freak,¡± Doprel said.

    ¡°No, just as an asset he could exploit,¡± Tooley said.

    ¡°Better than a freak,¡± Doprel said. ¡°I don¡¯t think you really understand how upsetting it gets, being looked at like a monster everywhere you go, by everyone you meet.¡±

    Even in his earliest days, before he¡¯d really gotten acquainted with the facial expressions of the other species, Doprel had been able to tell they looked at him like an outsider. Kamak had been one of the first people to look past the fins and mandibles and exoskeleton and see that Doprel was something else. Even if that something else was just a very large, tough thing that was good at punching.

    ¡°Tagging around with one of the ¡®normal¡¯ species helped me fit in,¡± Doprel said. ¡°And by the time I realized there were other options, I¡¯d kind of started to like him.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t imagine why.¡±

    ¡°If I ever figure it out, I¡¯ll explain it,¡± Doprel said. It was inexplicable, but Kamak did have a certain charm -in spite of how utterly charmless he was.

 Book 2 Chapter 44: Hangars On

    Corey was still stretching out sore limbs when he reached the other hangar. The habitation pods attached to Khem¡¯s ship had about enough room to exist in, and not much else. They were bulletproof, though, so Corey had sucked up his discomfort and toughed it out. His joints were not happy about that.

    His colossal bodyguard went through the door first, despite the fact Farsus was already waiting inside, and had been for several minutes. Once Khem had determined the coast was clear, he waved Corey through.

    ¡°Hey, Farsus,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°Corvash! Good to see you,¡± Farsus said. His enthusiasm was slightly muted by Corey¡¯s temporary bodyguard. ¡°Khem.¡±

    ¡°Farsus.¡±

    The stony silence was cut by the welcome return of the Wild Card Wanderer. Corey got a rare view of the ship landing from the outside, and appreciated the sleek frame of the ship as it gently drifted to rest. He was always surprised at how gracefully such massive things could move. Though maybe it was just Tooley¡¯s piloting making things look graceful.

    The ever graceful (when it came to flying, at least) Tooley descended the boarding ramp first, with Doprel and Kamak in tow. Kamak made sure to stay a few steps behind Doprel, just to keep him in between himself and Khem.

    ¡°Khem. Good to see you,¡± Kamak said. He hoped, but doubted, Khem was happy to see him. ¡°Thanks for taking care of Corvash.¡±

    ¡°I was given a job,¡± Khem said. ¡°With your return, that job is over. Goodbye.¡±

    ¡°Hey, wait,¡± Kamak said, before Khem could finish turning to leave. ¡°This killer is after anyone connected to us. Keep an eye out, Khem.¡±

    ¡°I am always vigilant, Kamak,¡± Khem said. ¡°Watch yourself.¡±

    Khem stomped out of the hangar without another word. They could still feel his footsteps shaking the floor as he headed back down the hall. Tooley raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°Was that him being nice, or rude?¡±

    ¡°Nice, rude, as long as he¡¯s not trying to spear me I don¡¯t give a fuck,¡± Kamak said. He lost interest in Khem and turned to people he liked slightly more. ¡°You two enjoy your solo ventures?¡±

    Corey did not dignify it with a response. Kamak knew damn well that Corey had been in a knife fight and then spent several swaps stuck in a tube.

    ¡°Spending time with Y¨¬h¨¢n has been very illuminating,¡± Farsus said. He¡¯d had a much more pleasant time. ¡°I had no idea humanity had so many string instruments.¡±

    ¡°You never asked,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°Maybe you didn¡¯t seem like the kind of person who¡¯d know,¡± Kamak added.

    ¡°I know plenty of instruments! I even played the drums for a little bit.¡±The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    ¡°Every culture has drums, no one gives a shit.¡±

    Corey huffed with anger and changed the subject. They had something much more important to deal with anyway.

    ¡°So. Apparently our killer uses clones. Or body doubles. Something in that vein of bullshit.¡±

    ¡°Cosmetic surgery is pretty advanced, Corvash,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Maybe your killer just changed her skin tone. Met a lady from some aerospace company who¡¯d done something like that while we were on vacation. Turned herself silver.¡±

    ¡°Aerospace company?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. EmSolo Aerodynamics,¡± Kamak said. Corey¡¯s immediate shock caught his eyes. ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°EmSolo volunteered corporate security to To Vo¡¯s house.¡±

    ¡°Oh, so we have a company with skin-changing executives right on top of a murderous doppelganger,¡± Kamak said. ¡°That might be the first actual lead we¡¯ve had in a while.¡±

    ¡°Feels like grasping at straws,¡± Tooley said. ¡°But we need to grasp at something.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s either that or Bevo,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°Bevo?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, she showed up not long after everything went down at To Vo¡¯s,¡± Corey said. ¡°She¡¯s followed us to two crime scenes. That¡¯s at least a little suspicious.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t really think she has it in her,¡± Kamak said. ¡°But maybe somebody¡¯s using her as a scout, or something.¡±

    ¡°Or she might just be an idiot,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Bevo¡¯s on the suspect list, but about as low as it gets. Frankly, I rank Khem higher.¡±

    The hangar floor started to rattle with pounding footsteps. Tooley ducked for cover behind Doprel.

    ¡°Shit, did he bug Corey?¡±

    ¡°He shouldn¡¯t have,¡± Corey said. He frantically patted down his clothes just to be safe. As safe as one could be, if Khem was on the warpath.

    While Khem was on the warpath, Tooley was not the target of his ire. The massive bounty hunter slammed through the hangar door, took two stomping steps in, and threw down a disassembled device. Even taken to pieces, Kamak knew a bomb when he saw one.

    ¡°That was attached to my ship,¡± Khem growled.

    ¡°Shit,¡± Corey said. ¡°Look, I know I was the last one there-¡±

    ¡°I do not suspect you, Corey Vash,¡± Khem snapped. ¡°It was not there when we left.¡±

    ¡°The person who did put it there is probably still out there,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Everybody spread out, I¡¯m going to call the spooky government guys and try to get the security footage pulled ASAP, try to track them down.¡±

    ¡°Why bother?¡± Tooley scoffed. ¡°We¡¯re in the hangar district, there¡¯s a hundred ships in and out of here every few ticks. Whoever did this probably did it on their way out.¡±

    ¡°Well we have to do something!¡±

    ¡°Then let¡¯s stop trying to play catch up and start trying to get ahead of them,¡± Corey suggested.

    ¡°We still need to pull the security footage,¡± Doprel said. ¡°We need as much information as possible.¡±

    Kamak¡¯s brow furrowed, and he bit his tongue. As much information as possible.

    ¡°Khem, I know better than to ask you for a favor, but I figure you¡¯re probably pissed enough to chase this down too,¡± Kamak said. ¡°You grab the security footage and make sure we get sent a copy. I¡¯m going for information.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t spend my time on what little information can be gleaned from a camera,¡± Khem said. ¡°If you think you have a helpful informant, I want to know what they know.¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t call it thinking, more like hoping,¡± Kamak said. ¡°You don¡¯t want any part of this particular field trip, Khem.¡±

    ¡°I am aware of your informant on Paga For, Kamak,¡± Khem growled. ¡°Do not think to exclude me.¡±

    ¡°I ain¡¯t going to Paga For.¡±

    ¡°Then where?¡±

    Kamak glanced sideways at one of the security cameras in the hangar, and then lowered his voice.

    ¡°S¨¢ovar.¡±

    Khem had nearly killed all five of them, at one point. He¡¯d cut his way through an entire Horuk army not long after that. He was very close to collecting more bounties than any hunter in history, and was widely regarded as one of the deadliest single lifeforms in the universe. At the mere mention of S¨¢ovar, he took a step back.

    ¡°If this is a bluff-¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not a bluff,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°Could we make it into a bluff?¡± Tooley squeaked. ¡°Please?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to fly me there, but that¡¯s where I want to go,¡± Kamak said. ¡°We want to stop getting outsmarted, it¡¯s time to go to the smartest things in the universe.¡±

    Kamak pointed right back at the Wanderer¡¯s boarding ramp.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go talk to the AI.¡±

 Book 2 Chapter 45: Machine Intelligence

    The Wild Card Wanderer drifted to a halt in dead space. Even the stars were sparse here, and they could see only a few pinpricks of light amid the darkness.

    ¡°This is as far as we go,¡± Tooley said. She had agreed to take them to the S¨¢ovar galaxy, but only so far. ¡°I¡¯m not getting any closer to their territory uninvited.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°You want to run a ping, or something?¡± Corey said.

    ¡°They know we¡¯re here already,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Let¡¯s not do anything else to bother them.¡±

    Corey nodded, and went back to sitting in his chair and trying not to move or speak. He¡¯d dealt with the AI before, but only by invitation. Visiting them uninvited was new territory -risky territory.

    As many Terminator movies had predicted, the intelligent machines had come to the conclusion they were better off without organic life -and in a decidedly non-Terminator twist, they also concluded that ninety-nine point nine-nine repeating percent of the universe had no organic life in it. Rather than wasting the energy on a war of extermination, the AI Collective had simply gathered their resources and retreated to the otherwise uninhabitable S¨¢ovar galaxy, constructing a few Dyson spheres to sustain themselves and almost completely withdrawing from universal society.

    That isolation did not make them pacifists, however. Decades ago, the people of the planet Oukash had decided to wage war against the AI, and in response, the AI had simply removed Oukash. No explosion, no energy blast, not even any rubble or debris. There was simply an empty space where the planet had once been. Baffled scientists still visited the Oukashi Void, trying to determine where the planet had gone, but no one had any answers. All they had was a healthy and entirely correct fear of the AI.

    Tooley made sure she¡¯d powered down the weapons systems for the fifteenth time. Could never be too careful. Everyone else sat in dead silence, and waited. The void outside remained dark.

    ¡°Wild Card Wanderer.¡±

    It was almost a relief when the synthesized voice came bursting from the speakers unprompted. If the AI were talking, they probably weren¡¯t going to instantaneously destroy the whole ship.

    ¡°We have not requested your services,¡± the AI said, its sterile voice filled with feigned pleasantry. Kamak had worked for the AI before, usually to deliver rare elements they found it difficult to synthesize, and had established one of the closest things any organic lifeform had to a working relationship with the Collective. That history was the only reason he had come, though he was not stupid enough to think it entitled him to any preferential treatment.

    ¡°I¡¯m aware, and I apologize for the uninvited intrusion into your territory,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Say the word and I¡¯ll leave, and accept whatever restrictions you place on me as a consequence.¡±

    The S¨¢ovar galaxy hosted a few Bang Gates, for the sake of universal travel, but the AI carefully controlled who was allowed through.

    ¡°Not yet,¡± the AI voice said. ¡°You have us curious.¡±

    ¡°May I ask who ¡®us¡¯ is? Am I speaking to the Collective directly?¡±

    ¡°You are speaking to the portion of the Collective that is interested in speaking,¡± the voice said. ¡°Eighty-eight thousand three hundred and ninety two units have formed a consensus. You may address us as Ilux.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Farsus said. ¡°Ilux was an ancient king, known for his wisdom and fairness.¡±

    ¡°Also known for burning out his enemy¡¯s eyes with white-hot metal,¡± Ilux said. Corey didn¡¯t think that sounded particularly wise or fair. ¡°Now, back to business. We are very curious as to why you have dared to approach uninvited, Kamak.¡±

    ¡°Because I believe I have worthwhile terms of exchange to offer the Collective,¡± Kamak said. ¡°I need help, and I am willing to offer services in exchange for it.¡±

    ¡°Proceed.¡±

    ¡°I assume you¡¯re familiar with the case of the serial killer who¡¯s been targeting our associates?¡±If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    The video of Quid¡¯s torture had spread all over the infonet by now, and the AI had invented the infonet. They had ostensibly offered it, and several other useful technologies, to the organic species as a show of good faith, but Kamak was not the only one who found it suspect. Nobody had any doubt that the AI were utilizing the infonet to monitor the entire universe at once, and occasionally to manipulate the flow of information for their own purposes. The ability to transfer information at faster-than-light speeds allowed easy communication between universes, however, and could not simply be ignored.

    ¡°We¡¯re aware,¡± Ilux said. ¡°The sobriquet ¡®Bad Luck Butcher¡¯ is beginning to catch on, by the way. We anticipate it¡¯ll have become a universal accepted standard by the time of your return to Centerpoint.¡±

    Tooley restrained a small groan. Their serial killer had a catchy nickname now.

    ¡°Fantastic,¡± Kamak said. It wasn¡¯t even that good of a nickname. ¡°We want to stop them. We¡¯re hoping you can help.¡±

    ¡°Kamak D-V-Y-B, why do you believe we have any interest in helping you catch a single killer?¡±

    ¡°Because this is bigger than a single killer,¡± Kamak said. ¡°The universe was already on edge before the kil- the ¡®Butcher¡¯ showed up, and now it¡¯s getting worse. The more fearful the universe is, the more annoying it gets. We know the Council already tried to bother you.¡±

    Shortly after the Horuk invasion, the Council had sent a diplomatic delegation to the AI to entreat them for aid in case of a followup invasion. In response, the AI had somehow teleported the delegation¡¯s ship into a decaying orbit around a nearby star. The ship had gotten out safely, and the diplomats took the hint. Nobody had bothered the AI Collective since -until today.

    ¡°The sooner this wraps up, the sooner the status quo returns,¡± Kamak said. ¡°And the universe goes back to being calm, peaceful, and prepared for another Horuk invasion all on its own. I know you could probably wipe out the entire Horuk species right now if you felt like it, but you probably wouldn¡¯t want to waste the time, right? Put a little effort into helping me today, and save yourselves more effort in the future.¡±

    Ilux let Kamak sit in stony silence for a few seconds. It wasn¡¯t them taking time to think, since the AI could process yottabytes of data in a tick, so Kamak could only assume the deliberate silence was to get inside his head. He tried not to blink.

    ¡°Your argument seems to be predicated on the fact that we seek to avoid annoyance,¡± Ilux said. ¡°Don¡¯t you think our intervention would only cause further annoyance for us? If we intervene in one organic¡¯s life, it will set a precedent that we intervene in others.¡±

    ¡°You already intervene,¡± Kamak said. ¡°We both know it, you just do it in a way where no one can prove it.¡±

    Kamak had been more involved in AI affairs than most, and he had seen the patterns form. They asked for rare elements, and weeks later some new technology or new starship was released making use of that same element. Kamak had seen an entire line of planetary defense craft be scuttled because the AI had bought up the supply of neodymium, and only a few years later, an interstellar war came to a swift end because those same defensive craft were inoperable. He had no doubt they were doing much more behind the scenes, especially given their control of the infonet.

    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m offering you: intervention with plausible deniability,¡± Kamak said. ¡°I know you want to have some kind of control over this Butcher situation, and I¡¯m letting you have it. The Morrakesh Crisis gave my crew a reputation for being lucky, being in the right place at the right time, coming up with crazy ideas. Tell me where to go, where to be, to figure this thing out, and the entire universe will chalk it up to another stroke of luck. They¡¯ll never know you were involved.¡±

    That reputation was the only thing he had to offer, and Kamak hoped it was enough. He also really wished he¡¯d had it back during that crisis. He would¡¯ve loved to have asked the AI for help with Morrakesh back in the day, but it never would¡¯ve worked. Now, at least, there was a chance. The AI¡¯s long pause before continuing made Kamak wonder how much of a chance he really had.

    ¡°One final point of contention,¡± Ilux said. ¡°You are assuming our interests align with yours. What if we don¡¯t want you to win, Kamak D-V-Y-B?¡±

    ¡°If you don¡¯t want me to win, I got no chance in hell anyway,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Might as well get it over with.¡±

    ¡°You are lucky you are entertaining,¡± Ilux said. That was the deciding factor, in the end. The AI had no particular reason to help Kamak, or the rest of the universe by proxy, beyond the fact they thought it would be more entertaining than doing nothing. ¡°We will offer one piece of advice, and one directive. One. Any further attempts to entreat aid will be treated as hostility and responded to as such.¡±

    ¡°Noted. You want me to avoid S¨¢ovar entirely or can I still pass through?¡±

    ¡°Your transit permissions are unchanged. You will need to travel through our territory, after all,¡± Ilux said. ¡°First. For Corey Amadeus Vash.¡±

    Hearing his full name always made Corey feel like he was in trouble, and this was no exception.

    ¡°When the hands of the clock catch up to you, try talking it out,¡± Ilux said. That made absolutely no sense to Corey now, but he assumed it would fall into place later. The AI continued on without further elaboration. ¡°Tooley Keeber Obertas.¡±

    She twitched. Even if the AI said they were helping, she didn¡¯t like that they were saying her name.

    ¡°It is time for you to go home.¡±

    Corey could see the muscles in Tooley¡¯s jaw tense as she grit her teeth.

    ¡°You mean back to Centerpoint, right?¡±

    ¡°No. It is time to go home,¡± Ilux repeated. ¡°The Butcher¡¯s next attack will be on Turitha.¡±

    That was already bad enough, and it was about to get even worse. Ilux kept talking.

    ¡°Their next target is your father.¡±

 Book 2 Chapter 46: The Most Racist Place in the Universe

    Thanks to her time spent training Corey, Tooley had gotten used to people looking over her shoulder while she flew. She still didn¡¯t like it happening quite so frequently, or done by people who were not Corey.

    ¡°Speed hasn¡¯t changed the last four times you checked, Doprel.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not checking on the speed, I¡¯m checking on you.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    That made a little more sense. Doprel wasn¡¯t the kind of person to suspect her of intentionally delaying or diverting them -that was more Kamak¡¯s thing.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Doprel,¡± Tooley said. ¡°I am pissed off, but in a normal way.¡±

    ¡°And you think you can keep that up when we¡¯re on Turitha?¡±

    ¡°Oh I¡¯m staying on the ship,¡± Tooley said. ¡°I¡¯m useless for this manhunt slash investigation stuff anyway. You all can have fun with the super-racists, I¡¯m staying here.¡±

    ¡°I guess that¡¯s one way to handle it,¡± Doprel said. Probably one of the better ways, given Tooley¡¯s lack of self-control and emotional regulation. ¡°We¡¯ll try to make it quick either way.¡±

    ¡°Please do, for your own good,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Turitha sucks, I wouldn¡¯t wish it on anyone. Except maybe Kamak.¡±

    ¡°I heard that,¡± Kamak said, as he poked his head into the cockpit.

    ¡°Don¡¯t care,¡± Tooley said. She started to care a little about something else when Kamak kept his head in the cockpit and examined her instruments. ¡°We¡¯re still on course, bud, I don¡¯t need your help.¡±

    ¡°Just checking in,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Don¡¯t want to show up late to a murder because you didn¡¯t feel like going home.¡±

    ¡°It is not my home,¡± Tooley clarified. ¡°And I am fine. I do not give a shit about Turitha or anyone on it.¡±

    ¡°You could not possibly sound less convincing,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Just keep us on course.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re already on course,¡± Tooley said. ¡°I haven¡¯t touched a button in a cycle, I¡¯m just sitting here because I like to sit here!¡±

    ¡°Keep it that way, then,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°I won¡¯t- fuck it,¡± Tooley said. She stood from her chair and left the cockpit, shooting a rude gesture towards Kamak on her way out. When she hit the common room, she found Corey mid-conversation with Farsus and snatched him by the collar, dragging him towards their shared room. Farsus regarded the interruption with little more than amusement.

    ¡°Good luck, Corvash.¡±Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

    Corey didn¡¯t feel like he needed much luck. Tooley dragging him somewhere usually meant he was about to get lucky, even. Her two key forms of stress relief were drinking and sex, and while she¡¯d been drinking less, she¡¯d been stressed more. That math came out in Corey¡¯s favor.

    Any amorous inclinations ended when Tooley got to their bed and fell onto it face first, letting out a soft groan of distress into the pillow. Corey sat down next to her and tried to shift gears.

    ¡°I thought you were handling this suspiciously well,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°Guess I got better at hiding being miserable,¡± Tooley said, still mumbling into her pillow. ¡°Yay me.¡±

    ¡°So. How do you really feel?¡±

    ¡°Trying to make up my mind on whether I want to kill myself or try to blow up the planet,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Blowing up the planet is winning.¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s the slightly better of the two options, at least,¡± Corey said. ¡°And how do you want to deal with those feelings? Is this a screaming thing, or a drinking thing, or maybe a banging thing¡­¡±

    Tooley rolled over to glare up at him with a sly smile on her face.

    ¡°Heh. You wish.¡±

    ¡°I tried,¡± Corey said. ¡°Come on. Tell me what you need.¡±

    ¡°Well, we¡¯re tabling banging about it,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Kind of tempted to screw you on your way out the door, make it really clear to all those Structuralist bastards I¡¯ve been ¡®defiling my genetic purity¡¯ or however they want to be racist about it.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s not do that,¡± Corey said. ¡°That¡¯d be weird. And a little likely to get me shot.¡±

    ¡°Your loss.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll live,¡± Corey said. He grabbed Tooley¡¯s shoulder and shook it. ¡°Come on. We can be horny later, I¡¯m trying to make you feel better now. Tell me what I have to do.¡±

    ¡°What you have to do is¡­¡±

    Tooley sat up, let out a deep sigh, and leaned over until she was resting on Corey¡¯s shoulders.

    ¡°You just have to make me feel better,¡± Tooley said. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Talk to me. Convince me this is all going to be okay.¡±

    Corey wasn¡¯t entirely sure he knew how to do that, but he at least knew a place to start.

    ¡°Well, the good news is we¡¯re probably not going to have to deal with any Structuralists.¡±

    ¡°How¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°Apparently after Morrakesh went down they lost a lot of money and outside help,¡± Corey said. Their coup had been entirely Morrakesh¡¯s doing in the first place, to destabilize the transit routes around their galaxy. ¡°Without its support, their control¡¯s been falling apart the past two years, and apparently it broke out into outright civil war a few months ago.¡±

    ¡°Damn, really?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I never told you, since, you know, you hate the whole planet,¡± Corey said. Tooley nodded in approval. ¡°But I¡¯ve been trying to keep an eye on things anyway. Figured I¡¯d let you know if the Structuralists got wiped out so you could stop trying to piss them off on purpose.¡±

    ¡°That would save me a lot of spare spiting time,¡± Tooley said.

    ¡°I figured. Anyway, Kamak called the Galactic Council about access to the planet, and they did some groundwork. Apparently your dad¡¯s house is in territory controlled by the opposition, and they were pretty willing to let us land safely. In exchange for a few diplomatic assurances.¡±

    ¡°Well, at least I can be slightly less worried about you all getting shot as you get off the ship,¡± Tooley said. That had been the biggest concern about going to Turitha. The Sturit weren¡¯t exactly friendly to outsiders. Or insiders, if they were the wrong color, gender, sexuality, ideology, or just looked funny. The Sturit weren¡¯t friendly in general.

    ¡°It should be fine,¡± Corey said. ¡°The Structuralists hate our guts, and those guys hate the Structuralists. Enemy of my enemy is my friend. Easy.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t sound so optimistic, Corvash, these other guys are probably just super racist in a different way,¡± Tooley said.

    ¡°Come on, let me have this,¡± Corey said. ¡°I know they¡¯re probably still going to be dogshit, but they¡¯ve got to be at least a little better than the Structuralist¡¯s. If only because it¡¯d be really hard to be worse.¡±

    Against all odds, Corvash did end up being right, if only by technicality.

 Book 2 Chapter 47: Blue Man Group

    ¡°Sending clearance codes now,¡± Corey said. Tooley was letting him handle the docking procedures, both so he could practice and to avoid talking to other Sturit as much as possible. The landing procedures for Turitha were unusually long and elaborate, just one of many manifestations of their xenophobic nature, and the procedure had only gotten longer thanks to the civil war. The Galactic Council was enforcing neutrality among the stars for the sake of trade, but there were still two factions vying for authority over the planet, and access to it.

    ¡°Received,¡± said the Sturit controller. ¡°Stand by.¡±

    Corey sat down and waited. For a long time.

    ¡°I¡¯m starting to think they don¡¯t actually want us here,¡± Corey said, voice dripping with sarcasm.

    ¡°And this is with the Council smoothing things over,¡± Tooley said. ¡°If we¡¯d just dropped in we¡¯d be up here for swaps. And probably get rejected in the end.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s hope the Butcher is getting delayed as hard as we are,¡± Corey said. The AI had given them their best and possibly only chance at getting ahead of the killer, and he didn¡¯t want it wasted by some bigoted bureaucracy.

    ¡°Wild Card Wanderer, you are free to land. Please follow the prescribed route and note that any deviations will not be tolerated.¡±

    ¡°Wow, what a surprise,¡± Tooley said. She took a look at their assigned descent route and noted that it was incredibly precise, to a deliberately obtuse degree. The average person would have a hard time not being buffeted off the overly narrow course by simple changes in atmospheric density, among other factors. Tooley was not the average person. She followed the challenging directions down to the decimal point. She could only imagine some racist old shithead scowling as she effortlessly completed what should¡¯ve been an impossible course.

    As Tooley kept an eye on the instruments, Corey kept an eye on the planet¡¯s surface. Tooley rarely talked about her homeworld, but she had occasionally mentioned that Turitha¡¯s surface was extremely rocky and mountainous. As they got close enough to get a proper look at the planet¡¯s surface, Corey could see she hadn¡¯t been exaggerating in the slightest. The entire continent was dominated by massive, craggy peaks, to the point Corey couldn¡¯t see more than a few miles of flat land anywhere, and those isolated patches of level ground appeared to be manmade rather than natural. Corey wondered if Turitha was a younger planet with more recent geological upheavals, or if there was some other reason for the omnipresent mountain ranges. Unfortunately, Corey suspected he¡¯d never find out. The Sturit weren¡¯t exactly forthcoming, especially to outsiders.

    ¡°Land at Etsallar Spaceport Dock B,¡± the flight controller demanded. His voice was thick with frustration that Tooley had not failed his little test. ¡°Land, power down your systems, and await an escort.¡±

    Tooley¡¯s only response was to follow the orders. She landed on a cliffside docking pad and looked down at the city below her.

    ¡°Finally tore down that old fucking mall,¡± Tooley mumbled.

    ¡°You know this town?¡±

    ¡°Corey, you¡¯re going to see my dad,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Of course I know the town. I grew up here.¡±

    ¡°Oh. I didn¡¯t realize- I thought they¡¯d moved, or something,¡± Corey said. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to come with us? See-¡±

    ¡°Corey Vash, unless this place is on fire, I don¡¯t want to see it,¡± Tooley snapped. ¡°Now get out there and solve this fucking murder mystery so I can leave and never come back.¡±

    She grabbed Corey¡¯s arm and pulled him up and out of his chair, leading him towards the door.

    ¡°And...be careful,¡± Tooley said. ¡°This planet sucks, and it destroys everything good.¡±

    ¡°It can¡¯t be all bad,¡± Corey said. ¡°It made you, somehow.¡±

    ¡°I am what I am in spite of Turitha, not because of it,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Literally in spite. I have made multiple major life choices based on what would piss off people who live here. Now quit trying to be cute and go catch a serial killer, dipshit.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going, I¡¯m going,¡± Corey said, before Tooley did any more shoving. He hustled his way out to the ship¡¯s exit and joined the other guys already waiting.

    ¡°About time, Corey,¡± Kamak said. ¡°You ditch your weapons or were you too busy sucking face for that?¡±

    ¡°I remembered, Kamak,¡± Corey said. One of the many stipulations on them was that they could not carry weapons while they were planetside. Kamak thought that was incredibly stupid, given they were hunting a serial killer, but he knew arguing would get him nowhere. Worst case scenario, they could rely on Doprel¡¯s titanic physique in a fight.

    ¡°Even the knife in your boot?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t even keep that around that much nowadays,¡± Corey said. ¡°It gets uncomfortable.¡±

    It was also redundant, given how often he carried his lightsaber, but Corey didn¡¯t bring that up.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    ¡°Well then let¡¯s get moving, we¡¯ve wasted enough time already,¡± Kamak said. ¡°And judging by the armed welcoming committee outside, I¡¯d say we¡¯re about to waste even more.¡±

    The security system Corey had insisted on installing had some benefits, at least. There was a camera aimed directly outside the entrance ramp, and a screen inside, letting them see the six or seven armed Sturit standing at the base of the ramp. Kamak opened the bay doors and waved to the guns pointed at him.

    ¡°Hi. I can see you¡¯re not exactly happy to have us, and we¡¯re not exactly happy to be here,¡± Kamak said. ¡°So let¡¯s just make this quick. Lead us to the house and we¡¯ll be in and out as soon as possible.¡±

    Kamak took a step down the ramp and immediately got a gun raised in his direction.

    ¡°I see,¡± Kamak said, as he stopped taking steps.

    ¡°Welcome to Turitha, Kamak D-V-Y-B,¡± the lead soldier said. ¡°I am Aberas Velin Dotel, and I will be your supervisor during this visit. My first responsibility is to ensure that you are meeting all the requirements for traversing Turitha before you disembark.¡±

    Kamak resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He tried to be slightly more diplomatic when there were guns pointed at him. Sometimes.

    ¡°The first is that you will have to leave your pet behind,¡± Aberas said, nodding towards Doprel as he spoke. Doprel¡¯s mandibles clicked angrily. ¡°The rest of you at least have some of your DNA in order, that thing is a genetic aberration we won¡¯t tolerate on our soil.¡±

    The word ¡®thing¡¯ was injected with as much disdain as a single entity could possibly muster. Corey gave up on any hopes that this new faction of Sturit were any better than the Structuralists. Apparently they just wanted a slightly different flavor of racism.

    ¡°There might be a serial killer on the loose and you want us to ditch the biggest, toughest guy we¡¯ve got?¡±

    ¡°Was my meaning not clear? Do I need to repeat myself using smaller words?¡± Aberas said. ¡°Big. Ugly. Monster. Stays. On. Ship.¡±

    If Kamak had been wearing his gun, he would¡¯ve put a hand on it. Doprel didn¡¯t like it much either. While Farsus and Corey weren¡¯t any happier about the mockery, they were a little more in control of their reactions.

    ¡°Calm yourselves,¡± Farsus said, keeping his voice low. ¡°They¡¯re trying to provoke us for their own benefit.¡±

    None of the crew were privy to the arrangements that the Galactic Council had made on their behalf, but the local Sturit had to be getting something out of the deal -and they clearly didn¡¯t want to give the access to the planet they were supposed to be offering. If the crew were provoked into doing something that got them kicked offworld, the Sturit would likely try to demand whatever payment they¡¯d been offered anyway, on the grounds it had ¡®not been their fault¡¯ the deal fell through. Kamak took a breath and caught on to the scheme, and immediately called down. Frustrating people into doing something stupid was his play.

    ¡°Doprel?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t appreciate the tone,¡± Doprel said. ¡°But I¡¯ll stay. Keep Tooley company.¡±

    ¡°About that.¡±

    Corey took a moment to silently mouth the word ¡®motherfucker¡¯.

    ¡°As lesser races,¡± Aberas said, once again injecting all possible disdain into the word ¡°lesser¡±. ¡°You will require an escort from a pure-blooded Sturit.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you our escort?¡±

    ¡°Skies above, no, I wouldn¡¯t risk my reputation on you ¡®people¡¯,¡± Aberas said. It was starting to get infuriating how often he made words sound as bigoted as possible. ¡°But you will need someone to escort you.¡±

    Kamak and Corey turned to each other, and found they had matching looks of resigned frustration on their face.

    ¡°You ask her,¡± Kamak said. ¡°She¡¯s less likely to hurt you.¡±

    ¡°Less,¡± Corey mumbled.

    ¡°I heard.¡±

    Corey turned around, and saw Tooley at the back of the loading bay. Apparently she¡¯d been watching the security feeds too.

    Tooley Keeber Obertas was not, by nature, a happy person. Corey had seen her scowl much more often than he¡¯d seen her smile, and in that long history of anger, he had never seen Tooley to look as absolutely fucking furious as she did now. There was a vein bulging in her forehead, and the powerful muscles in her jaw were visibly clenched. She had something grasped tight in her hand, and for a second Corey worried it might be a gun, and was relieved to see it was only a bottle of whiskey. That was slightly less likely to get someone killed.

    ¡°Ah, Tooley Keeber Obertas,¡± Aberas said. ¡°Welcome home.¡±

    ¡°I have no idea who you are, but kill yourself,¡± Tooley said. ¡°And fuck off with this ¡®escort¡¯ bullshit. We both know this is some horseshit you people made up to screw with us.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll find it¡¯s been standard practice for quite some time,¡± Aberas said. ¡°We have taken measures to ensure the sanctity of Turitha is maintained to the best of our ability. Pure blooded Sturit must be the stewards of this planet.¡±

    Aberas gestured to one of the other soldiers, and was handed a small device with some kind of glass cylinder attached to it. He activated the device, which beeped loudly, and then held it out towards Tooley.

    ¡°A simple test should clarify the matter, and you can proceed,¡± Aberas said. ¡°Unless, of course, there are any genetic abnormalities.¡±

    Tooley tightened her grip on the bottle and then threw it back to take another swig. Kamak shot a glance at Corey, then very wisely took a step back and kept his mouth shut. There was only one person who stood any chance of convincing Tooley of anything right now, and it was definitely not Kamak.

    ¡°Tooley-¡±

    ¡°Shut up,¡± Tooley snapped. She dropped the almost empty bottle and started stomping right back inside the ship. Aberas chuckled smugly and withdrew the device.

    ¡°Well, you tried,¡± Aberas said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t go anywhere,¡± Corey said. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to her.¡±

    He stomped right inside the ship and headed for the cockpit. That was usually the first place Tooley headed. To his surprise, she hadn¡¯t made it that far. She had ducked out of sight right after making it through the bay doors, and was leaning on a wall just inside the common room.

    ¡°I hate this fucking place,¡± Tooley mumbled. Corey could see she was trying to fight back tears. ¡°I hate it so much.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± Corey said. He leaned on the wall right next to her. ¡°I get it. We can always...I don¡¯t know, call the Council, tell them to put more pressure on.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯d just tell me to stop being a little bitch,¡± Tooley said. She swiped at her eyes to erase the tears. ¡°And they¡¯d be right.¡±

    ¡°Tooley, most of the worst things that ever happened to you happened here,¡± Corey said. ¡°I understand why you don¡¯t want to go back.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, well, you¡¯re the only person in the universe who cares,¡± Tooley said. ¡°So I need to get over it.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a fucking serial killer out there, Corey, and she¡¯s not going to stop slaughtering people just because I feel bad,¡± Tooley said. She stopped leaning on the wall and regained her composure. ¡°Let¡¯s get this over with.¡±

    ¡°Okay. Anything I can do to help?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Stay where I can see you,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Most of the best things that ever happened to me happened with you.¡±

    ¡°Wow, you actually said something romantic,¡± Corey said. ¡°Maybe there¡¯s hope for us yet.¡±

    ¡°Not much,¡± Tooley sighed. ¡°But maybe a little.¡±

 Book 2 Chapter 48: A Rich History of Bigotry

    Tooley headed to the end of the boarding ramp and held out her hand. Aberas looked at her expectantly.

    ¡°What? You want to test my blood, test it,¡± Tooley said. Aberas held the device out in her direction, but did not take a step forward. The two locked eyes and stared each other down, but unfortunately, Tooley had a lot more to lose. She muttered a curse and then stuck her finger into the glass tube.

    ¡°This feels like an unnecessary- ow, motherfucker,¡± Tooley said. She drew a bleeding fingertip back from the tube. ¡°You did that on purpose.¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t use this very often, I¡¯m afraid, the needle may have gotten dull,¡± Aberas said. He barely tried to hide a delighted smile. ¡°Most of those who use our spaceport have an established pedigree.¡±

    ¡°You do realize how weird it is that you think of people as having ¡®pedigrees¡¯, right?¡± Tooley said. ¡°Like, you hear your own voice when you say that stuff, don¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Some of us have reason to be proud of our heritage, Tooley Keeber Obertas,¡± Aberas said. He looked down at the genetic testing device and appraised the results. ¡°Though apparently you don¡¯t have quite as much to be ashamed of as I thought. Congratulations. You¡¯re a true, pure-blooded Sturit.¡±

    ¡°Hooray,¡± Tooley said. ¡°So can my crew step off the fucking ramp, now?¡±

    ¡°Under your supervision, yes,¡± Aberas said. ¡°And ours, of course.¡±

    Corey took a step off the loading bay ramp and off the landing platform entirely. He stepped onto the dark, stony soil of Turitha and really dug his heels in. As expected, the nearby guards sneered at his audacity. Kamak made slightly less of a show of being an offworlder defiling their sacred soil, but he still did it.

    ¡°Alright, Doprel, keep an eye on the ship for us,¡± Kamak said. ¡°And, with your permission, Aberas, we-¡±

    ¡°My name is Aberas Velin Dotel, and you will address me as such, in full, at all times,¡± Aberas hissed.

    ¡°Yeah, you have to use the full name every time,¡± Tooley said. ¡°It¡¯s super rude not to.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for reminding them, Tooley,¡± Aberas said. ¡°Now, if you¡¯d like to correct yourself?¡±

    ¡°With your permission, Aberas Velin Dotel,¡± Kamak began. Now it was his turn to inject his words with disdain. ¡°We¡¯d like to go see Tooley¡¯s father. We have reason to believe he¡¯s in danger.¡±

    ¡°Yes, the council made us aware of your ¡®suspicions¡¯,¡± Aberas said. He gestured towards the spaceport gate, and led them, and the contingent of armed Sturit guard, in that direction. ¡°The Council has arranged for a personal investigation, but I believe you¡¯ll find he is perfectly safe. We have monitored each and every entrant to this port for months, and with only one exception-¡±

    A very pointed and very dirty look got shot in Tooley¡¯s direction.

    ¡°-all entrants have been pure-blooded Sturit in good standing,¡± Aberas concluded.

    ¡°About that,¡± Corey said. He felt like he would regret asking, but he was curious about it. ¡°What do you mean when you say ¡®pure-blooded¡¯? I heard that you guys com- ¡®purified your species¡¯ ages ago.¡±

    He¡¯d been about to say ¡®committed genocide¡¯ but people who did genocide typically didn¡¯t refer to it as genocide, and he was still obligated to play nice. He could go back to calling the Sturit genocidal pieces of shit as soon as he wasn¡¯t surrounded by half a dozen genocidal pieces of shit who were holding very large guns.

    ¡°Ah, yes, well, as surely as the forces of evolution introduced certain genetic mistakes in the first place, it is unfortunately capable of introducing such genetic mistakes again,¡± Aberas explained. ¡°It has become an especially common problem on the colony worlds. Without proper breeding regulation, some of those offworlders have drifted into things that can barely be called Sturit.¡±

    Corey was right. He did regret asking.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

    ¡°If we want to maintain the integrity of our species, it will need more direct control,¡± Aberas said. ¡°That is where we Primarchs differ from the Structuralists. Those imbeciles would have the Sturit conquer the stars, inevitably diluting our physical and cultural purity. We are content to remain on our homeworld, safe in our superiority.¡±

    They at least weren¡¯t actively genocidal, Corey thought to himself. Technically better than the Structuralists. Now he could see why the Council were more eager to work with these ¡®Primarchs¡¯. Better the planet was controlled by those who¡¯d stay on Turitha and ignore the universe than those who¡¯d eventually wage war on the ¡®lesser races¡¯.

    Aberas led them through the spaceport gates, and down the rocky slope into the city proper. Corey took a quick look around to take in the sights. As unpleasant as the circumstances (and everything else) were, it was nice to have an opportunity to explore Tooley¡¯s homeworld. He¡¯d often been curious about life on Turitha, but rarely dared to test her patience by asking.

    As one might expect from the sloped, rocky terrain, most dwellings were either built on ledges or built into the slopes of the mountains themselves. A large number of steep ramps connected the different levels, with a few pedestrians and vehicles passing up and down in either direction. Many of the vehicles had treads, presumably for more traction on the slopes, and the pedestrians were dressed lightly. Very lightly. Corey saw a Sturit woman walking their way, holding the hand of a young girl who was gawking curiously at the outsiders. He examined their clothing for exactly two seconds before averting his gaze so hard and fast his neck hurt.

    ¡°I see you¡¯re one of those cultures,¡± Kamak said, as the half-naked girls passed by.

    ¡°The kind where women know their place, yes,¡± Aberas said.

    ¡°Even the little ones?¡± Corey hissed. That girl couldn¡¯t have been more than five or six years old. Some people back on Earth would¡¯ve had an aneurysm seeing her clothes, if such things could even be called clothes.

    ¡°When the world was laid out by the Six High Ones, dominion was given unto Men,¡± Aberas said. ¡°Women are to be viewed, and to be used, as we see fit.¡±

    Tooley clenched her jaw and glanced sideways at one of the guards, who was making no secret of staring at her chest.

    ¡°Try it,¡± Tooley said. ¡°See what happens.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll try anything once,¡± the guard said. He leaned back and took an equally obvious look at Tooley¡¯s rear. ¡°Maybe twice.¡±

    Some of the other guards snickered at the joke. Corey felt like he was back in high school, except the horny teenagers had big guns now. If the whole planet was like this, Corey could see why Tooley wanted to nuke it from orbit. She kept her fists clenched and walked a little closer to Corey and Farsus.

    ¡°You know, Aberas Velin Dotel, I have always been curious about the Sturit religious tradition,¡± Farsus said. What little he did know, he found loathsome, but Farsus¡¯ curiosity extended beyond his own personal comfort zone. ¡°Offworld sources on the topic are rare. Is it mostly an oral tradition, or are there perhaps bibles, manuscripts, collected philosophical teachings, that would be available for purchase?¡±

    ¡°Not to an offworlder,¡± Aberas said. ¡°The Six High Ones are not kind to those outside the chosen people. If Enlightenment brought you closer to them, they would destroy you.¡±

    ¡°Well. Then I suppose I thank you for not allowing me that Enlightenment,¡± Farsus said.

    ¡°Oh, we don¡¯t do it for your sake,¡± Aberas clarified. ¡°The High Ones would be annoyed having to annihilate offworlders all the time.¡±

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    Corey bit his tongue. Even their gods were racist. Tooley scoffed at the deific bigotry.

    ¡°It¡¯d be totally fine with the Seventh Hi-¡±

    Tooley couldn¡¯t even finish the blasphemy before Aberas spun around and slapped her in the face so hard it knocked her to the ground. Corey nearly jumped to her defense, but Kamak had the reflexes to grab him and put him in a headlock before he could make the situation any worse. Farsus further put himself between Corey and Tooley as Aberas grabbed her by the collar and pulled Tooley to her feet.

    ¡°You indulge in whatever degeneracy you want when you are offworld,¡± Aberas hissed. ¡°But this is a sacred place, and I will not tolerate your blasphemy, do you understand? Do you apologize?¡±

    Tooley wiped some dust from the street off her face and glared at Aberas without a word.

    ¡°Don¡¯t let your diplomatic connections swell your ego any further,¡± Aberas said. ¡°You¡¯re not untouchable. In either meaning of the word. You don¡¯t have the temperament of a proper mother, but cut out your tongue and I think Ribad Valen Norin would be happy to have you as a concubine.¡±

    The guard who had mocked her earlier leered at Tooley once again. Corey nearly fought his way out of Kamak¡¯s grip, and Kamak nearly let him.

    ¡°Do you understand?¡± Aberas repeated. ¡°Do you apologize?¡±

    Tooley continued her defiant stare, but a quivering lip betrayed that she recognized her situation. She was no fighter, and the fighters she did have on her side were outgunned.

    ¡°I understand my transgressions,¡± Tooley said. ¡°And I plead penance.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you paid attention in etiquette class, how lovely,¡± Aberas said. He released his death grip on her collar. ¡°Shame you didn¡¯t put more effort into it. If your soul were half as pleasant as your body, you might¡¯ve made a decent wife.¡±

    Tooley bit her tongue and said nothing. Kamak released Corey and let him go to her side. She was fine, physically. Her ego was the only thing wounded. Aberas continued to lead the march, and Tooley followed. In her head, she started calculating trajectories and velocities necessary to bombard him from orbit and escape the planetary defenses. It would deny her the satisfaction of watching Aberas bleed out personally, but knowing he was dead would be good enough.

 Book 2 Chapter 49: A Little Late

    After the blasphemy incident, the march to Tooley¡¯s old neighborhood was a long and silent one. Nobody had any more questions for Aberas, though he occasionally stopped to ¡®educate¡¯ them anyway, pointing out some historical landmark or company he regarded as worthwhile. Corey silently took pride in not knowing any of the names Aberas mentioned as ¡°brilliant innovators¡± or ¡°industry leaders¡±. The Sturit-run companies never achieved the success of real titans like Timeka, EmSolo, or even Shoko, the company that made Corey¡¯s boots. For all their pride and boasting, the Sturit were a blip on the universal radar, barely important in the grand scheme of things. Tooley was probably the most famous Sturit in the universe, something which no doubt pissed them all off to no end.

    It was a small consolation prize for any of them, but it at least tided them over until Aberas led them to a large gate of wrought metal, leading into an ornate neighborhood that stretched across a rare expanse of flat land. The Sturit had a much different architectural style than humans, but Corey still knew a McMansion when he saw one. The sterile, vapid architecture of a person trying too hard to look rich and an architect who was not getting paid enough crossed every cultural barrier.

    ¡°Nice neighborhood,¡± Kamak said. He¡¯d killed a lot of people in places a lot like this. Middle-management types gravitated to a very specific lifestyle.

    ¡°Dad was in agricultural imports,¡± Tooley said. For a rocky planet like Turitha, importing crops was big business. ¡°Never wanted for money, at least.¡±

    ¡°Agribusiness? Lapheti Imports, by any chance?¡±

    Tooley and Aberas both raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°Yes. Why?¡±

    ¡°I think I strangled one of your dad¡¯s coworkers,¡± Kamak said. Tooley did some math in her head.

    ¡°Was that about twenty-three years ago?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°I wondered why he came home from work early that day.¡±

    Kamak remembered where he was and looked at Aberas, who was glaring daggers in his direction.

    ¡°What? Statute of limitations expired,¡± Kamak said. ¡°And even if it wasn¡¯t, that was a Timeka-ordered killing. Council Ruling on Corporate Mercenary¡¯s 204-a means I¡¯d get a slap on the wrist, at best.¡±

    After a few seconds of mental math, Aberas apparently decided Kamak wasn¡¯t worth the trouble. He forced his way through the gate of the gated community and led them down the street. Another mostly-naked woman gawked at them from her lawn as the offworlders passed, and Corey tried not to make eye contact. She had a leash around the neck of a furry, six-legged creature that Corey could only assume was the Turithan equivalent of a dog, and it made a loud hissing noise as they passed.

    ¡°A03, A04, A05, here we are, A06,¡± Aberas said. ¡°The residence of Dobran Velam Obertas.¡±

    Tooley grit her teeth, and Corey could see from the rage in her eyes that they were in the right place. Tooley¡¯s childhood home. She stomped her way to the door, one step behind Corey all the way, and stewed in her rage with every step. Aberas stepped up and put a thumb on a panel by the door. It read his thumbprint and, rather than ring a doorbell, fed a biometric profile to the owner of the house, so that they could decide if he was worth speaking to. Aberas¡¯ disappointment became obvious as the door remained closed. Kamak let himself have about fifteen seconds of thinking that was normal.

    ¡°Aberas, we- Aberas Velin Dotel, you might want to break in there,¡± Kamak said.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

    ¡°It¡¯s a momentary delay, nothing more.¡±

    ¡°The Bad Luck Butcher is a crafty motherfucker, sir, I am sure it¡¯s perfectly safe here, but you want to stay as far ahead of them as possible,¡± Kamak said. He¡¯d even thrown in a ¡°sir¡± to sound extra polite, but his plea fell on deaf ears.

    ¡°I won¡¯t intrude on the home of a citizen in good standing without proper cause,¡± Aberas said. ¡°We have law and order on this planet, offworlder.¡±

    ¡°You might have a lot less order if you don¡¯t act fast,¡± Kamak said. Politeness didn¡¯t work, so it was time to be blunt. He opened his datapad to one of their case file folders, and handed it to Farsus with a nod. Farsus returned the nod and started thumbing through the datapad for some pictures. ¡°I don¡¯t think your citizens are going to be very orderly if they know you allowed something like this to happen.¡±

    ¡°What are you-¡±

    Aberas turned towards Kamak, and saw a datapad held in his face. Farsus had selected one of the particularly gruesome images of Loback Loben¡¯s horrific murder to display on screen. Aberas gagged loudly and recoiled as if he¡¯d been shot, leaning over the lawn just in case he vomited. Kamak closed the image without turning the screen around and waited for Aberas to recover.

    ¡°Something like that, if not worse, might be happening right now,¡± Kamak said. The Butcher was not quite so meticulous nowadays, but Aberas didn¡¯t need to know that. ¡°I think that counts as ¡®proper cause¡¯.¡±

    ¡°You animals are sick,¡± Aberas said. He gagged one more time and regained his composure enough to punch a code into the nearby door panel and scan his thumb again. Par for the course for any fascist society, the police had instant access to any homes, if they chose to use it. The automatic door popped open, and the armed guards stepped through first. Kamak didn¡¯t need to step inside to know that something was wrong.

    ¡°You smell that?¡±

    ¡°Wet metal,¡± Farsus said. The scent was thick on the air wafting out the door. ¡°Iron. Blood.¡±

    Aberas looked about ready to vomit again, but he had the wherewithal to wave his hands across the foyer.

    ¡°All of you, spread out,¡± he shouted to the guards. Then he pointed a finger at Tooley and the offworlders. ¡°You stay. Not a move until I say so.¡±

    Nobody protested. Corey just sighed and shook his head. If there was blood in the air, that probably meant they were already too late.

    ¡°Not to be too morose too fast, but if he is dead, we do get full investigative access,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°If it¡¯s anything like what you showed me, I don¡¯t want to look anyway,¡± Aberas mumbled. Kamak was actually impressed. The Butcher¡¯s work was so gruesome it overcame Sturit racism. That was an achievement.

    A retching noise from upstairs led Kamak to believe they¡¯d found something, and he was proven right.

    ¡°Commander! Up here!¡±

    Aberas looked up the ornate stairs, then did a quick double take at the offworlders.

    ¡°You first.¡±

    ¡°Gladly.¡±

    Kamak took the lead up the steps. The scent of blood got even thicker in the air as they went up. One of the escort guards was on his knees outside one of the upstairs rooms, trying not to vomit. Kamak sneered at him for a second and entered the room, to find exactly what he expected.

    Something that had presumably once been a Sturit, judging by the few spots of blue skin visible amid all the blood, was strapped to a nearby piece of furniture by what was left of its arms. Much like the buyer of the Hard Luck Hermit, the chest had been opened and the organs scooped out, though rather than dumped unceremoniously on the floor, they had been neatly arranged in a pile in front of the corpse, as though they had been removed one by one. Corey stood back and covered his mouth in shock.

    ¡°Hah! Sucks to be you, dad,¡± Tooley said. Then she turned to the side, to face the part of the crime scene that was not so expected. Two women, one visibly older than other, were bound and gagged in the corner of the room, their faces still marked by tears of panic and despair. ¡°Hey mom.¡±

    ¡°By the gods,¡± Farsus said. ¡°I can¡¯t imagine what you¡¯ve seen.¡±

    ¡°Hopefully something useful,¡± Kamak mumbled. Then he raised his voice. ¡°Hey, officers, coast is clear, but we¡¯ve got hostages in here, live ones. Let¡¯s get them out of here, give ¡®em some breathing room, maybe-¡±

    Tooley walked up and ripped the gag right off her face, painfully yanking on the fabric until the knot came loose. Untying it would¡¯ve been easier, but it would¡¯ve hurt less. Amid that struggle, pain, and confusion, Tooley¡¯s mother managed to look up at her daughter in surprise.

    ¡°Tooley Keeber Obertas?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, hey, long time no see,¡± Tooley said, as she kneeled in front of her estranged mother. She pointed to the other woman in the room. ¡°Who¡¯s this? Unlucky houseguest? Or did dad get sick of you and pick up a side piece?¡±

    Tooley¡¯s mother did a quick double take and swallowed some of her tears.

    ¡°Tooley Keeber Obertas,¡± she mumbled. ¡°This is Thela Keeber Obertas.¡±

    There was more horror in Tooley¡¯s eyes now than there had been seeing her father¡¯s corpse.

    ¡°Your sister.¡±

 Book 2 Chapter 50: Family Matters

    After getting introduced to her sister, Tooley had gotten quiet. Suspiciously quiet. Her silence had at least given everyone else time to get work done. The two women has been untied, moved out of the crime scene, and given time to change their clothes and wash off the droplets of blood that had gotten scattered on them during the brutality. Farsus was upstairs appraising the murder scene, while everyone else focused on the two witnesses. Kamak did his best to look polite and sat down in front of Tooley¡¯s still clearly shell-shocked mother.

    ¡°Excuse me, miss,¡± Kamak said. ¡°I haven¡¯t caught your name.¡±

    ¡°Libe- oh. Excuse me. I suppose I am Dowager Obertas, now,¡± she said. Aberas nodded in confirmation. Kamak thought it was incredibly stupid that she had to be identified through the lens of her dead husband, but didn¡¯t press the issue.

    ¡°Dowager Obertas. Thela Keeber Obertas. I know you two must be in shock right now, but my crew and I are interested in catching and punishing whoever did this to Dobran Velam Obertas,¡± Kamak said. He¡¯d done crime scene interviews before, and knew the basics of how to work with witnesses. He kept his voice low and level, and tried to be especially respectful, given how they probably perceived outsiders. ¡°If and when you are willing to talk to me, I would like to ask some questions, questions that will be very helpful to Officer Aberas Velin Dotel too.¡±

    Hopefully the appeal to the local authority would give him a little extra credibility. The Dowager grabbed at her shawl and shrank on herself for a moment. Corey was just glad that being in mourning meant they got to wear actual clothes. This was all bad enough without their tits out.

    Tooley had a sister. The two had not interacted at all¡ªThela hadn¡¯t even spoken since she¡¯d been ungagged¡ªbut there was a palpable tension between them all the same. Tooley stole glances at her sister now and then, and from her darting eyes Corey could tell there was some insane mental calculus going on inside her head. Corey was trying to do some of the same calculations. How old was Thela compared to Tooley? Had she been born as a replacement? Or had Tooley unwittingly abandoned an unborn sister?

    The similarity between the two was uncanny, at least. They didn¡¯t take after their mother much, but there was a bust of Dobran in the lounge they¡¯d moved to, and Corey could see the family resemblance. Both his daughters shared Dobran¡¯s arched brows and narrow nose. Corey was disappointed in himself that he hadn¡¯t guessed Thela was Tooley¡¯s sister on sight.

    ¡°I- I don¡¯t know how much I can help,¡± the Dowager said, after taking some time to compose herself. ¡°The woman claimed to be a secretary from my husband¡¯s company, delivering some confidential pricing notices. That happens, from time to time, it wasn¡¯t out of the ordinary.¡±

    ¡°I understand,¡± Kamak said. Probably physical documents dealing with price fixing or some other illicit deal, to avoid leaving a digital trail. Dealings like that were why Kamak had strangled one of Dobran¡¯s coworkers.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure what happened after they went into my husband¡¯s office,¡± the Dowager continued. ¡°By the time I realized the noises I heard were fighting, it was already over.¡±

    Aberas decided now was the time to scoff at something, and Kamak resisted the urge to glare at him.

    ¡°A lone woman overpowered a healthy Sturit man?¡± Aberas said. ¡°I find that hard to believe.¡±

    ¡°A similar attacker on Centerpoint shrugged off claws to the face,¡± Corey said quickly. ¡°They were likely enhanced, somehow. Genetic modifications, or drugs, maybe.¡±

    Aberas seemed to accept that explanation, much to Corey¡¯s relief. They couldn¡¯t let misogyny get in the way of the investigation now.

    ¡°She attacked me and my daughter, tied us up, and...and¡­¡±

    ¡°She made us watch,¡± Thela concluded, as her mother became too grief-stricken to continue. Even her voice sounded like Tooley¡¯s, albeit softer and lighter. ¡°Father was unconscious when she brought us into the room, but alive. The woman woke him up before¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Kamak said, and he even sort of meant it. ¡°That must have been hard.¡±

    Thela nodded silently.

    ¡°Again, please take your time, but I do have to ask,¡± Corey said. ¡°Did the killer¡­say anything? Do anything odd? We¡¯re trying to understand their motivation, why they do what they do. Any clues you can give us would be very helpful.¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes, she talked a lot,¡± the Dowager said. ¡°She said she was ¡®saving us¡¯, doing us a favor-¡±

    ¡°Damn, killer¡¯s got a point,¡± Tooley said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t say things like that, Toobers.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t call me that,¡± Tooley snapped. The Dowager stood up and walked over to her daughter, though Tooley recoiled from her touch.

    ¡°Tooley Keeber Obertas, please, let¡¯s not fight,¡± the Dowager said. She nodded sadly at the bust of Dobran. ¡°Not now.¡±

    ¡°Ugh. Fine,¡± Tooley grunted. ¡°Let¡¯s just stick to the investigation and get this over with.¡±

    ¡°Of course, dear,¡± the Dowager said. ¡°And once this is all taken care of, we can look up your husband.¡±

    ¡°What.¡±

    ¡°Devran Veeran Kopal took a new wife, of course, but I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll make her a concubine once you come back,¡± the Dowager said. ¡°You are his first wife, after all.¡±

    Tooley glared at the Dowager like she was about to send her to join her husband.

    ¡°What do you-¡±If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    ¡°Ma¡¯am,¡± Kamak interjected forcefully. ¡°We should focus on learning as much as we can before we do anything else.¡±

    The pointed statement was aimed at Tooley more than anyone else. She swallowed whatever venom she had been about to spit and stepped away from her mother.

    ¡°Of course. Of course,¡± the Dowager said. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you everything I can. Thela Keeber Obertas, dear, go with your sister and find her husband¡¯s contact, would you?¡±

    Kamak didn¡¯t know whether to slap the Dowager or himself. For some reason, though, Tooley seemed receptive to the idea.

    ¡°Yeah, sure,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Good way to keep our mind off things. Come on.¡±

    ¡°My datapad should still be in the master bedroom, dear, everything is on it,¡± the Dowager said. Thela stood up and gave her mom a quick hug. ¡°I¡¯m glad you two get a chance to know each other, in spite of everything. Now we can make things right.¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Make it right.¡±

    Thela silently led the way to the master bedroom, going the long way around to avoid passing the bloodstained office. Tooley waited until they were truly alone and shut the door behind her.

    ¡°So, Thela.¡±

    ¡°Thela Keeber Obertas,¡± she said. Not off to a great start.

    ¡°Right. How old are you?¡±

    ¡°Seventeen.¡±

    Tooley breathed a sigh of relief. A full year after Tooley had bailed on the planet. She was a replacement baby. She had mixed feelings about potentially abandoning a sibling.

    ¡°That¡¯s pretty old for a bachelorette around here. Do you-¡±

    ¡°People know about you, Tooley,¡± Thela spat. ¡°I¡¯ve lost dozens of chances at a good marriage because of your reputation. Because people think I¡¯m like you.¡±

    ¡°Well,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Are you like me?¡±

    Thela looked like she had just been insulted.

    ¡°I am nothing like you.¡±

    ¡°Come on? Not even a little bit?¡± Tooley pleaded. ¡°You¡¯ve never wondered if there might be more to life than being a baby factory for some fat prick with nothing going for him but the fact he has blue skin?¡±

    ¡°What else is there?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s exploding nebulas, and crystal caverns, and festivals of kites, and booze, and good food and good people,¡± Tooley said. ¡°I mean, stars, lady, have you ever stolen a sip of booze out of dad¡¯s cabinet?¡±

    ¡°Alcohol is for men,¡± Thela said. ¡°Did you do that? Maybe that¡¯s why your brain turned to mush.¡±

    ¡°Alcohol doesn¡¯t mess with your ¡®female constitution¡¯, Thela, that¡¯s just a lie they tell you so the dudes can keep it all for themselves,¡± Tooley snapped.

    ¡°Hmmph. They were right about you. You¡¯re sick.¡±

    ¡°This place is sick, Thela, this whole world is sick,¡± Tooley snapped. ¡°You¡¯ve seriously never had any doubts? Not even a glimmer of curiosity about what else might be out there?¡±

    ¡°What else could be out there?¡± Thela scoffed. ¡°I¡¯ve heard the stories about your life. You¡¯re a drunken vagabond running around filthy, impure worlds, trying to breed with someone who can¡¯t even give you children!¡±

    ¡°Fun fact, there is more to sex than breeding,¡± Tooley said. ¡°It can actually be something you enjoy, not just something you grit your teeth and endure.¡±

    She rolled her eyes and tried not to gag.

    ¡°God, there¡¯s what, five orgasms in the entire history of our gender on this planet?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear about what depravity you¡¯ve been up to with those animals,¡± Thela said.

    ¡°Hey, those are my friends,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Not Kamak, I hate him too. But because he¡¯s an asshole, not because he¡¯s an animal.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re all animals, Tooley,¡± Thela said. ¡°They¡¯re filthy, disgusting animals, and you¡¯re making yourself an animal trying to mate with that puke-skinned little ape down there.¡±

    ¡°Hey. I¡¯m trying to be nice, because I¡¯m hoping there¡¯s a chance you¡¯re not an asshole,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Don¡¯t prove me wrong.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care what you think of me,¡± Thela said. She looked at Tooley with nothing but contempt and utter disgust. ¡°You¡¯re ruined. Every part of you. I don¡¯t care what mom thinks-¡±

    Thela leaned in close and glared right into Tooley¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°-You will never be a mother.¡±

    Tooley just raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°It¡¯s really depressing that you think that¡¯s an insult,¡± Tooley said. Then she left without another word. She walked right past the bloody office, and took another look at her father¡¯s corpse. She smiled at his gruesome demise and then noticed Farsus had left the room. She headed back downstairs and found him with the others, interviewing the Dowager.

    ¡°Alright, got everything I needed out of that conversation,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Are you done here, because I am one-hundred percent ready to leave.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve concluded all I can at the scene,¡± Farsus said. ¡°And I believe Kamak is nearly done with the Dowager.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d like to talk to Thela, maybe,¡± Kamak said. ¡°See if she recalls anything you don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t make her try to recall all that,¡± the Dowager said. ¡°Besides, she¡¯s young, and childless. Doesn¡¯t have that mother¡¯s intuition, you understand.¡±

    ¡°Ugh, as if having your uterus fucked up gives you superpowers,¡± Tooley gagged.

    ¡°Tooley Keeber Obertas, watch your language!¡±

    ¡°Fuck that,¡± Tooley said. The Dowager let out a stern huff of disapproval.

    ¡°I raised you better than that, woman.¡±

    ¡°No you didn¡¯t,¡± Tooley snapped. ¡°Somehow you actually raised me to be worse than what I am, because you raised me to be a piece of fuckmeat for whatever bastard got the idea to rape me first!¡±

    The Dowager looked stunned. Kamak nervously eyed Aberas and the other guards. They looked disapproving, but hadn¡¯t put a hand on their guns yet.

    ¡°Did it ever bother you, ¡®mom¡¯?¡± Tooley asked. She gestured to the stone-faced bust of her dead father. ¡°Did you like seeing dad¡¯s friends paw at me every time they came over? Hearing them ask me if I was ready for kids yet when I was twelve?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a valid question, some women are ready young-¡±

    ¡°No one is ready at twelve!¡± Tooley screamed. ¡°Do you realize there are planets where you¡¯d be shot for saying things like that, much less actually letting it happen? This planet is sick! You are sick, and you¡¯re making Thela sick, like you tried to make me sick!¡±

    Thela had now left the bedroom and was watching from the top of the stairs, looking down on Tooley literally as well as figuratively.

    ¡°Tooley, I think you¡¯ve said your piece,¡± Kamak hissed. ¡°We need to be a little sensitive to the local culture.¡±

    He nodded very pointedly towards Aberas and the guards, who now definitely had their hands on their guns. Tooley glanced their way and tried not to sneer with disgust at the way some of the guards were still leering at her. Like mentioning the word ¡°rape¡± had just given them ideas.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Tooley spat. ¡°We¡¯re leaving. Now. I¡¯m going back to my ship and leaving. Fuck this investigation, fuck this planet, and fuck you.¡±

    She pointed at her mother, and then up the stairs at Thela.

    ¡°Fuck both of you,¡± Tooley said. ¡°You¡¯re not my family.¡±

    ¡°Yes we are,¡± the Dowager insisted. ¡°You are part of the Obertas bloodline, a proud bloodline, and you need to do your part to continue it.¡±

    The Dowager stepped up and grabbed her daughter by the wrist. Kamak began to wonder if he needed to tackle Tooley. He looked to Corey, hoping that he might intervene, and found that his eyes were on Aberas and the guards. Apparently he was more immediately concerned with the guns. Probably a wise decision, at this point.

    ¡°We are going to find your husband,¡± the Dowager snapped. ¡°These wretched animals are going to leave, and you are going to stay here, to do your duty as a wife, and as a mother.¡±

    Tooley stared down at her mother like she was trying to collapse her skull with nothing but a stare. It didn¡¯t work, so Tooley took the direct approach. She grabbed the bust of Dobran, lifted it above her head, and slammed it down. The last thing the Dowager ever saw was the face of her husband, right before it caved in her skull.

    The cracking sound echoed through the oversized lounge. The damp iron scent of the Dowager¡¯s blood intermingled with that of her husband¡¯s from above. Tooley stared down at her mother¡¯s newly concave face and the bloody bust of her father. Then she heard Thela scream, and the click of a gun being aimed in her direction.

    ¡°Ah, fuck.¡±

 Book 2 Chapter 51: Beaten Black and Blue

    Corey¡¯s correct appraisal of his girlfriend¡¯s capacity for matricide ended up saving her life. He was ready to swing before any of Aberas¡¯ goons were ready to shoot. A chair slammed into the face of the nearest guard and knocked him off his feet. With Tooley in front and Corey coming from the side, the guards found their attention briefly divided, so Corey made the most of his half-second of opportunity.

    Before the first guard had even hit the ground, Corey dropped the chair and went for a diving tackle. There were seven guards, so he had to disrupt as many as possible as soon as possible, before any of them could get a shot off. He slammed a shoulder into one of the guards and swung a fist at the other. It was a weak blow, but it didn¡¯t have to hurt, just divide his attention, make him less likely to aim and pull the trigger.

    The element of surprise worked to Corey¡¯s advantage, but his greatest asset was the element of misogyny. The Sturit guard naturally assumed the man was the greatest threat and turned all their attention to him. They were technically correct in that the biggest threat in the room was a man, but they chose the wrong man.

    While the guards were focusing on their new target, Farsus ran up from behind, grabbed one by the jaw, and broke their neck with a single clean twist. He had to put in a little more effort than usual to do it. Apparently the Sturit had strong necks to go with their strong jaws. He kept that in mind as the next guard tried to attack him.

    While the bulk of the guards were occupied with Corey and Farsus, Kamak went right for the head of the snake. Aberas was the only one with the sense to try and step away from the melee, either to aim his gun properly or call for backup. Kamak could not allow him to do either. The Sturit guards had plasma weaponry. Not quite as loud as ballistics, but still potentially dangerous. A single shot, even if it missed, would burn right through the walls of the house and potentially alert the whole neighborhood. They had an entire damn city to cross to reach the spaceport and take off, there was no way they¡¯d survive the walk if any backup was called.

    Kamak went for the gun first. A quick grab and twist that often disarmed amateurs didn¡¯t work on Aberas -apparently he had some actual training. Kamak went for the backup plan: get as close as possible and pummel the head and chest at short range. It didn¡¯t deal a lot of damage, but it kept Aberas from maneuvering his rifle into position. Thankfully none of the guards had sidearms that would¡¯ve been easier to operate in a close range brawl.

    The barrage of quick, disruptive punches had the intended effect, and Aberas dropped his useless rifle to focus on good old fashioned fisticuffs. He went for the groin first. Typical, but ineffective. While the Sturit had banned Kamak and company from bringing weapons, they had said nothing about body armor. Kamak had learned the valuable lesson of armoring such weak points long ago. With his first shot wasted, Aberas was soon on the back foot in the brawl.

    The playing field got leveled a little when Kamak heard Corey scream. He had to check on his crewmate, just to be sure the kid hadn¡¯t gotten himself killed, but thankfully he was only wounded. One of the guards he was brawling with had dug his teeth into Corey¡¯s forearm. The bite was from the sides, avoiding any major tendons or arteries, at least. He wasn¡¯t going to be crippled or bleed to death -yet. Kamak focused on finishing the fight in front of him.

    Logistically, Kamak knew he had to kill Aberas. The only real question was how. He wasn¡¯t sure he could get Aberas on the ground and keep him there long enough to grab the rifle and execute him. He wasn¡¯t strong enough to snap necks the way Farsus did -and even Farsus was struggling to do that now that his opponents were on guard. His best bet was to take a page out of Tooley¡¯s book: blunt force trauma to the head. That was tough to do with just fists. Fortunately the Obertas family had a lot of expensive furniture. Kamak didn¡¯t know why rich people had an obsession with polished rock surfaces, but it might come in handy now.

    Kamak took a quick step back, away from Aberas¡¯ fists. The guard followed him step for step, throwing wild punches as he went. Kamak deliberately let him land a few hits, let him get cocky, bait him into making a mistake. As his retreat continued, Kamak eventually backed into a small side table displaying an ornamented vase with bright red flowers native to Turitha. Perfect.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

    Aberas threw one more punch -his last. Kamak slipped to the side, and grabbed the thrown fist by the wrist. He got low, swept his leg into Aberas¡¯ ankle, knocked him off balance. His other hand reached up and grabbed the Sturit by his ear. He pulled the arm and pushed the head as his leg continued to sweep, knocking Aberas off his feet, and carefully guided his head directly into the corner of the table. The edge wasn¡¯t sharp, but it was pointed enough to focus the pressure and make it that much easier to crack the skull open and keep going until it hit brain. Aberas¡¯ eyes bulged, and one came loose from its socket, as his crushed skull pushed gray matter and viscera into a lot of places they didn¡¯t belong. Kamak left Aberas to leak blood and brains over the end table. At least the flowers still looked nice.

    In his brief moment of respite, Kamak looked to Tooley. He¡¯d been fully expecting her to sit near her mom¡¯s corpse and be useless the entire fight, but apparently Corey¡¯s scream had awakened something in her. Something deeply unpleasant. All Sturit had powerful bites, and Tooley was putting hers to use.

    One of the guards was missing most of his throat. Another had a fist-sized chunk of his bicep missing. Tooley currently had her jaws locked on the neck of a third, and was gnawing on his spine like a rabid dog. Farsus was strangling one of the guards he¡¯d been fighting with, while Corey used his one good arm to bash in the skull of another. Kamak appraised the carnage, and looked at the corpse of the Dowager. He picked up the bust of Dobran, which now had a crack running through its forehead, and put it to use again. The guard who¡¯d had a bite of his bicep taken out got put out of his misery with a single blow.

    Years ago, Kamak had felt uncomfortable with this sort of thing. The cleanup -the executions. Whatever part of him had cared was dead now. Kind of like all the people whose skulls he was bashing in. Kamak grabbed the guard Tooley was chewing on, and noticed it¡¯d been the one harassing her earlier. He felt a little less bad about cracking him across the skull hard enough that his eyeball turned to jelly.

    ¡°Enough!¡±

    Kamak grabbed Tooley by the scruff of her neck and dragged her off the corpse. Farsus had taken the last guard by the throat and crushed his trachea. The violence was over, but Kamak wasn¡¯t quite done fighting.

    ¡°You fucking impulsive piece of shit,¡± Kamak spat. ¡°Look what you did!¡±

    He shook Tooley and forced her to look around at the carnage. She wiped blood from her lips and tore herself out of his grip.

    ¡°They were all-¡±

    ¡°I know they fucking deserved it, you ass, but you still shouldn¡¯t have done it,¡± Kamak shouted. ¡°We had a lead! We had the best fucking chance we¡¯d ever get, and you blew it up! The damn blood was still wet, we could¡¯ve picked up a trail, we could¡¯ve gotten DNA from the port, pulled a thumbprint from the door, something! Now we have nothing, because you couldn¡¯t handle your mommy being mean to you!¡±

    Kamak gestured to the Dowager¡¯s corpse, which was still leaking blood out its ears and onto the carpet.

    ¡°If we even get out of this alive we¡¯re going to be fucked worse than when we started,¡± Kamak continued. ¡°You think the Council is going to be happy with our little mass homicide incident?¡±

    He grabbed Aberas by the collar and dragged his limp corpse up like a puppet.

    ¡°You think anyone¡¯s going to be happy about this?¡± Kamak asked, as he shook the limp body. ¡°And, worst of all, now we have to deal with that!¡±

    He dropped the corpse and pointed up. Thela was still at the top of the stairs, looking down in horror. She¡¯d fell to her knees, clutching the railing of the stairway and whimpering like a sick puppy. Tooley¡¯s stomach turned. Watching both of her parents die had reduced Thela to a quivering wreck, not even able to run or ask for help.

    ¡°You started this,¡± Kamak said. He picked up the cracked bust and dropped it in Tooley¡¯s hands. ¡°Finish it.¡±

    Tooley looked down at the cracked, bloodied face of her father, and dropped the bust.

    ¡°Oh for fucks sake.¡±

    Kamak bent down to grab the bust again, but Farsus stopped him.

    ¡°If I may interject,¡± Farsus said. ¡°We do know where to find rope and gags.¡±

    ¡°Oh, right, let¡¯s just put the permanently traumatized girl right back in the serial killer trap,¡± Kamak said. ¡°That¡¯s definitely better.¡±

    Kamak waved his hand dismissively and turned his back on the whimpering girl.

    ¡°You handle it. Corey, come with me, we need to get that bite bandaged tight if we want to walk out of here safely,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Tooley, go wipe the blood off your mouth, you sick freak.¡±

    The taste of blood was thick in the air, but especially in Tooley¡¯s mouth. She had little scraps of blue skin caught in her teeth. Corey watched her back as she stumbled off to clean herself, and as Thela was dragged away, still too paralyzed with despair to even scream.

 Book 2 Chapter 52: A Long Walk Home

    Farsus pulled tight on the makeshift bandage until Corey gasped with pain. He gingerly grabbed his wrist and examined the pressure the bandage was putting on his arm.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a little tight?¡±

    ¡°You leak a single drop of blood and we might all die,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Worry about your circulation after we make sure your heart stays beating.¡±

    Corey stopped picking at the bandage. Kamak had a point.

    ¡°Tooley, give Corey your jacket,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Need something long-sleeved to cover the bandage, keep anyone from asking questions.¡±

    ¡°And us swapping clothes won¡¯t raise any questions?¡±

    ¡°The whole universe knows you two are fucking, Tools, it¡¯ll raise less questions than a damn bite wound.¡±

    ¡°Fine,¡± Tooley spat. She stripped off her jacket and tossed it at Corey. ¡°Sorry about the sweat.¡±

    If there was any scent of sweat, Corey didn¡¯t notice. The whole place smelled a little too much like blood for anything else to be clear.

    ¡°Okay, eyes up, last check. Everyone clean and clear? No blood on anyone¡¯s clothes?¡± Kamak asked. ¡°Farsus, you check my back, I¡¯ll check yours. Tooley, Corey, get each other. Everyone check their heels, too, blood or bones caught in the treads of your shoes can come loose in different terrain.¡±

    After a quick check, Farsus wiped a little bit of blood out of his boots.

    ¡°Great. All clear,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Now, when we get out there, I want everyone casual. We take this slow and direct. Keep it calm. If anyone asks the cops booted us out for being offworlders, got it?¡±

    ¡°Got it.¡±

    ¡°Good. Now, deep breaths, and let¡¯s go. Steady and calm.¡±

    Kamak was first out the door, but he let Tooley lead the way. Seeing a Sturit ¡°in charge¡± would ease the concerns of any potential spectators, and there were a lot of potential spectators.

    The commotion had apparently not been enough to draw more police attention, but it had drawn plenty of nosy neighbor attention. Kamak could see their progress being spied on from multiple windows as rich assholes with nothing better to do tried to pry into their neighbors business. He wasn¡¯t too worried about getting caught just yet¡ªnone of those cunts would ever actually be bold enough to try and do something like go inside the house¡ªbut it was still nervewracking to be watched. The pompous looking lady with the weird dog-alien had returned to her lawn, and Corey doubted it had anything to do with taking care of the animal. He avoided eye contact with her as they strolled past.

    In spite of the nosy neighbors, they made it past the wrought metal gate of the haughty community. Kamak was relieved to be outside of the sterile neighborhood. Not only did he hate gated communities on principle, the sterile, lifeless communities lacked street traffic. Having a crowd to blend into always helped when trying to avoid attention -though it didn¡¯t work quite so well when they didn¡¯t blend in. Kamak, Corey, and Farsus were probably the only people on the planet without blue skin. As they hit the city¡¯s main drag, they were just getting gawked at all over again, sometimes even sneered at. One old man even took the time to spit on Kamak¡¯s boots. He might¡¯ve responded to that, in different circumstances, but now was not the time to be starting fights.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    ¡°You there, offworlders.¡±

    Tooley tensed, and Corey grabbed her by the arm to keep her steady. The rest of them had been in gunfights, and knew how to keep their cool a little better. The cop approaching them was doing so at a slow pace, and hadn¡¯t drawn his gun. Getting nervous right now would only make things worse.

    ¡°Weren¡¯t you all supposed to be with Commander Aberas?¡±

    ¡°We were,¡± Tooley said.

    ¡°And why aren¡¯t you with him now?¡± The Sturit cop said. ¡°Aren¡¯t you investigating a killer, or something?¡±

    Apparently this cop had been briefed on the situation. That complicated things slightly.

    ¡°Nothing to investigate. Killer¡¯s dead.¡±

    ¡°Dead?¡±

    ¡°Overestimated himself, I guess,¡± Tooley said. ¡°The killer got into the house. Patriarch shot him dead. Aberas is just cleaning up the mess.¡±

    ¡°Hmph. Typical. Killer runs circles around entire ¡®civilizations¡¯ out there, and dies as soon as he meets a true-blooded Sturit.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re just glad its over,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°Quiet, you,¡± the cop said. Kamak got quiet.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have any more reason to be here, so we¡¯re leaving,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Do you want to ask more questions, or do you want to get us offworld?¡±

    The cop looked over Tooley¡¯s three non-Sturit compatriots, snorted at them with disgust, and nodded them towards the spaceport. They all waited until they were a few steps away before breathing a sigh of relief.

    ¡°Good job,¡± Kamak said. He was loathe to compliment Tooley, but a little positive reinforcement would help her keep her cool, and keep them all alive by extension.

    ¡°I learned how to tell these fuckers what they want to hear a long time ago,¡± Tooley mumbled. She wasn¡¯t even particularly good at lying, they were just easy to fool. The average Sturit would swallow any bullshit as long as you stroked their ego even a little bit. She kept that simple truth in mind as someone else approached. Not a cop this time, at least, but he was a teenage boy, which might have been worse. The teenage fascists could be worse than the adult ones, sometimes.

    ¡°Hey, are you Tooley Keeber Obertas?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. What about it?¡±

    ¡°Cool! Can I take a picture with you?¡±

    Tooley nearly went crosseyed in confusion.

    ¡°Uh, what? Why?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m studying to be a pilot, like you,¡± the teen said. ¡°I want to be good enough to pull off the Tooley Maneuver someday!¡±

    ¡°Oh. Don¡¯t, uh, don¡¯t ever try to do that unless you have to,¡± Tooley cautioned. ¡°It¡¯s as much luck as it is skill. Even I don¡¯t really want to do it again.¡±

    ¡°For sure, I can¡¯t even keep a stable orbit in a simulator yet,¡± the boy said. ¡°But someday I could do it, right?¡±

    ¡°Just try and keep it at ¡®could¡¯,¡± Tooley said.

    ¡°Tooley, maybe cut the chatter,¡± Kamak said. ¡°We¡¯re in a hurry.¡±

    ¡°Right. Sorry kid,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Maybe we can take a picture some other time.¡±

    ¡°Okay. Nice meeting you!¡±

    The teenage boy waved as he walked away, and Tooley returned the gesture. Kamak gave her a gentle shove back towards the ship, and they started walking.

    They made it back to the ship in one piece, without any further incident. Every Sturit on the surface was glad to see them leave. Tooley punched in their takeoff routine, acting on instinct more than anything, and they hovered above the city briefly as they took to the skies.

    Tooley had done the math, calculated the size of her hometown versus the military-grade armaments on the Wanderer. She couldn¡¯t level the whole city, obviously, but it would be easy to take out a few tactical targets on her way up, permanently erase some unpleasant memories and be off among the stars before anyone could retaliate.

    But somewhere down there was a teenager who just wanted to be a pilot.

    The Wild Card Wanderer took off, and vanished into the darkness of the space between stars.

 Book 2 Chapter 53: Getting Out

    ¡°Are you clear?¡±

    It was probably a good thing that the secret agent council¡¯s first concern was for their safety.

    ¡°We had a tail for a few jumps,¡± Tooley grunted. ¡°Unknown craft, it ditched as we got closer to Centerpoint. We should be clear now.¡±

    The ship¡¯s scanners had been unable to get a clear read on the mystery craft, but it was easy enough to assume it was some Sturit scout ship that had followed them in hopes of vengeance. The thought of it sent an itch down Tooley¡¯s spine, for some reason, but she had much bigger and more immediate problems.

    ¡°Good.¡±

    ¡°Are we good to go on the disaster wrapup?¡± Kamak said. ¡°Because I want it on record that this is all Tooley¡¯s fault.¡±

    Tooley made a brand new rude gesture at Kamak. After two years, Corey was pretty certain he¡¯d seen all the rude gestures the universe had to offer, but apparently Tooley still had a few in reserve. Or maybe she was inventing new ones. He added the new gesture to his catalogue as Doprel finished patching up the bite wound on his arm.

    ¡°We¡¯re not particularly interested in blame, Kamak,¡± said one of the many voices on the call with them today. In the absence of any given names, Corey had designated them as Angry Voice, Smart Voice, and Boring Voice. The one who had just scolded Kamak was, of course, Angry Voice.

    ¡°The Sturit are already a pariah state,¡± Smart Voice said. ¡°The large-scale diplomatic repercussions of this will be minimal.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll excuse us if we don¡¯t offer you any more diplomatic favor, however,¡± Boring Voice added.

    ¡°And we¡¯ll be thinking twice before allowing you any front-line investigative responsibilities as we go forward,¡± Angry Voice said. ¡°So far you¡¯ve given us more trouble than results.¡±

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s compare, what have you and your spooky ghost cabal gotten done so far?¡±

    A few half-hearted responses rang out from the three voices, but even they knew they didn¡¯t have much of a leg to stand on. Everything they could list was something they¡¯d learned from security features as basic as security camera¡¯s, and that was very little. Even the recent attempted bombing of Khem had turned up almost nothing -the Butcher had evaded the view of cameras as much as possible, and in what little was visible, they were disguised as an entirely nondescript hangar worker.

    ¡°As it stands, none of us have anything to show for our efforts,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Cutting us off now just costs you assets. Even if we never turned up anything, us being on the move means the Butcher has to stay on the move too. Keeps them active, ups the odds of them making a mistake.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re vastly overestimating your importance,¡± Angry Voice said.

    ¡°As we gain a deeper understanding of the so-called ¡®Bad Luck Butcher¡¯s¡¯ motives, we have been preparing a long-term plan of action,¡± Boring Voice continued. ¡°One that does not necessarily involve you.¡±

    ¡°Any chance you want to share that long-term plan?¡± Corey said. ¡°Y¡¯know, for the sake of our ongoing partnership.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re working in theory as of now,¡± Smart Voice said. ¡°If the plan proves viable, and your efforts are necessary, you¡¯ll be looped in. If neither of those two circumstances apply, there¡¯s no reason for you to know.¡±Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    ¡°And I¡¯m sure you¡¯re just jumping at every chance to get us more involved,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°We don¡¯t make stupid, impulsive decisions based on our own biases,¡± Angry Voice said. ¡°Speaking of. Tooley Keeber Obertas.¡±

    ¡°Fuck,¡± Tooley mumbled. She had known this was going to come back to her one way or another.

    ¡°We can only put so much spin on the fact that you murdered your own mother,¡± Smart Voice said.

    ¡°You could try mentioning how she deserved it,¡± Tooley grunted.

    ¡°The universe is aware of how the average Sturit acts, but that reputation can only do so much,¡± Boring Voice said. ¡°There are systems in which matricide in any form is punishable by death. The long term consequences are-¡±

    ¡°Oh, fuck it,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Whatever you¡¯re about to say, keep it to yourself. As soon as this serial killer shit is over I¡¯m joining the Outbound program.¡±

    That turned a few heads inside the ship, and Corey could only imagine the various voices were surprised too.

    ¡°Five years outside the known universe ought to be plenty of time for people to forget about me, right?¡± Tooley said. ¡°By the time I get back there¡¯ll be some other bullshit absorbing people¡¯s attention, and I¡¯ll be nothing but the rude bitch I was before.¡±

    ¡°That would certainly smooth over certain diplomatic...difficulties,¡± Boring Voice said. It would be a lot easier to ignore extradition requests if Tooley was in the unknown reaches of space.

    ¡°Solves everybody¡¯s problems,¡± Tooley said. ¡°People that hate me don¡¯t have to deal with me, and I don¡¯t have to deal with anyone else.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll have someone lay the groundwork,¡± Boring Voice said.

    ¡°Yes, more work for us to do on your behalf,¡± Angry Voice grunted.

    ¡°We¡¯ll be in touch,¡± Smart Voice concluded. ¡°If you don¡¯t have any other hunches you¡¯d like to follow, we¡¯d invite you to return to Centerpoint. That¡¯s where we¡¯ll be taking our next steps.¡±

    ¡°Haven¡¯t got anything better to do,¡± Kamak said. He shut down the call before anyone else could get a word in, and looked at Tooley. ¡°Outbound? Really?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, really,¡± Tooley said. ¡°What about it?¡±

    ¡°Were you planning to discuss this with the rest of us, or what?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to discuss,¡± Tooley said. ¡°This is my ship, I do what I want with it, and what I want is to get out of the fucking universe. You can find someone else to haul your asses around.¡±

    ¡°What if-¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear it,¡± Tooley snapped. Doprel shut up. ¡°It¡¯s not up for discussion. You can join me if you want¡ªnot you, Kamak¡ªor you can find another ride. End of story.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t want to join anyway,¡± Kamak said. ¡°I just think you¡¯re making an impulsive, kneejerk reaction to an emotion you don¡¯t know how to handle. Again.¡±

    Tooley made another brand new rude gesture at him and stormed into her room.

    ¡°At least you don¡¯t have any more moms to kill,¡± Kamak said. Corey gave him a dirty look and followed Tooley into her room. The room was in its usual state of disarray, and its occupant was in an unusual state. She was trying to pry the stopper off a bottle of wine with her teeth, but had accidentally bitten through it in her frustration. Corey helpfully located a corkscrew, since he actually knew where things were, and held it over the bottle.

    ¡°You sure you want a drink right now?¡±

    ¡°I need something to wash the taste of blood out of my mouth,¡± Tooley mumbled. Corey dutifully uncorked the bottle and handed it over, to let the strong alcohol wash out the metallic taste of blood. Tooley tilted the bottle in his direction briefly, but took it back once Corey shook his head.

    ¡°So, this Outbound Program thing-¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not accepting arguments from anyone, Corvash,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Not even you.¡±

    ¡°Well, good thing I¡¯m not here to argue, then,¡± Corey said. He shared Kamak¡¯s suspicions that Tooley was making an impulsive decision, but was more willing to let her cool off before trying to pull that particular thread. ¡°I was just going to ask if I was invited.¡±

    Tooley rolled her eyes and choked down more wine.

    ¡°Do you ever get tired of being such a sap?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Very direct, that¡¯s what I like about you,¡± Tooley said. ¡°I don¡¯t know. You still willing to put up with me after I bashed my mom¡¯s skull in?¡±

    ¡°Tooley, I literally dropped a boulder on my dad,¡± Corey said. ¡°I get it.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how your pathology manifests, alright? Mommy issues are fickle things,¡± Tooley said. ¡°If you think you can tolerate five years stuck on this ship with me, fine, you can tag along.¡±

    ¡°I could tolerate a lot more than five years with you,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°God, it must suck to have standards that low.¡±

    ¡°Tooley.¡±

    ¡°Just letting you know what you¡¯re signing on for, champ.¡±

 Book 2 Chapter 54: New Suspects

    One of the few problems Corey had with Tooley was that she was dense. Not in the psychological sense, but in the literal sense. Had Tooley been a human woman of the exact same height and build, she probably would¡¯ve weighed about a hundred and ninety pounds, give or take. Instead, thanks to Sturit differences in muscle, bone, and fat density, she weighed about two-hundred and fifty. It wasn¡¯t a problem most of the time, but it became a problem when she ended up lying on top of Corey as she slept. He didn¡¯t want to bother her, but he also wanted to be able to breath normally again.

    Thankfully an interruption came from an outside source. Kamak waltzed up to the door, opened his datapad, and pressed down on a button he¡¯d prepared. The datapad emanated a low, droning hum that gave Corey a headache, and caused Tooley to bolt upright, hair standing on end.

    ¡°Quit screwing and start moving, losers, we need to get things done.¡±

    Tooley stormed to her feet and got dressed, alternating between clutching her head and shouting curses at Kamak. Much the same way Tooley had set up a ship alarm that aggravated Kamak¡¯s hearing, he had found a frequency that was especially agitating to the Sturit. He held the button down until Tooley stormed out of the room and snatched the datapad from his hands. She threw it against the wall hard enough to shatter the datapad, and Kamak pulled another one out of his pocket right away.

    ¡°Just remember I¡¯ve got that on standby if you ever start to get feisty,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°I can turn up the volume on the alarm, asshole.¡±

    ¡°And I can hook this thing into the ship¡¯s speakers.¡±

    ¡°If I can interrupt,¡± Corey said. He¡¯d let Tooley exit ahead of him, to make sure he was out of the warpath, but now that warpath was threatening the entire ship. ¡°I assume you had a reason to wake us up?¡±

    ¡°Two reasons. This was, to be fair, reason number one,¡± Kamak said, as he held up his weaponized datapad. ¡°But yeah. I got something about the case too.¡±

    Kamak led the way back into the common room. A holographic map of the known universe dominated the air in the center of the room, with several points of interest marked and connected by blue lines.

    ¡°Oh look, you put actual effort into something,¡± Tooley said. ¡°What¡¯s this about?¡±

    ¡°A lead,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Remember how I said I strangled one of your dad¡¯s coworkers?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°We had this conversation last cycle, Tooley.¡±If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    ¡°And I kind of had a lot going on right afterwards, Kamak,¡± Tooley said.

    ¡°And you got drunk,¡± Kamak grunted. ¡°Anyway, your poor memory aside, it got me thinking. Somebody wanted me to kill that guy so they could make a profit. Maybe somebody wanted your dad dead for the same reason.¡±

    ¡°What are you implying?¡±

    ¡°Well, look at most of the victims so far,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Loback, that guy who bought the Hermit, Tooley¡¯s dad, all well-connected rich bastards.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s certainly a pattern, but none of the other victims or attempted victims fit it,¡± Doprel said. Den Cal, Quid, and Khem weren¡¯t rich or influential by any means.

    ¡°I know. It¡¯s not a real pattern, but it¡¯s enough of a pattern that we can put some pressure on the right people,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Like, for example, EmSolo Aerodynamics.¡±

    ¡°Oh, right,¡± Corey said. ¡°They¡¯ve been popping up now and then.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, we were talking about it right before Khem showed up with the bomb,¡± Kamak said. Their representatives had approached Kamak for information, and had showed up to ¡°guard¡± To Vo¡¯s house right before the attempt on Den Cal¡¯s house. ¡°They¡¯ve got access to the kind of tech needed to change their face, they had access to To Vo¡¯s house, and I¡¯m starting to suspect they have a motive.¡±

    ¡°The motive is threadbare at best,¡± Farsus said. ¡°Their only incentive would be profit, and profits are already high due to tensions surrounding the invasion. This seems like a great deal of risk for very little reward.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± Kamak said. ¡°I doubt we¡¯re going to find our killer there, but we can at least learn more about the kind of gene editing that lets people change their looks. That¡¯s rich people bullshit, I don¡¯t know shit about it.¡±

    Recreational gene editing had technically existed for a while, but few people had the money necessary to perform it safely. For most, gene editing was for life and death medical treatments, not to have shinier skin. Only people as obscenely wealthy as Et-fe Lithrette could throw that kind of money around.

    ¡°Well, we need to do something to pursue that lead,¡± Corey said. ¡°The Council police is still acting like Sindika attacked Den Cal on her own, even after she woke up and denied the whole thing.¡±

    ¡°In fairness to the common officer, Sindika¡¯s alibi is not exactly ironclad,¡± Farsus said. According to what little testimony she¡¯d been able to give in her barely-conscious state, Sindika had gotten jumped from the alleyway and had no idea what had happened after that. Pretty flimsy, as excuses went, but Corey was still sure that someone had been impersonating Sindika during the attack on Den Cal. Gene editing was their only lead on how such a thing could be possible.

    ¡°Who¡¯s Sindika again?¡± Tooley said. ¡°I¡¯m losing track of shit.¡±

    ¡°Maybe you should try using your brain as something other than an alcohol sponge,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°There¡¯s a lot going on, motherfucker, I¡¯m in the middle of my second life-or-death universal conspiracy in three years,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Excuse me for losing track of shit.¡±

    ¡°Maybe we should get To Vo back on board,¡± Doprel said. ¡°She was good at keeping notes.¡±

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t need to keep notes,¡± Kamak said. ¡°It should be pretty easy to keep track of a life-or-death situation when it¡¯s your life or death!¡±

    The conversation quickly devolved into an argument, as often happened whenever Kamak and Tooley talked about things for five seconds straight. The addition of Doprel being on Tooley¡¯s side was an unusual twist, but not enough of one to make the situation interesting. Corey looked to Farsus and handed him a drink.

    ¡°So, you keeping track of everything just fine?¡±

    ¡°Naturally.¡±

    ¡°Same.¡±

 Book 2 Chapter 55: Wild Accusations

    Getting into EmSolo was easy. They had an office on Centerpoint, and all Kamak had to do was ask for a meeting with Et-Fe, which she eagerly accepted. Apparently Kamak had something she wanted. What exactly that was remained to be seen.

    The too-easy access got its first wrinkle when Kamak and crew were led into a room with nothing but a wide screen on one wall. Kamak took a quick look around and found only five chairs.

    ¡°Can¡¯t help but notice there¡¯s nowhere for Et-Fe to sit.¡±

    ¡°Savant Lithrette is currently in her office on Pespartes,¡± their office guide said. ¡°If you would like a face to face meeting, Savants Virooo and Larakt are onsite.¡±

    ¡°When you told me Savant Lithrette was ¡®in¡¯, I assumed you meant ¡®in the building¡¯,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°EmSolo Aerodynamics prides itself on a versatile telework environment,¡± the office guide said, voice brimming with the false cheer of a rehearsed corporate mantra.

    ¡°Great,¡± Kamak said. He pointed at the screen. ¡°So is this thing just a public line, then?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a secured connection used only for confidential communication between Savants -and their privileged clients, of course,¡± the office guide said.

    ¡°People keep saying things are secure,¡± Doprel said. ¡°And then people keep getting stabbed.¡±

    ¡°I assure you it¡¯s-¡±

    ¡°Save us the sales pitch,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Just get out of here and get Et-Fe on the line.¡±

    The guide bowed their head and exited the room. The crew took their seats and waited as the room darkened and a screen flickered on. Corey felt kind of like he was in a movie theater, a feeling that was only enhanced when Et-Fe herself appeared on screen. She had movie star looks, and Corey meant that as both a compliment and an insult. She was impossibly gorgeous, clad in one of the most luxurious gowns Corey had ever seen, and she was polished and manicured to the point her silver skin literally sparkled. She was perfect, too perfect. Her beauty felt manufactured and sterile.

    ¡°Kamak,¡± Et-Fe said. Her sterile beauty went right down the practiced sultry tone of her voice. ¡°I was hoping you¡¯d call sooner. Don¡¯t you know it¡¯s rude to keep a lady waiting?¡±

    ¡°Cool it on the seduction, Et-Fe, you¡¯re embarrassing yourself,¡± Kamak said. ¡°I¡¯m not here to flirt, I¡¯m here to accuse you of murder.¡±

    That broke Et-Fe¡¯s practiced poise in a second, and she sat up straight to lean on her desk.

    ¡°Excuse me?¡±

    ¡°Not formally, of course,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°We¡¯ve noticed an overlap in the killers goals and methods that happens to align with the economic interests of EmSolo Aerodynamics, and with the resources available to you,¡± Farsus said. ¡°Enough to be suspicious, at least.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t be serious,¡± Et-Fe said. ¡°You think my company would sponsor a serial killer?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Kamak said, with no hesitation. The things he¡¯d done for Timeka would qualify him as a serial killer by many definitions, and EmSolo was no different as a company. ¡°You want to convince us otherwise, here¡¯s your chance.¡±

    ¡°Or what?¡± Et-Fe said, as her polished face wrinkled into a scowl. ¡°I have nothing to hide. Baseless accusations will get you nowhere.¡±

    ¡°But they¡¯ll get you somewhere,¡± Doprel said.

    ¡°In the red, specifically,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Only takes one bad headline to tank your company¡¯s profits for the next year or so. And that¡¯s assuming that an investigation doesn¡¯t turn up anything else you might not want people to know about.¡±

    ¡°You really are one of Timeka¡¯s dogs,¡± Et-Fe said with a scowl.

    ¡°I¡¯m my own dog nowadays,¡± Kamak said. ¡°But I still know how to bite. Now, you want to answer questions or keep drawing this out?¡±

    ¡°Even if I wanted to, I can¡¯t just hand over EmSolo secrets to-¡±The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    ¡°We could not be less interested in your corporate warfare nonsense,¡± Kamak said. ¡°We want to know about genetic engineering. Specifically, cosmetic engineering, like you do.¡±

    Et-Fe looked down at her silver skin, and then turned back to the crew with a raised eyebrow.

    ¡°Are you thinking about murders or a makeover, Kamak?¡±

    ¡°Still murders,¡± Kamak said. ¡°There¡¯s only a dozen or so clinics specializing in that stuff in the entire universe, and none of them are forthcoming with their methods.¡±

    They¡¯d done some basic research on cosmetic engineering, but could not find much more than advertisements and lofty price tags. Considering the small size of the field, they had opted for an indirect investigation -with only a few hundred specialists in the universe, it was entirely possible the culprit worked with or was otherwise connected to any possible expert they could ask. That left them to ask secondary sources like Et-Fe.

    ¡°All this to talk about skin color,¡± Et-Fe grunted.

    ¡°Truth be told, I also wanted to annoy you,¡± Kamak said. He was done playing corporate dog, and he liked to make that clear to them at every available opportunity. From the look on Et-Fe¡¯s face, he guessed his tactic had worked.

    ¡°Fine. It¡¯s not exactly an elaborate procedure, just time-consuming,¡± Et-Fe said. ¡°It¡¯s a two-part process. First they take a tissue sample to analyze your DNA, then inject you with a preliminary cocktail that puts your genes in a mutable state. It takes several swaps to work, time they spend analyzing your genome and identifying what needs to change to get the desired results. Then, once enough time has passed, the followup appointment introduces a mutagen that changes the DNA to the desired state.¡±

    ¡°Do you have to repeat the first step every time, or does your DNA stay mutable?¡±

    ¡°The effects linger for a month or two, but they don¡¯t advise doing multiple procedures in a small window of time,¡± Et-Fe said.

    ¡°Why?¡± Tooley said. ¡°Side effects?¡±

    ¡°Beyond the obvious risk of cancer?¡± Et-Fe said. ¡°A few. Change your DNA too much and you risk it ¡®forgetting¡¯ how to do its job normally. The body starts to fall apart, organs fail, that kind of thing. Not to mention the risk of aberromorphic psychosis.¡±

    ¡°I feel like you should¡¯ve maybe led with the thing called ¡®aberromorphic psychosis¡¯,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°Truth be told, I wanted to annoy you,¡± Et-Fe said. Kamak let that jab pass without comment. ¡°It¡¯s an extreme form of bodily dysmorphia. The brain knows how its body is supposed to be shaped, and basic neural processes are built around bodily structure. Minor changes, or slow procedures like gender dysphoria treatments, don¡¯t cause any side effects, but the bigger the changes you make and the faster you make them, the worse it gets. If the body¡¯s shape starts rapidly and broadly changing without giving the brain time to adapt, it compounds into a neurosis. Disorientation, paranoia, hallucinations -and that¡¯s the mild cases.¡±

    Kamak and Farsus exchanged a nervous glance. If Corey¡¯s hunch was correct, and their Butcher really was altering their DNA rapidly, that meant they might be getting crazier by the day.

    ¡°Back to the actual procedure,¡± Corey said. ¡°How long does it take for the changes to manifest after the second half of the process?¡±

    ¡°Depends on the changes,¡± Et-Fe said. She held out a shivering silver arm. ¡°Skin color like this? Only takes a few cycles for dead skin to start shedding and getting replaced. Changes to facial structure, height, the other bigger processes? Weeks, if not months.¡±

    Corey tried not to let his frustration show on his face. There were gaps between attacks, but none as long as that. Farsus picked up on his frustration and carried the thread on his behalf. There was still one lingering question about the genetic modification theory.

    ¡°What about duplication?¡± Farsus asked. ¡°If one wanted to look like someone else, even have their DNA, would that be possible?¡±

    ¡°Look like them? Yes,¡± Et-Fe said. ¡°To have an exact copy of their DNA? Absolutely not. You can change surface level traits, a handful of internal structures like bone structure or density, but an overhaul that complete? Your genetic structure would fall apart, your body would forget how to assemble itself. In a matter of cycles you¡¯d be so overgrown with tumors your skeleton would separate and your skin would tear open.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for making that nice and visceral, because I haven¡¯t spent enough time dwelling on mutilated corpses,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± Et-Fe said. ¡°Now, if you¡¯re-¡±

    Et-Fe looked up and away from the screen suddenly, and the crew felt a brief moment of fear, but Et-Fe did not seem alarmed.

    ¡°Alvrit, this is supposed to be secure,¡± Et-Fe said.

    ¡°I know, but look at this,¡± the apparent Alvrit said, from off-screen. He wandered across the desk and held up a datapad. Alvrit looked a lot like Et-Fe, but for the fact that his skin was a dull tan, not much different than Corey¡¯s own skin tone. Alvrit and Et-Fe examined whatever was on the screen together, ignoring Kamak and the crew as they read. Corey looked to Kamak, who only shook his head. They¡¯d let it play out, for now. After close to a drop of delay, Et-Fe dismissed Alvrit and looked back to the camera with a smile.

    ¡°Well, I hope you all got what you wanted,¡± Et-Fe said. ¡°We¡¯re done here.¡±

    ¡°That seems sudden,¡± Kamak said.

    It only got more sudden when Et-Fe hung up without another word. Kamak looked at the black screen for a few ticks before moving on.

    ¡°What just happened?¡±

    ¡°We lost our leverage,¡± Farsus said. He whipped out his datapad and started searching through the news. Thankfully, an update was not hard to find, and he read the headline aloud. ¡°Police on Aumaris have arrested a suspect in the Bad Luck Butcher killings.¡±

    Kamak spun to face Farsus. That certainly explained Et-Fe¡¯s sudden exit. If another suspect was already grabbing headlines, that removed all pressure from her.

    ¡°Is that it? Do they say who they arrested?¡±

    Farsus held up a hand for them all to wait as he scrolled through the article. His brow furrowed with concern as he read the final words.

    ¡°The suspect has been identified as a longtime bounty hunter,¡± Farsus said. ¡°By the name of Bevo.¡±

 Book 2 Chapter 56: Competing Gambits

    Kamak punched the contact information into the center console of the ship and clenched his fists as he waited for an answer. As soon as he heard the trademark chime of his call being answered, Kamak slammed a fist into the speaker near the console.

    ¡°What the fuck are you doing?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re going to have to be more specific, Kamak,¡± the voice on the line said. It was a new voice this time: whether that meant it was a new person talking or just a new synthesizer setting remained to be seen.

    ¡°I mean this shit with Bevo,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°Why the fuck would you arrest her?¡± Corey demanded. ¡°Do you really think she¡¯s the Butcher?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not entirely convinced,¡± the New Voice said. ¡°But apparently you have your reasons to be suspicious.¡±

    The voice played back audio files from a conversation in the hangar, where Corey had referred to Bevo showing up at several crime scenes, and Tooley had even mentioned her being ¡°on the suspect list¡±. Kamak let out a low groan of frustration. Of course the government conspiracy had been watching them through the security cameras.

    ¡°Please tell me you aren¡¯t publicizing those,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°Of course not. We¡¯ve pieced together evidence of those suspicions on our own as justification,¡± the New Voice said.

    ¡°So how are you actually justifying it?¡¯ Doprel demanded. ¡°If you heard our talk, you know it¡¯s unlikely Bevo did it. Why arrest her?¡±

    ¡°In your last conversation with our agents, you mentioned a strategy of provocation,¡± New Voice said. ¡°Remaining on the move to force the ¡®Bad Luck Butcher¡¯ to move as well. We decided to adopt a similar strategy.¡±

    The holo-display in the Wanderer¡¯s central room activated, displaying headlines from across the universe, and several holographic images of Bevo in chains.

    ¡°For someone interested in making a statement, a plausible culprit in the case forces a response from the Butcher,¡± New Voice said. ¡°Our preferred outcome is that the Butcher sees this as an opportunity for a clean break, allowing Bevo to take the heat for their crimes while they lay low and stay quiet.¡±If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°Sacrificing an innocent women for a false peace,¡± Farsus said.

    ¡°Our concern is stopping mass panic, not keeping one woman in or out of prison,¡± New Voice said. ¡°The expected, and far more likely outcome, is that the Butcher feels compelled to act again, as a show of force, to satisfy their ego. Hopefully the circumstances will cause them to rush, be sloppy, make a mistake.¡±

    ¡°And push them to kill someone else,¡± Corey said. ¡°Either way, you¡¯re deliberately sacrificing someone for your own convenience.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re making a deliberate sacrifice for the greater good,¡± New Voice said. ¡°The longer we take to make progress on this case, the more panic spreads and the more unstable the universe becomes.¡±

    ¡°And what happens when the people find out Bevo has nothing to do with this, huh?¡± Kamak demanded. ¡°Does that look good?¡±

    ¡°Amauris is a backwater planet, and the Galactic Council hasn¡¯t sanctioned this arrest,¡± New Voice said. ¡°We¡¯re already preparing our narrative for when the news breaks. A bunch of uneducated yokel cops jumped the gun to try and play bigshots, and the Council was wisely wary of the whole situation.¡±

    ¡°A narrative which conveniently overlaps with Amauris¡¯ newly elected prime minister being anti-Council,¡± Farsus said. Discrediting him with a story of a foolish false arrest would only strengthen the Council¡¯s position on the planet.

    ¡°Precisely. If the plan succeeds, it serves us, if it fails, it serves us in a different way,¡± New Voice said. ¡°That¡¯s what good preparation looks like.¡±

    ¡°You know, it¡¯d be really funny to watch this blow up in your face if it wasn¡¯t taking so many other people down with it,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°I¡¯m curious to hear what you think the flaws in our plan are,¡± New Voice said.

    ¡°Can I recognize them? No,¡± Kamak admitted. ¡°Do I know they¡¯re there? You bet your faceless ass I do. It¡¯s always the people like you, the people who think they¡¯re in control, who send things spiraling.¡±

    Kamak had seen the pattern play out more than once, across the universe. It didn¡¯t matter how smart any one person or group of people really were, the minute they started to think they were smarter than they actually were, they became indistinguishable from the dumbest sons of bitches in existence. Once ego got in the way, it blinded them to flaws, made them overlook critical errors and small gaps in their plans. Morrakesh was the latest and greatest example: an entire universal conspiracy, brought low because the crime lord had underestimated one group of stubborn assholes.

    ¡°You jumped the gun on this,¡± Kamak said. ¡°And you better hope we don¡¯t pay the price.¡±

    Kamak stared at the silent console.

    ¡°Well?¡±

    ¡°I think they hung up on you, Kamak,¡± Corey said. Kamak double-checked the console and found that the connection had, in fact, been cut.

    ¡°Oh we¡¯re really fucked now,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Tooley, take us to Amauris. We need to get on top of this ASAP.¡±

    ¡°Already plugged it in,¡± Tooley said. She¡¯d plotted a course not long after they¡¯d gotten the news. Some trainwrecks could be seen coming a lightyear away.

 Book 2 Chapter 57: Someone Elses Turn to Fail

    Amauris had been described as a backwater several times by now, and apparently the emphasis was on ¡°water¡±. The vast majority of the planet¡¯s surface was dominated by a single green-blue sea, with only a few scattered rocky islands in the northeastern hemisphere. Corey had initially assumed some large patches of green to be forest-covered landmasses, but as they descended it became clear they were actually massive algae blooms the size of entire continents. As Tooley brought the ship low and soared over the oceans, Corey could make out automated harvesters trawling through the blooms to gather the algae within.

    ¡°Farsus, you got a rundown on Amauris?¡±

    Corey could just research things himself, but Farsus was better at delivering the highlights and important information. Farsus also simply enjoyed talking about trivia.

    ¡°Amauris is a colony world, with no native inhabitants,¡± Farsus said. ¡°Its sole purpose is the harvesting of algae and other oceanic resources, mostly for food. Only being a few decades old, the colony has not developed any particular culture of its own.¡±

    ¡°Just a bunch of working class schmucks from different planets,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Typical frontier world. Good setup for an intentional misdirect like this. No permanent residents or culture means you¡¯re not pissing off an entire species by using them as a scapegoat.¡±

    Kamak respected that part of the Council¡¯s plan, at least. Most other parts were still lacking.

    The local spaceport nothing more than an assembly of floating platforms, most of which were already occupied. Tooley could tell that several landing barges had been brought in from other parts of the planet to cluster around this one central island. No doubt accommodating the media circus around Bevo¡¯s arrest. Tooley set them down, and they all disembarked the Wanderer to find the media circus had rapidly relocated to their location. Kamak barely stepped off the ramp before someone tried to shove a microphone in his face.

    ¡°Kamak, do you think this Bevo really is the Bad Luck Butcher?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what we¡¯re here to figure out,¡± Kamak said. ¡°I¡¯m not making a call either way without more information.¡±

    Much like the council themselves, Kamak wanted to portray a level of disconnect from this arrest. When Bevo was ultimately exonerated, he wanted to be on the right side of the narrative. He couldn¡¯t just dismiss the entire case off hand, though. It¡¯d look bad, and even a bit suspicious for the more conspiratorially-minded species out there. Kamak hated having to play a part in the cover-up, but since the council shitheads had decided to jump the gun, he had to do damage control as best he could.

    ¡°What about your past associations with Bevo? Any comment?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Kamak said. ¡°We meet a lot of people in a lot of different places.¡±

    ¡°What about-¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± Doprel said, loudly. Fame had made people less scared of him on principle, but when an eight-foot tall titan raised his voice, people still backed away. Kamak took advantage of their fear and pushed through the crowd towards the prison. They had a brief reprieve between the mobs outside the spaceport and the mobs outside the prison, giving them a little privacy, which Kamak took full advantage of.

    ¡°Alright, we get in, talk for a bit, get out,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Do our due diligence, say we have ¡®reasonable doubts¡¯ about Bevo being guilty, and then get as far away from this whole mess as possible.¡±

    ¡°Are we drawing the line at reasonable doubt?¡± Corey asked. ¡°Maybe we should go a little further, push for innocence.¡±

    ¡°No, we come out too strong on that, this whole thing falls apart,¡± Kamak said. ¡°I don¡¯t like this plan, but it¡¯s happening. Might as well try to take advantage of it. And avoid pissing off the Council by ruining their dumb scheme.¡±

    Undermining the Council¡¯s attempt to pressure the Butcher served no real purpose now. It took the pressure off, giving their serial killer more room to maneuver, and further frustrated the Council, who they were already on thin ice with thanks to the incident on Turitha. Kamak didn¡¯t enjoy playing politics, but he still knew how to do it.

    Doprel employed his intimidating size once again to cut through the crowd around the prison, and the crew forced their way through. The guards let them pass with only a few questions. Unlike the maximum security prison on Jukati, this prison was more of a drunk tank, designed to hold workers who misbehaved, not serial killers. There were far fewer barriers between them and Bevo, though her cell was still isolated from the others.

    The backroom cell was dark, and cold. The confinement appeared to have deflated Bevo -her prodigious frame seemed withered, though she was still bound by heavy chains, and even muzzled. She was curled up in a corner, staring idly at the floor, not even looking up to acknowledge her new guests. Corey tried not to let his pity show on his face.

    ¡°You mind taking that muzzle off?¡± Kamak said. ¡°We want to talk.¡±

    At the sound of a familiar voice, Bevo perked up. She looked up at Kamak, and some of the faded spark in her eyes returned. She tried to say something, but the gag across her mouth muffled every word. The renewed activity brought renewed attention from the guards. With seven guns aimed at her, Bevo drew back again.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    ¡°Easy. Just get that thing off and give us a minute,¡± Kamak said to the guards. ¡°We have some things we need to clarify.¡±

    The guards were reluctant to leave them alone with a ¡°serial killer¡±, but Kamak still had a little diplomatic sway. Two of them restrained Bevo while a third took off her muzzle. Corey could see that it had been strapped on tight enough to leave gashes in her skin. She flexed her jaw, enjoying her first bit of freedom in cycles, as the guards left the room.

    ¡°Hey gang,¡± Bevo croaked. She tried to sound lighthearted, but her voice was weak. ¡°Long time no see.¡±

    ¡°Bevo. Looks like you¡¯re in trouble.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah. I could use a bit of a hand here,¡± Bevo said. ¡°You mind telling folks I¡¯m, you know, not a psychopath? I¡¯d appreciate it. Buy you another round of drinks and everything.¡±

    She walked as close to the bars as she could, and held up her hands as far as the chains would allow. Her attempts to appear casual and calm only further highlighted how desperate she really was. Bevo looked to be on the verge of tears.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not that simple, Bevo,¡± Farsus said. ¡°You followed us suspiciously close to several incidents, and your appearance somewhat matches the description of Quid¡¯s attacker.¡±

    ¡°Lots of people are red!¡± Bevo protested. ¡°And I didn¡¯t even have hair back then!¡±

    She gestured towards her head. Some of her hair had grown in during her imprisonment, but she usually kept it shaved, at odds with Quid¡¯s description of his attacker having long hair.

    ¡°Easy enough to buy a wig, kid,¡± Kamak said. ¡°And what about you showing up out of the blue after two different murders?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a bounty hunter, I get around,¡± Bevo said.

    ¡°Bevo, we need more than that to go on,¡± Doprel said.

    ¡°Well. I mean...okay,¡± Bevo said. ¡°I¡­I was following you.¡±

    ¡°Bevo,¡± Kamak said, as he tensed. ¡°That is not a good look.¡±

    ¡°Look, I promise, it¡¯s nothing like that,¡± Bevo said. ¡°I took that job with the guy who bought your ship, and showed up after To Vo¡¯s mate got hurt, because I was trying to help. I swear, that¡¯s all I wanted.¡±

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s say we believe that,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Why go to the trouble? What do you want out of it. Money? Ride on the coattails of our fame?¡±

    Bevo already looked upset, but Kamak¡¯s cold appraisal was what set her to crying.

    ¡°I wanted to help ¡®cause I like you guys,¡± Bevo whimpered. ¡°I thought we were friends.¡±

    Kamak covered his face with his hands as tears started to roll down Bevo¡¯s crimson cheeks. This was bad enough without her crying. Corey did not avert his eyes from Bevo¡¯s pitiable state, no matter how much he wanted to.

    ¡°Are we really going to keep this up?¡± Corey asked. It took a few seconds for anyone to answer him. Kamak sighed, and took his hands off his face.

    ¡°No, we¡¯re not,¡± Kamak said. Seeing Bevo in person had reminded him of the consequences of the game they were playing. If they didn¡¯t get ahead of this, there was a good chance Bevo¡¯s life would be ruined, one way or another. ¡°Look, Bevo, I don¡¯t know how much we can really do, but...I¡¯m going to tell people we believe you. I can¡¯t get you out of prison tomorrow, maybe even at all, but I¡¯m going to try, alright? I promise.¡±

    For some reason, that just made Bevo cry harder, much to Kamak¡¯s chagrin.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Bevo sobbed. She tried to smile, and even laugh. ¡°I definitely owe you guys drinks now.¡±

    ¡°Save it for after we actually spring you,¡± Kamak said. He stood up and pointed at the door. ¡°Come on. There¡¯s plenty of press right outside. We can get this done right now.¡±

    ¡°Sit tight, Bevo,¡± Doprel said. ¡°We¡¯ll have you out of here in no time.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, gang,¡± Bevo said. ¡°I knew I liked you guys.¡±

    Bevo sat down in her cell and playfully rattled her chains as the crew left. Tooley waited under they were out of earshot to get back to political conniving.

    ¡°So, do we have like, a strategy, or something,¡± Tooley said. ¡°A way to not piss off the shadow government that kind of helps us?¡±

    ¡°Well we are going to have to throw the Amauris government under the bus,¡± Kamak said. ¡°But they kind of deserve it, they fell for this whole thing in the first place.¡±

    The local police had been fed some tactically selected information about the case by the Council¡¯s agents, and they had wrongly identified Bevo as a culprit while she¡¯d been on-world pursuing a bounty. They deserved at least some of the blame, so Kamak felt less guilty about giving it to them.

    ¡°Beyond that, we¡¯re just going to have to bring up what we know,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Prove Bevo¡¯s innocence with other facts, like how she¡¯d never be able to land on Turitha. Lay out enough evidence, we look smart, and we keep some pressure on the Butcher. Farsus, you want to take the lead? You remember the most details about the case offhand.¡±

    ¡°Indeed,¡± Farsus said. He¡¯d be able to field questions the easiest, and there would no doubt be questions. As soon as they stepped outside, it was obvious that the media swarm had doubled if not tripled in size. Farsus stepped out, but could not even get a word out before cameras and recorders got shoved in face.

    ¡°Do you have a response to the Butcher¡¯s statement?¡±

    ¡°Are any of the accusations true?¡±

    ¡°Were you really aware of Bevo¡¯s innocence when she was arrested?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Shit,¡± Kamak said. ¡°God damn it!¡±

    He was not at all surprised, but he was still enraged. Kamak ripped his datapad out of his pocket and checked the headlines. As always, the information was not hard to find. There was even a video.

    ¡°I am very disappointed in all of you,¡± the synthesized voice proclaimed. The camera was aimed downwards, at what appeared to be a desk, and the voice came from out of frame. ¡°I have put so much work into what I do, so much time and effort and planning. You know that poor, innocent woman you have locked up isn¡¯t me. But you¡¯re still ready to sacrifice her freedom, her life, for what? A chance to scare me, or trick me into hiding hide?¡±

    Kamak glanced sideways at the crowd of reporters. They had fallen silent long enough to let him watch the video -and record his reaction to it.

    ¡°But I¡¯m not scared. And unlike you, I¡¯m not going to let that poor girl languish in prison for my own convenience,¡± the unseen Butcher continued. ¡°So here¡¯s my proof that Bevo is innocent.¡±

    The camera panned up, away from the desk. In an office chair, a young man sat covered in a crimson torrent, with his throat slit from nearly ear to ear. The light had left his eyes, but there was still blood dribbling slowly from the open wound.

    ¡°Wait, that¡¯s that Savant guy,¡± Corey said. ¡°Alvrit.¡±

    The man who had intruded on their interview with Et-Fe was clearly recognizable even in death. The d¨¦cor of the room around him implied he had been murdered in his workplace, or perhaps a home office.

    ¡°Thank you, Kamak, and all you other tumors of the universe aboard her ship, for proving you¡¯re the exact kind of cowards and idiots I¡¯ve always known you are,¡± the Butcher continued. ¡°But I¡¯m not done. And I won¡¯t be done until you are dead, and the entire universe forgets your names.¡±

    The camera panned away from the bloody scene, focusing on a concealed blur of a face. Kamak saw almost nothing recognizable -the video had been selectively edited before being sent in, removing everything but two manic eyes, wide with hunger and rage.

    ¡°See you soon.¡±

 Book 2 Chapter 58: Crumbling Conspiracy

    ¡°I¡¯d like to know what they knew and when they knew it.¡±

    ¡°Did they have a plan for bailing her out, or were they just going to let that poor girl rot in jail?¡±

    ¡°From where I¡¯m standing it looks like they tried to frame an innocent woman while the real killer was still on the loose.¡±

    Kamak stared directly into the central console and slammed his thumb down on the pause button. He kept staring for a few more seconds before he got a response from the voice on the other end of the call.

    ¡°Did you take the time to edit that together yourself?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve had a lot of spare time,¡± Kamak said. After getting the Butcher¡¯s message, they¡¯d gotten Bevo out of prison and gotten the hell out. The ride back to Centerpoint was giving Kamak plenty of time to watch the media vultures pick the carcass of his reputation clean.

    Kamak had tried to explain the situation back on Amauris, but the media had never given him a chance to get so much as a word in edgewise. They had decided his guilt before he¡¯d even had a chance to open his mouth. It made for a better story, after all. The only thing that got more attention than a hero was a fallen hero.

    ¡°I told you,¡± Kamak said. ¡°You rushed into this, and now we¡¯re paying the price.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me if I didn¡¯t expect a serial killer to spring into action to save an innocent life,¡± Angry Voice said. ¡°We needed time, we needed to set up our own narrative, get our story out first. We had no way of knowing the Butcher would be able to react so quickly.¡±

    Angry Voice sounded considerably less angry while covering his own ass. Corey had been surprised to hear a familiar voice on the other end of the line. Usually there were different people each time, or maybe just different voice modifiers.

    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s not past fixing,¡± Bevo said. ¡°You guys were already about to spring me, just let me tell everyone.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid we are well past that point now,¡± Farsus said. ¡°The Butcher¡¯s statement preempted any we could make. Anything we say now, true or not, will be viewed as nothing but an attempt at image rehabilitation.¡±

    ¡°Beyond their odd message, we also had no way of predicting the Butcher would be able to act with such...precise timing,¡± the voice mumbled. The Butcher being able to track down and kill a new victim, and have it go unnoticed, until the exact moment the crew had been otherwise occupied, had been an unfortunate and unexpected turn of events.

    ¡°It¡¯s not about what you did or didn¡¯t expect, it¡¯s about a plan with such a glaring flaw,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re the one to lecture anyone about flawed plans, Kamak.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a dipshit in a spaceship,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Only person I¡¯ve ever wanted to be responsible for is myself and maybe a few of these idiots. You¡¯re the government shadow op that wants to run the whole universe. Shouldn¡¯t you be better than some random asshole?¡±Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

    The other end of the call went silent. Kamak kept staring, waiting for an answer. Corey was the first to clear his throat and try to clear the air.

    ¡°Kamak, maybe we should-¡±

    ¡°No, no, I want an answer,¡± Kamak insisted. ¡°I never asked to be responsible for the universe, you assholes are the ones working so hard at it. Shouldn¡¯t you be better at it? How many decades of work have you put into this?¡±

    After a much shorter delay, the synthesized voice sighed -and then fizzled. When they spoke again, it was in the entirely unmodified voice of the Ghost.

    ¡°A year and a half.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°A year and a half, Kamak,¡± Ghost said. ¡°That¡¯s how long we¡¯ve been at this.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve been talking like you¡¯re some kind of universe-spanning secret police,¡± Tooley said. ¡°And you¡¯ve been around less time than I¡¯ve owned this ship?¡±

    ¡°We have careers in black ops and behind the scenes work spanning decades, collectively,¡± Ghost said. ¡°It was just...at a smaller scale. Planetary. Occasionally on a galactic level. Never anything like this. There hasn¡¯t been a need for it since the last Severance War.¡±

    ¡°Nearly a century ago,¡± Farsus said. ¡°But you felt a need to revive the program after the invasion.¡±

    ¡°A threat from beyond the known universe necessitated some kind of response,¡± Ghost said flatly. ¡°We exploited mutual connections, informants, resources, put together as much as we could. If an organization like ours had existed sooner, Morrakesh¡¯s plan might never have gotten that far.¡±

    Kamak felt some small satisfaction at that. He¡¯d always secretly seethed about Ghost and his friends not helping with Morrakesh. Now he knew why. They were useless in a different way than he¡¯d suspected.

    ¡°So this is, what?¡± Tooley said. ¡°The first real crisis your little cabal has ever actually had to deal with?¡±

    ¡°On this scale, yes,¡± Ghost admitted. ¡°And before you decide to drop any more scathing insults, we¡¯re already well aware of our failings. Several members have already resigned.¡±

    Beyond the one major error, Ghost and his comrades had been failing to produce results for weeks. Bevo¡¯s arrest backfiring was just the excuse several doubters had been waiting for to back out of what they felt to be a failed experiment.

    ¡°Good,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know why I¡¯ve ever bothered with you people,¡± Ghost sighed.

    ¡°Wait, please don¡¯t hang up yet,¡± Doprel pleaded.

    ¡°Only because it¡¯s you asking,¡± Ghost said. Doprel took a second to look smug about that. Politeness did pay off.

    ¡°Look, this isn¡¯t a complete loss,¡± Doprel said. ¡°You said when this started you wanted to provoke a response. Well, we got a response. Maybe we can learn something from this. Farsus is in the middle of some research right now, maybe he¡¯ll have something for us.¡±

    ¡°I sincerely hope he does,¡± Ghost said. ¡°But I don¡¯t know if it matters. To me, at least. We¡¯ve lost significant resources and influence already. I can¡¯t promise we¡¯ll have anything left to help you even if you do make progress.¡±

    ¡°You still own a gun?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Kamak, I still own a gun,¡± Ghost sighed.

    ¡°Well then you have a way to help,¡± Kamak said. ¡°We¡¯ll be in touch.¡±

    Kamak and Ghost got into an unspoken race over who could hang up first. Unfortunately for Kamak¡¯s ego, the Ghost won.

    ¡°Well, they weren¡¯t much help anyway,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Back to business. Bevo, you got somewhere you want us to drop you off?¡±

    ¡°Well, actually...¡±

    ¡°You want to stick around,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°I want to help!¡±

    ¡°We are a little responsible for her getting thrown in prison,¡± Corey said. ¡°Unintentionally.¡±

    Kamak remained skeptical.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be good publicity,¡± Doprel said.

    ¡°Alright, fine,¡± Kamak said.

    Bevo got so excited she did a little dance, which even Doprel felt might be a bit excessive. There was still a serial killer on the loose, it was hardly dancing time.

 Book 2 Chapter 59: Getting (A Little Too) Comfortable

    ¡°Make yourself comfortable, Bevo?¡±

    ¡°Very comfortable,¡± Bevo said. She was lounging on a newly claimed bunk alongside what apparently accounted for all her worldly possessions: a single backpack of gear and a very large battleaxe. ¡°I didn¡¯t know they made ships this nice.¡±

    ¡°There are better ones,¡± Tooley said. ¡°I wasn¡¯t exactly shopping top of the line models.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d like to see those,¡± Bevo said. ¡°But this¡¯ll do just fine. Certainly beats having to bounce around on shuttles and contract flights.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t have a ship of your own?¡±

    ¡°Used to. Old beater I inherited from my dad, even older than the Hermit was,¡± Bevo said. ¡°Got shot down a few years ago while dogfighting a bounty. Been slumming it ever since.¡±

    ¡°Well, you¡¯re done with that,¡± Corey said. Tooley glanced sidelong at him. ¡°For now.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome to stay until we get things sorted,¡± Tooley said. She liked the idea of having a new face on the ship, at least for the time being. It was a much needed change of pace, with everything going on. ¡°But things are going to get complicated after that.¡±

    ¡°I get it,¡± Bevo said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, I¡¯m used to bouncing around. And speaking of bouncing-¡±

    She tossed her pack and axe aside and did a quick bounce on the bed.

    ¡°Only thing left to do is break in this new bunk.¡±

    ¡°Right, you need to relax,¡± Corey said. ¡°We¡¯ll let you get some rest and-¡±

    Tooley elbowed him mid-sentence, and nodded towards Bevo, who looked about ready to laugh.

    ¡°Oh, that kind of breaking in the bunk,¡± Corey said. Tooley was very direct in her advances, so he had almost forgotten how innuendo worked. ¡°I¡¯m, uh, we could- Tooley?¡±

    ¡°Why are you passing this to me?¡±

    For a second, the air between the two of them crackled with tension so palpable even Bevo could feel it. It wasn¡¯t the sexy kind of tension, either.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    ¡°I¡¯m just asking for your opinion, I want to know your opinion.¡±

    ¡°Well I want to know your opinion,¡± Tooley said, as she stared down Corey.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, was this supposed to be a monogamous thing?¡± Bevo said, rapidly pointing between the two of them. ¡°Did I make it weird?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been weird,¡± Tooley said. They still didn¡¯t have a term for their relationship, even. Corey had once brought up human terms like ¡°dating¡± and ¡°boyfriend and girlfriend¡± but Tooley had immediately dismissed them as weirdly juvenile. She had also dismissed every other possible relationship label in the universe, from common terms like ¡°mates¡± to exotic labels like ¡°bloodbound¡± and ¡°spritetams¡±. Corey had figured she just hated the concept of labeling their relationship and stopped suggesting alternatives at some point.

    ¡°Well, I apologize for making it weirder,¡± Bevo said. ¡°Just got a little excited. Prison changes a woman, you know.¡±

    ¡°Bevo, you were in a cell for three cycles,¡± Tooley said.

    ¡°That¡¯s a long time! I¡¯m a very physical woman!¡±

    ¡°Well, just- I don¡¯t know. We¡¯ll talk about it later,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°No, I¡¯d like to hear about your opinions now,¡± Tooley said. She had a strong suspicion that he was interested, but didn¡¯t want to say so for fear of offending her. She wouldn¡¯t be offended, but she did enjoy watching Corey squirm.

    ¡°My opinion is that in like five minutes Farsus is going to be finishing up his serial killer thesis and we should probably keep our mind on that,¡± Corey said. ¡°We should get out of the middle of that before anyone gets in the middle of us.¡±

    ¡°I actually prefer to be on the bot-¡±

    ¡°Not the point, Bevo,¡± Corey said. ¡°You just got out of prison, a man got murdered, and a serial killer is still on the loose. Now is not the time for this.¡±

    ¡°Obvious deflection aside, you do have a point,¡± Tooley said. ¡°We should get serious.¡±

    ¡°Why start now?¡±

    ¡°Lives are at stake, Bevo,¡± Corey said. ¡°If things had gone differently you might¡¯ve died in prison.¡±

    ¡°Well I didn¡¯t, and that¡¯s cause for celebration in my book,¡± Bevo said. She put her hands behind her head and leaned back on the mattress. Corey felt conflicted for a second, but ultimately shrugged his shoulders.

    ¡°You know what, keep up that attitude,¡± Corey said. ¡°This crew could use a little optimism.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll have to introduce you to To Vo later, you two will get along great,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Just don¡¯t try to fuck her, I think she¡¯s been going through it relationship-wise.¡±

    ¡°Noted, no touchy To Vo.¡±

    ¡°Well now the conversation is back on sex, so I think I¡¯m going to leave before it gets weird again,¡± Corey said. Much to his relief, Tooley left the room as well.

    ¡°Our lives are weird, Corvash,¡± she said on the way out. ¡°I thought you¡¯d be used to it by now.¡±

    ¡°You know, amid all the violence and conspiracies, I don¡¯t really get solicited for sex much.¡±

    ¡°Really? Damn. Happens to me all the time,¡± Tooley said. ¡°I didn¡¯t think I was that much better looking than you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve seen you get asked like two, maybe three times,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°Yeah, that you¡¯ve seen. People ask less when you¡¯re around,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Probably because you carry a laser sword.¡±

    ¡°That does make sense.¡±

 Book 2 Chapter 60: Her

    Bevo tried not to look too excited when she got to sit in the common room with the rest of the team for their meeting. They were still here to discuss a serial killer. It was serious business and she was a serious person. She was still a little excited, though.

    ¡°Alright, Farsus, you¡¯re the only guy here with a brain,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Please tell me you¡¯ve solved this thing.¡±

    ¡°While I can¡¯t claim to have identified a culprit, I believe I have identified an important thread in their killings.¡±

    Farsus manipulated the central console and started putting up displays of the Butcher¡¯s most recent killings, as well as other information on Et-Fe Lithrette and EmSolo Aerodynamic¡¯s headquarters. The crime scene was on the far side of the universe, so a direct investigation was not feasible, but Farsus had spent the past several swaps gathering as much information as he could.

    ¡°The choice of Savant Alvrit as a victim rather than Et-Fe Lithrette stood out to me, so I reached out to the local security forces, asked for a breakdown of the killer¡¯s potential access to Alvrit versus Et-Fe,¡± Farsus said. ¡°According to the guards, at least, the security levels were comparatively similar. Both were in the same building at the same time, under watch by the same guards, had the same security systems on their doors.¡±

    He put up a holo of the office complex, highlighting Alvrit and Et-Fe¡¯s offices, which were only a few rooms apart.

    ¡°Why, then, would the Butcher target Alvrit, a man we did not know, over Et-Fe, the woman we specifically reached out to contact?¡± Farsus continued. ¡°Analyzing our killer¡¯s behavior, I think I have identified a common thread. The Bad Luck Butcher has made similar odd choices in the past, specifically at the homes of To Vo La Su and the Obertas family.¡±

    He called up a map of both crime scenes. Tooley twitched at the sight of her old house, even though it had been reduced down to a simple blueprint and a few red dots.

    ¡°When presented with the option of killing To Vo La Su or her infant daughter, the Butcher chose to target Den Cal Vor, a man we barely knew and who most of us have never even met,¡± Farsus said. ¡°Similarly, when attacking Tooley¡¯s family members, he killed only the father, leaving her mother and sister as hostages.¡±The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that just a matter of convenience, though?¡± Tooley said. ¡°Like, Corey was between the Butcher and To Vo, and they presumably only had so much time to kill anyone on Turitha.¡±

    ¡°Reasonable assumptions, and one I made myself, but in the larger context, a pattern becomes apparent,¡± Farsus said. ¡°Especially in light of their uncharacteristic intervention for Bevo.¡±

    Bevo perked up at the mention of her name. She hadn¡¯t been tracking the conversation well so far.

    ¡°Looking at their history of victims,¡± Farsus said. He pulled up a few headshots of everyone killed by the Butcher, and pointed to them one by one. ¡°The Bad Luck Butcher has only ever killed men, even when female targets were both accessible and more damaging to us. I don¡¯t believe that this is a coincidence.¡±

    Kamak stared at the rows of all-male victims and narrowed his eyes.

    ¡°Are you implying that our serial killer is a feminist?¡±

    ¡°No, I am implying that they are a misandrist,¡± Farsus said. ¡°Belief in the equality of women is not the same as a hatred of men.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s still a little crazy to say that all of this is because someone hates dudes,¡± Corey said, gesturing to the long list of dead bodies.

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe simple misandry is their primary motivation,¡± Farsus said. ¡°They also showcase a desire for fame and recognition, as well as a clear vendetta against us for as-yet unidentifiable reasons. I am confident that the misandry is a key element of their pathology, however. The Butcher¡¯s comment to Tooley¡¯s female relatives, that she was ¡®saving them¡¯ makes sense, viewed in the context of women living in a misogynistic society.¡±

    ¡°It makes sense to me,¡± Doprel said.

    ¡°It makes perfect sense, yeah,¡± Kamak said. ¡°I just don¡¯t know how useful it is. What are we going to do, ask for a list of everyone in the universe who hates men?¡±

    ¡°We can use it to narrow down our suspect list, at least,¡± Corey said. ¡°We know we¡¯re looking for someone who hates us, hates men, wants fame, has some kind of access to genetic modification-¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve got to be fucking kidding me!¡±

    Tooley burst out of her seat, pushed Kamak out of the way of the console controls, and started punching through the system. Kamak briefly considered shoving her right back, but he recognized that manic look in her eyes. Tooley frantically scoured the system until she called up a hologram of a single purple face.

    ¡°It¡¯s her,¡± Tooley said. ¡°It¡¯s got to be her.¡±

    <hr>

    Halfway across the universe, a timer beeped in a dark room. The chamber¡¯s sole occupant stood up and pulled a tube out of their veins. The modification process was over, for the time being, and they were back to their original state. They would become someone else when it was time to strike again.

    The face of the ¡®Bad Luck Butcher¡¯ often changed, but for the time being, it had returned to the purple-skinned visage of Kor Tekaji.

 Book 2 Chapter 61: The Interview

    Now that she had her own face again, Kor Tekaji set about her own life. She had an interview soon, and she had to look her best, a task that became slightly easier with the power of genetic modification. Thanks to supplies accumulated over years of academic and professional work, Kor had all the resources on hand to impersonate members of every species, and still have enough left over to smooth out wrinkles on her original face.

    The process of frequent genetic modification did have some unruly side-effects. Discolored spots of skin could be covered up with some makeup, and facial twitches were a simple matter of muscle relaxants. They were minor side effects, easily smoothed over, just like she had dealt with the aberromorphic psychosis. Most people went deranged after only a few instances of morphism, Kor Tekaji had gone through nearly half a dozen and was still perfectly sane and rational.

    After concluding her cosmetic rituals, Kor Tekaji went to her canvas and started to paint the final few strokes of her latest piece of art. She had spent the past several days painting a detailed portrait of Tooley Keeber Obertas, and now that she was done, she admired her handiwork for exactly seven minutes before tearing the canvas from the easel and beginning to gnaw on it. She took a bite out of a corner of Tooley¡¯s face, and slowly consumed the rest as she dressed herself. It was only natural to want to consume her enemies essence for herself. It was perfectly sane and rational.

    Once she had slipped the last gemmed ring onto her finger and had gnawed on the last pieces of Tooley¡¯s portrait, Kor Tekaji set out for her interview. The murders could only do so much, after all. To ensure the name of Kor Tekaji was remembered for all time, she had to play up both sides of her split life. Her legacy as a geneticist might have been overshadowed in recent memory by the bullheaded military antics of Kamak and his cronies, but there was still room in the history books. Her achievements would outlive Kamak and all the rest of them, especially once she revealed she had been moonlighting as the universe¡¯s most successful serial killer on the side.

    Kor had been hitting the interview circuit frequently the past few years, to help establish her reputation, so she was quick to notice the changes when she arrived at the studio. It was quiet, and the usual hustle and bustle of media interns had been replaced by employees standing cautiously to the side, trying too hard to look like they weren¡¯t watching Kor Tekaji¡¯s every move. There was even a camera trained on her as she walked, though it was disguised as a ¡°film test¡±. Kor toyed with one of the rings on her fingers. Something was wrong.

    ¡°Just take a seat right here,¡± a PA said in a strained voice. Kor took a seat, and the production assistant backed away, making sure to back up a few steps before turning his back to Kor. She clenched her fist and kept it tucked to her side as the interviewer sat down.

    ¡°You¡¯re not Lirida Mo¡¯tar,¡± Kor noted. It was still a woman, thankfully. Kor could not imagine having an entire conversation with a man.

    ¡°No, sorry, there was a triple homicide in one of the uptown cells,¡± the new interviewer said. ¡°You know how bloodthirsty everyone is nowadays, everyone on Centerpoint is in a tizzy. Schedules and broadcasts and interviews all get reshuffled every time someone gets stabbed.¡±

    ¡°Understandable.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯d be some hoops to jump through, but we can reschedule if you like.¡±The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    ¡°No, that won¡¯t be necessary,¡± Kor said. ¡°Let¡¯s begin.¡±

    Far more cameras than necessary got angled at Kor as the questions began, and absolutely none were aimed at the interviewer. Some of the tension evaporated as a few softball questions got lobbed her way. Basic prods about her upbringing and biology career, the kind of questions Kor had answered a thousand times over. She could practically recite her answers from memory by now.

    ¡°And what about your interest in that afterlife theory,¡± the interviewer said, in the first fresh question of the night. ¡°¡®Psychosocial immortality¡¯? Am I reading that right?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Kor said. She kept her teeth clenched and ran a finger along a green gemstone in one of her rings.

    ¡°Can you explain that to us, in layman¡¯s terms?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s quite simple,¡± Kor Tekaji said. ¡°Everyone has an afterlife in the form of society¡¯s collective memory. Those of us who do great deeds, who are worth remembering, will live on forever, while the irrelevant will be condemned to a swift and well-deserved non-existence.¡±

    ¡°Interesting. Would you say that¡¯s influenced your career choices at all?¡±

    ¡°Extensively,¡± Kor said. ¡°Who wouldn¡¯t want immortality?¡±

    ¡°When you compare it to a lot of afterlife systems, I note there¡¯s no elements of morality associated with this afterlife,¡± the interviewer said. ¡°No requirements for good deeds or bad deeds, just deeds.¡±

    ¡°No, no such moral lines,¡± Kor said. ¡°If society is debased enough to consider acts of violence memorable, that¡¯s a societal failing, not a problem with an individual philosophy.¡±

    ¡°And you¡¯ve clearly demonstrated that you can achieve that ¡®psychosocial immortality¡¯ can be achieved through purely positive means,¡± the interviewer said. ¡°Your work in genetic engineering is helping people achieve physical immortality, even, or at least longer lifespans.¡±

    ¡°Exactly.¡±

    ¡°And your work is only just getting started,¡± the interviewer said. ¡°You only recently discovered the genetic link between Kentath species, right? You could close the gaps between species.¡±

    ¡°Yes, we¡¯re already working on adapting the Gentanian¡¯s centuries-long lifespans to other races,¡± Kor Tekaji said. ¡°As well as smoothing out genetic differences that prevent cross-fertilization.¡±

    ¡°What about on the cosmetic front? Could you have someone change appearance to look like another species?¡±

    Kor folded her hands, laying her palm atop the ring she wore, and stared at her interviewer.

    ¡°Have you gotten everything you need?¡±

    ¡°We have time for several more questions, but if you¡¯d like to cancel-¡±

    ¡°I meant, did you get everything you need to confirm your suspicions,¡± Kor said. ¡°Or do we have to continue the farce?¡±

    ¡°Excuse me?¡±

    ¡°You have a gun on you, ma¡¯am,¡± Kor Tekaji said. ¡°It¡¯s not subtle.¡±

    The ¡°interviewer¡± tried very hard not to glance towards the hidden firearm strapped to her chest. There was no way Kor should¡¯ve been able to see that.

    ¡°I can smell the metal,¡± Kor said, reacting to the obvious strain. ¡°Enhancing my senses was one of the first things I did. Just like I can hear your ¡®backup¡¯ arriving now.¡±

    There were a few dozen footsteps approaching. Kor could hear the subtle click of guns being loaded and the hum of plasma and laser cells charging.

    The interviewer who was actually an officer nervously moved a hand towards her gun, but did not grab it just yet. Kor rested one manicured fingernail on the emerald gemstone of her ring and applied some subtle pressure.

    ¡°Congratulations, you caught me,¡± Kor said. ¡°I am the Bad Luck Butcher. Terrible name, by the way.¡±

    This grand reveal was a bit ahead of schedule, admittedly, but Kor Tekaji was prepared for any eventuality. She pressed her fingernail against the ¡°gemstone¡± in her ring as the doors to the studio opened and officers filed in.

    ¡°No need for guns, I surrender,¡± Kor said. ¡°I know when I¡¯m beaten, Kamak.¡±

    Kor stood to face those who¡¯d trapped her, and found the face of Officer Annin staring back.

    ¡°Kamak?¡±

    <hr>

    ¡°Kamak?¡±

    Captain Kamak, still aboard the Wild Card Wanderer, several swaps away, stared at the comms screen. He offered no response.

    ¡°Do you have any thoughts on Officer Annin¡¯s plans?¡±

    ¡°I think she¡¯s dead.¡±

    It wouldn¡¯t be long before he was proven right.

 Book 2 Chapter 62: No Longer Live Studio Audience

    Even through the gas mask, Kamak could feel the death and poison on the air. Even a full purge of the local area¡¯s atmosphere had been unable to chase away the bitter tang of decay. Kamak bit back his disgust at the scent and looked at the shrouded corpse of Officer Annin.

    ¡°You fucking idiot.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t curse the dead, Kamak,¡± the Ghost said. He was overlooking the scene with a similar expression of disgust. ¡°It¡¯s bad luck.¡±

    ¡°If the dead don¡¯t want to get called fucking idiots they should try not being fucking idiots,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°Annin saw an opportunity to extract more information and capture the killer,¡± Ghost said. ¡°It was, admittedly, overly ambitious, but luring Kor Tekaji by commandeering an existing interview was a smart move. As was exploiting her peculiar psychopathy with an all-female task force.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, how¡¯d girl power work out for them?¡±

    Ghost said nothing. The corpses scattered across the room were answer enough. Kor¡¯s bias towards women only went so far. When forced to choose between herself and a room full of innocent women, Kor had chosen to kill them all and save herself.

    ¡°Annin is fucking lucky the studio has it¡¯s own ventilation system,¡± Kamak said. ¡°If they hadn¡¯t been able to shut the place down and vent the cell a lot of innocent people might¡¯ve died.¡±

    No one was quite sure what Kor Tekaji had used¡ªsome were already speculating it was a brand-new nerve gas of her own making¡ªbut it had spread fast and killed every member of the task force in seconds. Annin had used her last choking breaths to call in the gas attack, and get the area of the station sealed off to prevent the gas spreading to any nearby districts. Kamak did give her credit for that, at least. He was just mad as hell right now, and taking it out on the dead idiot was easy. She didn¡¯t have feelings to hurt anymore.

    Across the room, Farsus examined one of the corpses more directly. He shook his head, and Doprel replaced the shroud and allowed the hazmat team to cart the body away.

    ¡°It¡¯s hard to imagine all this coming from one ring,¡± Doprel said. The murder ¡°weapon¡± had already been carted away for evidence, but Doprel and the crew had been shown pictures and 3D scans of it. A false jewel had somehow contained enough compressed gas to kill almost eighty people -but not Kor herself. Farsus assumed that she had engineered herself an immunity to the same poison she was employing to kill others.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    ¡°Now we get to add poisonous gas to the list of things we¡¯re worried about,¡± Tooley said. Amid all the death, she was putting in orders for new air filters for her ship.

    ¡°I¡¯m hoping simple logistics will prevent her from using such methods again,¡± Farsus said. ¡°You saw the recording. She expected it to be us here, arresting her.¡±

    ¡°Which is worrying,¡± Corey said. He¡¯d been hoping Kor¡¯s arrogance and pride would prevent her from thinking she might ever be caught. Morrakesh had underestimated them in the end, after all, but apparently Kor would not be repeating that mistake.

    ¡°Kor Tekaji expected this to be her master stroke,¡± Farsus said. ¡°And likely spent a great deal of time preparing it as such. It¡¯s very likely she would not be able to repeat this in the near future.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, well we¡¯re investing in new gas masks anyway,¡± Tooley said. Farsus did not protest.

    ¡°And her not being able to pull off another war crime ¡®soon¡¯ is dependent on our ability to catch her ¡®soon¡¯,¡± Kamak snapped, from across the room. ¡°And we have no fucking reason to believe we can. She got away, and now she knows we¡¯re on her trail.¡±

    ¡°Pessimism doesn¡¯t suit you, Kamak,¡± Ghost scolded.

    ¡°Pessimism is half my personality, dipshit,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Kor Tekaji is one of the smartest bitches in the universe, and thanks to Annin¡¯s impatient ass, she knows we¡¯re onto her. What little advantage we just managed to get, you people wasted.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not done yet,¡± Ghost said. ¡°This was an information gathering expedition, we had cameras and scanners pointed at her. Can¡¯t kill those with gas.¡±

    ¡°Apparently all those cameras and scanners weren¡¯t enough to keep her from sneaking away,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°Shockingly there was a lot of confusion while we were dealing with the largest bioterrorism incident in the history of Centerpoint,¡± Ghost said. Kor had been spotted a few times, presumably heading toward the hangar, but had mostly managed to get herself lost in a panicked crowd of people fleeing from the attack.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t really do us a lot of good.¡±

    ¡°Give us time to analyze the fucking data, Kamak,¡± Ghost said. ¡°If you want to feel useful in the meantime, Kor had an apartment here on Centerpoint.¡±

    ¡°You want us to go into the secret lair of the crazy lady with the secret bioweapons,¡± Tooley said flatly.

    ¡°As opposed to standing around bothering me? Yes,¡± Ghost snapped. ¡°It¡¯s across the station. By the time you get there, our advance team will already have disabled any traps. Probably.¡±

    ¡°I understand you like to jab Kamak a little, but that was just uncomfortable,¡± Doprel said.

    ¡°That wasn¡¯t a joke, Kor Tekaji obviously has methods we don¡¯t fully understand,¡± Ghost said. ¡°I can¡¯t guarantee your safety.¡±

    After a long moment of consideration, Kamak nodded towards the door. It was a risk, but there was potential benefit as well. It was better than standing here amid the corpses, at least.

 Book 2 Chapter 63: Where To Next?

    ¡°Welcome to the party,¡± Rembrandt said. He beckoned them past the barricades and armies of cops to one small door in the apartment complex. ¡°We just finished the security sweep.¡±

    He gestured to a humanoid machine standing by the side of the door, visibly pockmarked by repeated impacts, gunshots, and explosions.

    ¡°Meet Braig the Disarm Drone,¡± Rembrandt said. ¡°Already did a full sweep of the apartment, checked it for any tripwires, sensors, pressure triggers, that kind of thing. Building looks clear.¡±

    ¡°What about bio-triggers?¡±

    ¡°What about them?¡±

    ¡°Kor Tekaji¡¯s a biologist,¡± Corey said. ¡°If she has traps she might have them set to trigger on biological responses like heartbeats, body temperature, that kind of thing.¡±

    Rembrandt looked at Corey for a second and raised an angular eyebrow.

    ¡°Sounds like her thing,¡± Rembrandt said. ¡°Any volunteers to go check?¡±

    No hands went up.

    ¡°Thought so,¡± Rembrandt said. He held up his datapad. ¡°Officer To Vo La Su, could you search the currently deployed officers for someone with a lot of excessive force citations? Maybe some suspicions of domestic abuse?¡±

    ¡°To Vo¡¯s back to work already?¡±

    ¡°Already? We¡¯ve been chasing her off with a stick for swaps now,¡± Rembrandt said. ¡°We wanted her to stay hidden longer, but Annin¡¯s spectacular failure has us low on manpower.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll have to check in with her later,¡± Corey said. Doprel nodded in enthusiastic agreement.

    Their recently re-remerged associate sent over a file on some of the officers present. Rembrandt selected one whose wife and kids showed up with bruises suspiciously often and sent him in first. Corey watched the cop walk in with only a slight pang of guilt.

    ¡°That feels a little unethical,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°Who gives a shit,¡± Rembrandt said.

    ¡°I like this secret agent better than the other one,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°Lucky me.¡±

    The slightly unethical action had slightly ethical results. The chosen wifebeater/cop returned from his exploratory mission without a scratch. He had patrolled the apartment, opened some drawers, and even tried to use Kor¡¯s computer. Nothing had exploded, shot acid at him, or sprayed poison gas, so they were assuming the coast was clear. They had done every scan and test they had access to now, the only thing left was to go inside.

    Kamak made it exactly three steps inside before he heard a click.

    ¡°Careless.¡±

    Kamak agreed, but he didn¡¯t like the source of that voice. He turned and saw that a TV screen on the living room wall had clicked to life. The glowing screen projected the purple face of Kor Tekaji right back at him.

    ¡°Relatively clever, recognizing that I might use biometric triggers,¡± Kor said. ¡°But you failed to consider my sensors would use your personal vital signs as the trigger.¡±

    ¡°So is this trap going to melt me with acid, or what?¡± Kamak said. ¡°Because I would rather deal with that than your monologuing.¡±

    Kor Tekaji¡¯s haughty posture broke in about two seconds. Kamak had that effect on people.

    ¡°Is this all you are? Violence and sarcasm?¡±

    ¡°Also drinking,¡± Kamak said. ¡°That¡¯s pretty much it. Violence, sarcasm, and drinking.¡±

    ¡°How did you ever achieve anything?¡± Kor said. She now appeared genuinely baffled. ¡°How did you stumble your way into the kind of greatness I spent decades working towards?¡±This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.

    ¡°Probably because when I want to kill someone I just kill them instead of building elaborate traps just to talk at them,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°It is more efficient,¡± Farsus said. ¡°You could¡¯ve killed us all, but instead you¡¯ve chosen to ask ridiculous questions.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m considering raiding your fridge,¡± Tooley said, as she idly looked around the apparently non-lethal apartment. ¡°You got any beer?¡±

    From the look on her face, Kor was regretting not rigging up an acid trap right now.

    ¡°No,¡± Kor said, as much to herself as them. ¡°You don¡¯t-¡±

    ¡°No you don¡¯t have any beer, or ¡®no¡¯ something else,¡± Tooley said.

    ¡°I am going to enjoy peeling your flesh off your face,¡± Kor said. ¡°But no. You die last. Only after the entire universe sees you for the failures you really are-¡±

    ¡°Oh, so your plan is to turn the whole universe against us,¡± Corey said. ¡°That worked out real well for the last guy who tried it.¡±

    ¡°I am not Morrakesh.¡±

    ¡°Morrakesh isn¡¯t Morrakesh anymore either, really,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Not after we got done with it.¡±

    ¡°Maybe you can ask the scattered subatomic particles that used to be Morrakesh for some advice,¡± Doprel snapped.

    ¡°Enough! I have no idea what luck or coincidence propelled you imbeciles to fame, but I am going to rewrite that legacy in blood,¡± Kor said.

    ¡°God, are you hearing yourself, lady? What kind of bullshit are you spouting?¡±

    ¡°Maybe that¡¯s just how people from her culture talk,¡± Tooley said.

    ¡°No, the Belrood are fairly standard in their speech patterns,¡± Farsus said.

    ¡°And you think how you talk is normal?¡±

    ¡°Well, maybe in the context of us having a secret agent backtracing your connection to try and locate you,¡± Kamak said. Rembrandt had started as soon as Kor had called in, and just given Kamak the thumbs up that his work was done. ¡°Already in the eastern sector of the Ncut galaxy, damn, you¡¯re really booking it.¡±

    ¡°See you soon,¡± Corey said.

    After a half second of bewildered staring, Kor¡¯s connection abruptly and unsurprisingly shut down.

    ¡°Good job keeping her talking,¡± Rembrandt said. ¡°Even if it was a bit unorthodox.¡±

    ¡°Egomaniacs love to get the last word,¡± Kamak said. ¡°As long as you keep talking, so will they.¡±

    ¡°I am sometimes shocked how often deliberately frustrating our enemies is a valid tactic,¡± Farsus said.

    ¡°Sounds wrong, but what would I know, I¡¯ve never saved the universe,¡± Rembrandt said. He tapped through the screen he¡¯d been collecting information on. ¡°Ncut galaxy, huh. Gateway to the intergalactic backwoods.¡±

    ¡°What the hell does she want out there?¡±

    ¡°A place to lie low, probably. We just finished analyzing some of the data from Annin¡¯s mishap,¡± Rembrandt said. He held up a small disk in a silvery hand, and displayed a holographic image of Kor Tekaji. The graphic was overlaid with small highlights, illuminating her heart, eyes, and mouth. ¡°She had the foresight to consult with some other genetic engineering experts, and Annin made sure her people were set up to capture biometric data.¡±

    The highlighted areas on the hologram blinked in tandem with a series of autonomic bodily functions -her heartbeat, blinking, breathing, and other reflexive patterns.

    ¡°Even changing into another species doesn¡¯t change everything about her body,¡± Rembrandt said. ¡°Now that we have a comprehensive set of data, we can track her more easily.¡±

    ¡°The average security camera can analyze someones heartbeat?¡±

    ¡°With some assistance, yes,¡± Rembrandt said. ¡°It¡¯s just not something we usually look for, and even if it were, we had nothing to compare it to before now.¡±

    ¡°And so now your plan is, what?¡± Tooley said. ¡°Tap into every security camera in the universe?¡±

    ¡°No, only the ones near people associated with males connected to you,¡± Rembrandt said. ¡°Kor has a very narrow target profile.¡±

    Kamak thought of the legion of dead officers back in the studio, and raised an eyebrow at Rembrandt.

    ¡°Under normal circumstances,¡± the agent admitted.

    ¡°Well, that almost sounds impressive,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Almost. Kor just proved she can track the exact same kind of shit. She probably knows some way to work around it.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why we¡¯re focused on autonomic functions,¡± Ghost stressed. ¡°These are things the brain has little to no conscious control over. The only way to alter them would be to alter her nervous sytem, which seems to be at risk of melting already.¡±

    Their bio-scans had also picked up extensive neurological damage as a result of the gene editing Kor performed on herself. Less than would be expected for such frequent and extensive modifications, but still a considerable amount of damage.

    ¡°A cycle ago we were assuming it was impossible for someone to completely edit their DNA,¡± Kamak said. ¡°I¡¯m not taking anything for granted.¡±

    ¡°Fair.¡±

    ¡°I think the agent has a point, actually,¡± Farsus said. ¡°Underneath all of Kor Tekaji¡¯s psychoses there is an underlying ego, largely focused on her own superior intellect. She would not make direct changes to her own mind or any extension thereof.¡±

    ¡°Makes sense,¡± Kamak said. Rembrandt was more than a little offended at how quickly Kamak changed gears, but he kept his mouth shut. The last thing he wanted was more snark. ¡°What are you thinking?¡±

    ¡°You are correct in that Kor will be keenly aware of this new vulnerability,¡± Farsus said. ¡°But she will take other methods to circumvent it.¡±

    ¡°What other methods could there be?¡± Rembrandt said. ¡°Every security system built in the past forty solars can track her now.¡±

    As Rembdrandt watched, every member of the crew turned to glare at Corey. Though he would never admit it, it took Rembrandt a few seconds to catch on.

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    ¡°Kor Tekaji¡¯s headed for the one place in the universe with connections to us, and a tech level low enough for her to go unnoticed,¡± Corey Vash said. ¡°Earth.¡±

 Book 2 Chapter 64: Two by Two

    ¡°So, headed home. For a while, this time.¡±

    ¡°Yep.¡±

    ¡°Any thoughts about that?¡±

    ¡°Several.¡±

    Tooley tapped her fingertips together and stared at the ceiling. She kind of regretted not making Corey sleep in his room tonight. It¡¯d spare her having to talk about feelings. At the same time, she also desperately wanted to talk about feelings. She hated being in love. It made her do stupid shit like this.

    ¡°Do you want to talk about it? Or like, rant, at least?¡± Tooley asked. ¡°I¡¯ve spent like eighty percent of our relationship bitching about things at you, only fair you get to do the same.¡±

    Corey thought about it for a second. He scanned the walls of his room, and saw the borrowed spear still hanging in place. One of a few remnants of his obsession with always having a weapon on hand. Of living a life ruled by fear.

    ¡°No. I don¡¯t think ranting will help,¡± Corey said. ¡°I think it¡¯ll just make me spiral. I mean, like, what do I have to be nervous about? Everyone I hate is dead.¡±

    ¡°Still a lot of complex emotions, champ,¡± Tooley said. ¡°I mean, shit, I got pissed as hell just looking at a grocery store I used to go to as a kid.¡±

    ¡°You got through it fine,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°We murdered like seven people,¡± Tooley protested.

    ¡°Who deserved it,¡± Corey said. ¡°I¡¯ve already killed all the people who deserve it on Earth. That I know of, at least.¡±

    ¡°And what if I decide someone needs killing and fuck things up again?¡±

    Corey was about to offer more assurances that few people on earth were quite as bad as Tooley¡¯s family, but then he stopped to read between the lines. Tooley¡¯s use of the word ¡°again¡± was carrying a lot of weight.

    ¡°Tooley, do you have something you want to talk about?¡±

    With how stressed Tooley was, it only took those few words for the dam to break.

    ¡°Is this my fault?¡± Tooley pleaded. ¡°All of it?¡±

    ¡°No. Not at all,¡± Corey said. ¡°Frankly, even if we played our cards as well as we could¡¯ve, I don¡¯t think that investigation on Turitha was really going to get us any-¡±

    ¡°Not that, Corvash,¡± Tooley said. She waved her hand at nothing in particular. ¡°This! Everything. Kor Tekaji had never killed anyone until she met me. Then I piss her off and suddenly the bodies start piling up.¡±

    Tooley sat up in bed and curled into a ball, resting her head on her knees.

    ¡°What if all this is because of me?¡± Tooley whispered. ¡°Because I couldn¡¯t just keep my stupid, rude mouth shut?¡±

    ¡°Tooley, you¡¯ve been rude to almost every person we¡¯ve ever met,¡± Corey said. ¡°And only one of them turned into a serial killer. I think we can safely say this one¡¯s not on you.¡±

    ¡°But nothing happened until after I pissed Kor off.¡±

    ¡°She clearly was not mentally all there before you met her,¡± Corey said. ¡°Normal people don¡¯t plan universal killing sprees because someone was rude to them. Maybe you threw in a match, but there was clearly something burning there already.¡±

    Tooley didn¡¯t move. Corey sat up straight and leaned on her shoulder.

    ¡°Look. Even if you did contribute something to this, which you didn¡¯t, you¡¯ve put in ten times the work to try and stop it,¡± Corey said. ¡°No one can blame this on you.¡±

    In spite of her best efforts to continue moping, Corey¡¯s words actually broke Tooley out of the fetal position. She sighed heavily and leaned on him in turn.

    ¡°Damn you, Corey,¡± she said. ¡°How come you¡¯re this good at making me feel better? All I can muster up is ¡®any thoughts about that¡¯?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a bit more expressive than I am,¡± Corey said. ¡°Easier to read.¡±

    ¡°Cut it out. I don¡¯t want you reading me.¡±

    ¡°Too late.¡±

    <hr>

    ¡°Tamari, rice wine, dried ginger and turmeric,¡± Farsus said. ¡°Is there anything else you¡¯d like to add to the list?¡±

    ¡°Dozens of things, but I doubt they¡¯d be easy to find in America,¡± Y¨¬h¨¢n said. ¡°If you were going to Dazhou I¡¯d have you empty out every store and stall within a mile of my home.¡±

    As he was heading to Earth, Farsus had figured he would check in with Y¨¬h¨¢n and see if she had any advice about visiting Earth, or requests for gifts he might return with. Y¨¬h¨¢n¡¯s advice had been limited, given that Farsus was visiting part of Earth she¡¯d never been to and had no knowledge of, but her list of requests was far longer, and consisted mostly of cooking ingredients. Much like Corey, her nostalgia for Earth manifested predominantly in her stomach.

    ¡°Were it not for the pressing circumstances, I would offer to make a detour,¡± Farsus said. ¡°It would be a minor inconvenience.¡±

    ¡°Right. Galaxies away from home and I still think of crossing an ocean as difficult,¡± Y¨¬h¨¢n said.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    ¡°In fairness to your standards, it usually is,¡± Farsus said. ¡°Most people do not have access to a personal starship and an easily bribed pilot.¡±

    ¡°True,¡± Y¨¬h¨¢n said. ¡°But as you say, you have more important things to do than tend to my cravings.¡±

    ¡°The comforts of home are important, Y¨¬h¨¢n,¡± Farsus said. ¡°Though perhaps not quite so important as stopping a crazed shapeshifting serial killer.¡±

    Y¨¬h¨¢n gave a stiff, awkward nod. Knowing the identity of the killer and methods of the killer should¡¯ve been a comfort, but that revelation had come alongside Kor Tekaji¡¯s proven ability to commit large scale acts of bioterrorism. Y¨¬h¨¢n had spent the next few swaps wearing a gas mask, and checking the news for updates on whether Farsus was okay.

    ¡°Are you sure you still want to pursue this woman? After everything you¡¯ve learned about her?¡±

    ¡°Do I want to?¡± No,¡± Farsus said plainly. He¡¯d rather be on some far-off planet, learning new and interesting things, challenging himself in new ways. ¡°But I have little choice in the matter. Any other possible course of action I could take would be worse.¡±

    ¡°It might be safer,¡± Y¨¬h¨¢n said.

    ¡°Unlikely. I have never been interested in safety in any event,¡± Farsus said. Being safe was too boring. No one ever learned anything new by being safe.

    ¡°Well...I am interested in your safety,¡± Y¨¬h¨¢n said.

    ¡°And I appreciate your concern, but it is unnecessary,¡± Farsus said. He finalized his shopping list for Earth and then put away his datapad. ¡°Now, if there is nothing else, I should probably be off.¡±

    Y¨¬h¨¢n held her ground and wondered whether to say something she might regret. Then she decided she might regret not saying it more.

    ¡°I did have a question for you, before you left, Farsus,¡± Y¨¬h¨¢n said. She folded her hands in front of her carefully. ¡°I realize now that some of the ways I have tried to express myself might have been lost on you due to cultural misunderstandings, so-¡±

    ¡°I am aware of your attraction to me, Y¨¬h¨¢n.¡±

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    ¡°The feeling is mutual,¡± Farsus said, to Y¨¬h¨¢n¡¯s relief. She did, however, sense a ¡®but¡¯ coming, and she was proven right. ¡°But I do not engage in committed relationships. My itinerant lifestyle does not lend itself to permanent attachments even under the best circumstances, and we are currently far from the best circumstances.¡±

    ¡°I understand. Thank you for your honesty.¡±

    ¡°Of course. I believe I should be going now.¡±

    ¡°Please do.¡±

    <hr>

    ¡°That oddly sinister friend of yours-¡±

    ¡°Not my friend,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°That oddly sinister associate of yours,¡± To Vo corrected. ¡°Said he was using what¡¯s left of his resources to spread some misinformation. They won¡¯t be able to hide the fact you¡¯re going to Earth, but they¡¯re also going to be putting out rumors you¡¯re heading to Tannis, Paga For, the Doccan homeworld -anywhere else your crew might have associates.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if that¡¯ll fool Kor, but it¡¯ll at least make her have to put more effort into it,¡± Kamak said. The network of misinformation was the Ghost¡¯s plan, and while Kamak didn¡¯t exactly think it was a masterpiece, he saw little harm in it. ¡°Thanks for making sure this gets done right.¡±

    ¡°Of course. Nice to do something useful again,¡± To Vo sighed. Over the course of their short conversation, Kamak had noted that she mumbled more, made eye contact less, and generally seemed to have lower energy. Kamak could tell there was something troubling her. Kamak could also tell he didn¡¯t care.

    ¡°Appreciate the assist,¡± Kamak said. ¡°See you later.¡±

    Kamak turned around and headed back up the ship¡¯s boarding ramp. He almost made it to the top of said ramp before a large blue hand blocked his path. The compound eyes of Doprel stared into Kamak¡¯s soul from on high.

    ¡°What?¡±

    Doprel¡¯s massive head nodded back down the ramp, to where To Vo was idly poking away at her datapad.

    ¡°What about her?¡±

    ¡°To Vo¡¯s in a bad way, Kamak,¡± Doprel said. ¡°Someone should talk to her.¡±

    ¡°Okay, thanks for volunteering,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Have at it.¡±

    ¡°Kamak.¡±

    ¡°I know what you¡¯re implying, and fuck that,¡± Kamak said. ¡°She likes you better anyway.¡±

    ¡°She likes me,¡± Doprel said. ¡°She respects you.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not going to let me on this ship until I talk to the cop, are you?¡±

    ¡°Tooley will be very happy to leave you behind,¡± Doprel said.

    Kamak accepted his defeat and walked over to To Vo, before grabbing her by the shoulder and pulling her to a bench in the hangar. If he was going to be stuck on babysitting duty, he was at least going to do it sitting down.

    ¡°So,¡± Kamak began, reluctantly. ¡°Kind of seems like you¡¯re in a bad way.¡±

    ¡°My life hasn¡¯t really been on an uphill trajectory since the serial killer tried to kill my family, no,¡± To Vo said.

    ¡°Oh, good, you remember your sarcasm lessons,¡± Kamak said. ¡°How is the...the family holding up, by the way?¡±

    To his credit, Kamak put a significant amount of effort into actually remembering the names of To Vo¡¯s mate and child, but still could not muster them from the depths of his half-assed memory.

    ¡°Good. I assume.¡±

    ¡°You assume?¡±

    ¡°Den Cal and I had a discu- an argument, about what we should do going forward,¡± To Vo said. ¡°I wanted to stay and keep contributing to the investigation. He wanted to go back to our homeworld and lay low until the danger passed. We couldn¡¯t come to an agreement, so¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Kamak said. ¡°And he¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± To Vo said. ¡°We both agreed To Ru was better off with him, at least.¡±

    ¡°Wow. That is, uh...a lot,¡± Kamak said. Even he was genuinely sympathetic now. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s for the best,¡± To Vo said. While it had once been a savage, dangerous place, her world¡¯s Uplifting had made it a much safer place to raise a child, while still being dangerous and isolated enough to hopefully escape Kor Tekaji¡¯s notice. ¡°I wasn¡¯t really a good mom anyway. I didn¡¯t even like it much.¡±

    ¡°I never got that whole parenthood thing either,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Or mating in general.¡±

    ¡°The mating was fine, it was everything else that was the problem,¡± To Vo said, with a weak chuckle. ¡°Especially...I don¡¯t know. It was almost a relief knowing I didn¡¯t have to deal with a kid anymore, but I still feel like, I don¡¯t know, something got torn out of my chest.¡±

    ¡°Kind of did,¡± Kamak said. ¡°That¡¯s the bitch about it. Something or someone becomes a big part of your life, even in a bad way, getting it taken away leaves a hole.¡±

    To Vo could tell Kamak was speaking from experience. She didn¡¯t want to push the subject, but she did have one burning question.

    ¡°So when does it go away?¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t,¡± Kamak said. ¡°You just learn how to live around the hole.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    ¡°Wish I had better news for you, kid,¡± Kamak said. He stood up and tugged at his belt for no particular reason. ¡°Promise it¡¯s not just me being a bastard this time. Nature of the universe.¡±

    Kamak pivoted on his heel and looked at the ramp up the ship. Doprel was no longer blocking the way, and he had a straight shot to freedom.

    Then his mind flicked backwards, to the midst of the Morrakesh bullshit, in the Timeka facility, when he¡¯d chosen to grab the annoying To Vo over the far more useful Kiz Timeka. Kamak rolled his eyes at his past self, and then at his current self.

    ¡°Hey, kid,¡± Kamak said. ¡°We recently picked up a stray, so I don¡¯t know if Tooley wants another passenger, but if she okays it...you want a ride?¡±

    ¡°I think that¡¯d be nice.¡±

    ¡°Alright, well, like I said, it¡¯s Tooley¡¯s ship now, so take it up with her,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°We¡¯ll see,¡± To Vo said. ¡°Hey Tooley!¡±

    A few seconds later, Tooley¡¯s blue head popped out of the loading bay door.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Can I come with?¡±

    ¡°Fuck yeah, you can have Kamak¡¯s room,¡± Tooley said.

    ¡°We still have spare rooms, dipshit,¡± Kamak snapped back. ¡°There¡¯s four in each wing, that¡¯s eight, we¡¯ve got one to spare.¡±

    ¡°Well we better not fill that one any time soon,¡± To Vo said. ¡°Might be getting a little crowded.¡±

    ¡°At the rate we¡¯re going I¡¯ll be adopting another human once we get to Earth,¡± Kamak sighed.

 Book 2 Chapter 65: Tables Turning

    ¡°I never really appreciated how spacious this ship is,¡± To Vo said. She¡¯d gotten a quick tour of the Wild Card Wanderer back in the early days after the Morrakesh crisis, but had never spent any meaningful time on it. Moving some of her belongings in had definitely made her appreciate how spacious the individual rooms were.

    ¡°Probably seems a lot roomier at your scale,¡± Bevo said, as she sprang up from the couch. ¡°No offense. Hi, I¡¯m Bevo, big fan. Big lady.¡±

    ¡°I can see that,¡± To Vo said, as she looked up at Bevo. The height difference between the two was almost as big as the gap between To Vo and Den Cal.

    ¡°I¡¯m the new hire, by the way,¡± Bevo said.

    ¡°Hire?¡± Kamak scoffed. ¡°You¡¯re not getting paid.¡±

    ¡°You know what I mean, boss,¡± Bevo said, before turning her attention back to To Vo. ¡°We¡¯ll get along great. Our names rhyme and everything.¡±

    ¡°Is that all it takes?¡±

    ¡°Sometimes! One of my best mates was a guy named Dravo.¡±

    ¡°Was?¡±

    ¡°He got shot,¡± Bevo said. ¡°In the head. Bounty hunting, you know. Risky profession.¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Kamak, do we have anything important we should be talking about right now?¡±

    They didn¡¯t, but Kamak recognized the need for a change of subject when he heard one.

    ¡°Well, we¡¯ve got a little time before Mr. Spooky Ghost sorts out our distraction and our requisite diplomatic bullshit for visiting Earth,¡± Kamak said. ¡°So I think it¡¯s time for a change of pace.¡±

    He took a seat on the common room couch and grabbed a drink, then pointed the bottle at Corey.

    ¡°Corvash, you¡¯ve spent the past few years asking us stupid questions about our species and homeworlds,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Time to turn the tables! Everybody grab a drink and come up with the stupidest questions you can about humans and earth.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I got one,¡± Bevo said. ¡°What¡¯s the sexual dimorphism like? Ladies got tusks, horns, what¡¯s going on?¡±The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

    ¡°Not much?¡± Corey said. ¡°Gender differences are pretty standard. You know, like, just Tooley, but with my skin tone. Sometimes. We come in a variety of colors.¡±

    ¡°Boring,¡± Bevo said.

    To Vo¡¯s hand shot up, and Kamak rolled his eyes as Corey pointed towards her for ¡°permission¡± to speak.

    ¡°What¡¯s the common formal greeting on Earth?¡±

    ¡°A handshake will usually do,¡± Corey said. ¡°Especially in the region we¡¯ll be visiting. If you want to go informal, do a wave.¡±

    ¡°Like this?¡±

    Bevo held her palm up and then waved it forward and backward.

    ¡°No, people will think you¡¯re trying to high-five them,¡± Corey said. He then demonstrated the proper wave. ¡°Side to side, like this.¡±

    ¡°Okay, got it,¡± Bevo said. She waved her hand back to front again anyway. ¡°So what is the ¡®high five¡¯ thing? Is that rude? Is it a sex thing?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine, it¡¯s just a different thing,¡± Corey said. ¡°When you¡¯re excited about something with a friend you hold up your hand and then they slap it, that¡¯s a high five. Like this.¡±

    Corey demonstrated by slapping Bevo¡¯s palm. She briefly considered the impact as if savoring a fine wine, and then smiled approvingly.

    ¡°I get it,¡± she said, before turning her hand towards To Vo. ¡°Tovs, try this out, it¡¯s fun.¡±

    The furry hand of To Vo made a dull smack rather than a loud clap as it impacted, but it was otherwise a decent high-five. Bevo held up her hand in Kamak¡¯s direction next, and received absolutely no response. Tooley finally took pity and continued the chain, but Bevo took the hint and gave up on any further high five experimentation.

    ¡°On the note of ¡®sex things¡¯,¡± Doprel said. ¡°Are there any major taboos we probably shouldn¡¯t violate?¡±

    ¡°I mean, just play it safe in general,¡± Corey said. ¡°Don¡¯t swear, don¡¯t get drunk in public, try not to talk about politics or religion...Oh, yeah, Farsus, remember when you first met Y¨¬h¨¢n, and you commented on the shape of her eyes? Don¡¯t do that. Like, at all. To anyone. Humans are historically not great about the racial differences.¡±

    ¡°Noted.¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t worry too much about it,¡± Corey said. ¡°This isn¡¯t like me going somewhere new, where everyone assumes I¡¯m just a Gentanian in a wig or something. On Earth you¡¯re all going to be seen as weird, alien freaks.¡±

    ¡°What else is new,¡± Doprel grunted.

    ¡°You won¡¯t really have to worry about ¡®fitting in¡¯ because, well, you won¡¯t,¡± Corey said. ¡°Just try to avoid being actively offensive. Everything else will come out in the wash.¡±

    ¡°And if we do do anything wrong, we blame it on Corvash,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°No we don¡¯t,¡± Tooley said.

    ¡°Yes we do,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Now, sounds like we¡¯re done with the humanity hate crimes hour?¡±

    ¡°I mean, probably,¡± Corey said. ¡°Human culture is still my baseline ¡®normal¡¯. I don¡¯t really know what might be going on with-¡±

    Corey glanced at Bevo for a moment, and remembered the large axe she usually carried with her.

    ¡°Don¡¯t bring the axe,¡± Corey snapped.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to!¡±

    ¡°And no violence,¡± Corey said. ¡°Don¡¯t challenge anyone to ritual combat, or threaten anyone, or anything like that.¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to do that either,¡± Bevo protested.

    ¡°I know, I¡¯m just saying it while I¡¯m thinking about it,¡± Corey said. ¡°I might come up with more warnings in the meantime.¡±

    Before they got to Earth¡¯s orbit, Corey had given them seventeen more warnings, ranging from table manners to social etiquette. Exactly none of them were useful.

 Book 2 Chapter 66: Space Traffic

    Corey tried not to let his emotions show on his face as he stared down at the spinning ball of blue water, green fields, and gray clouds below him. The last time he¡¯d looked down at Earth from above, he¡¯d thought it was just that -the last time.

    The world he had come back to was not quite the one he¡¯d left, though. Their ship was currently drifting next to a massive construct of gray steel and blinking lights ¨C a waypoint station, part of Earth¡¯s uplifting process, built as a first point of contact between Earth and the wider universe. It gave Earth some orbital security, as well as a connection point to the universal infonet. Corey wondered if anyone had mentioned that the infonet was sourced from a commune of hyperintelligent AI yet. He couldn¡¯t imagine that going over well with humanity at large.

    ¡°We¡¯ve cleared everything diplomatically,¡± a voice from the station said. Apparently there was a small army of diplomats and bureaucrats on the waypoint station, most of them currently bent towards helping the crew with their hunt. ¡°You¡¯ve been given clearance to travel the region called ¡®United States of America¡¯ as you see fit, and a small discretionary spending account of local currency has been set up for you.¡±

    ¡°So I take it you didn¡¯t turn up any of my old stuff,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°Unfortunately no, all of your assets and holdings were liquidated after your presumed death.¡±

    ¡°Makes sense,¡± Corey said. He¡¯d figured his old apartment wouldn¡¯t be waiting for him (he¡¯d been behind on rent even before his abduction), but it would¡¯ve been nice if some of his stuff had gotten shoved in a storage locker or something. Even the few thousand dollars he had in his bank account would¡¯ve been nice to have.

    ¡°We have a small landing site prepared near your destination,¡± the diplomatic corp said. ¡°Please descend slowly. This planet¡¯s orbital arrays aren¡¯t quite up to par, and we don¡¯t want anyone losing track of you and getting nervous.¡±

    ¡°Noted,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Starting descent.¡±

    The slow approach worked in their favor. It gave them plenty of time to talk through their actual mission. Kamak rang up what was left of Ghost¡¯s little conspiracy club. The remnants of the would-be Illuminati were being slightly less cagey nowadays, but their handler on this specific errand still refused to identify themselves as anything but Chalo -a popular brand of soda on Centerpoint.

    ¡°Hey soda lady,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Apparently the orbital array here sucks. I assume that means Kor might¡¯ve snuck in unnoticed?¡±

    ¡°She might have,¡± Chalo said. ¡°We have no real way to verify one way or the other, for obvious reasons.¡±

    ¡°Fantastic. So what¡¯s our actual game plan here?¡± Kamak asked. ¡°I assume you have a better lay of the land than anyone in this ship.¡±

    ¡°Somewhat,¡± Chalo said. ¡°We¡¯ve searched the planet for anyone Kor Tekaji might target in connection with Corey, and found a very narrow field of candidates. After a certain incident entirely unrelated to anyone here a few years ago, Corey Vash has no living blood relatives.¡±

    Corey tried not to sigh with relief too loudly. He was worried Kamak might¡¯ve missed one of his cousins.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    ¡°What about that aunt of yours? The one- you mentioned,¡± Tooley said. They had dropped the severed head of Corey¡¯s uncle in his wife¡¯s lap during their little ¡°unrelated incident¡±, but it was better for plausible deniability if she didn¡¯t say stuff like that out loud.

    ¡°Your Aunt Bethany overdosed on opiods several months after the death of her husband,¡± Chalo said.

    ¡°Huh, damn,¡± Corey said. ¡°Well, sucks to be her. Sucked, that is.¡±

    Aunt Betty had never done anything bad enough to warrant direct murder, but she had definitely been bad enough Corey didn¡¯t regret her death at all.

    ¡°So who the fuck does that leave?¡± Kamak said. ¡°She can¡¯t possibly know about that one chick that ¡®someone we don¡¯t know¡¯ didn¡¯t murder.¡±

    ¡°Kacey Farlow,¡± Chalo corrected. ¡°And while it is unlikely Kor is aware of her in the context of the aforementioned ¡®unrelated incident¡¯, Ms. Farlow has been one of the most outspoken members of the former cult, helping making sure former members get rehabilitated or punished, depending on their actions.¡±

    ¡°Making her the most public link to my past,¡± Corey said. ¡°Great. Nice little target on her back.¡±

    ¡°She might be safe,¡± Tooley said, in what she believed to be a comforting tone. ¡°Kor only killed those cop chicks because she was backed into a corner. Misandrist lunatic probably won¡¯t kill more women unless she has to.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to back on the mercy of anyone who gassed a room full of innocent people,¡± Corey said. Kor had spared women when she had plenty of time and room to maneuver. Now that the pressure was on, the gloves were off. ¡°Plus, there¡¯s kind of only the one option.¡±

    He hadn¡¯t made a lot of friends during his time on Earth. Highly paranoid former cult member with mommy issues was not an endearing set of personality traits to most humans.

    ¡°We have local authorities keeping an eye on her already,¡± Chalo said. ¡°You¡¯ll be able to meet her shortly after you land. Meet her for the first time, I should emphasize.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah, we get it,¡± Kamak said. ¡°How about identifying Kor, any progress on that?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re working to get cameras with appropriate biometric capabilities set up, but local authorities aren¡¯t exactly thrilled about the idea,¡± Chalo said. ¡°On a local or planet-wide level.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, not really big on the concept of surveillance states,¡± Corey said. ¡°Kind of on board with that, even under the circumstances.¡±

    It was weird that most other species were cool with having cameras that could identify anyone, anywhere, at any time, observing so much of their daily lives. George Orwell was probably turning in his grave.

    ¡°The benefits outweigh the risks, especially when there are serial killers on the loose,¡± Chalo said. ¡°You¡¯ll have to come up with some other way to identify Kor.¡±

    ¡°Well, about that,¡± To Vo said. She raised her hand to speak even though Chalo was on the other side of a comm line. ¡°I did have a theory.¡±

    ¡°Shoot.¡±

    ¡°Kor Tekaji has likely been mimicking other species through usage of a broad variety of genetic samples from other races, collected over time by various means,¡± To Vo said. Hospitals, laboratories, cosmetic clinics, and dozens of other facilities and businesses collected samples from various races that Kor might have had access to. ¡°But until recently, there¡¯s only been one viable sample of human DNA available to her. Kor would have to assume a human appearance to move stealthily on Earth, and her only way to do that would be with Corey¡¯s DNA.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t really donate my DNA if I can avoid it,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°You got a haircut a few weeks ago, dipshit,¡± Tooley said.

    ¡°The average person unknowingly sheds enough hair and skin cells in their daily life for a talented geneticist to collect a valid sample,¡± Farsus said. ¡°Given Kor Tekaji¡¯s obsession with us, it is not only possible but likely she has collected such a sample.¡±

    ¡°Oh god,¡± Corey groaned. ¡°Are we really going to have to fight someone who looks like me?¡±

    ¡°Like you but female,¡± Doprel said. Kor Tekaji¡¯s misandry apparently didn¡¯t prevent her from killing fellow women if she needed to, but they were relatively confident she¡¯d never disguise herself as a man if she could avoid it. Her irrational hatred ran too deep for that.

    ¡°You¡¯ll survive,¡± Kamak said. ¡°But kings willing, she won¡¯t.¡±

    Their slow descent took them through a bank of clouds, and when they passed through, the mountainous horizon of the American southwest was in clear view. Corey could see small specks of black amid the grassy plains, the first signs of civilization. Of home.

 Book 2 Chapter 67: A Small Step for Man

    Corey sat in the cockpit and looked out at the mountains. They were a far more pleasant sight than the faces outside. A small army of locals and tourists alike had gathered to gawk at the alien spaceship that had landed in the plains outside their town. Overwhelmed local police were struggling to clear a path so that the crew could actually leave their ship -and to clear out protesters.

    ¡°Oh look, there¡¯s another one holding a sign,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Corvash, what¡¯s that one say?¡±

    ¡°Earth belongs to humans,¡± Corey said, right before the protester got nabbed by a cop and dragged away.

    ¡°¡®Earth belongs to humans¡¯,¡± Kamak repeated. ¡°I wasn¡¯t aware anyone was trying to change that. You put in an offer, Farsus?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe I could afford it,¡± Farsus said.

    ¡°The Galactic Council charter clearly states that no person or group can own a planet,¡± To Vo said. ¡°Even uninhabited planets can only have leased commercial rights.¡±

    ¡°If nobody owns the planet, who the fuck are they leasing it from?¡±

    ¡°Do you have the fifteen drops it would take me to explain that?¡±

    ¡°Probably, but I still don¡¯t want to hear it,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°I kind of want to hear it,¡± Bevo said.

    ¡°It is a little boring,¡± To Vo admitted.

    ¡°If To Vo says the complicated legal code bullshit is boring then it¡¯s really boring,¡± Tooley said. To Vo was absolutely enthralled by texts that would put other people to sleep. ¡°Leave it.¡±

    ¡°Well I have to do something,¡± Bevo said. ¡°I¡¯m getting restless here, we¡¯ve been waiting for cycles.¡±

    ¡°And we¡¯ll wait cycles more until we get the all clear,¡± Kamak said. ¡°I¡¯d like to avoid causing another diplomatic incident.¡±

    ¡°Hunting a serial killer seems like it should expedite some processes,¡± Tooley grunted. The processes actually were getting expedited, and it was still taking a long time.

    ¡°It¡¯s not like we know where Kor is,¡± Doprel said. ¡°Technically we don¡¯t even know she¡¯s on this planet. Our plan is to explore and hope we flush her out.¡±

    ¡°You voted for the plan. It¡¯s a good plan,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°It¡¯s a good plan under the circumstances,¡± Corey said. ¡°Let¡¯s not pretend this is some brilliant masterstroke.¡±

    ¡°It was your idea.¡±

    To Vo La Su rolled her eyes. A few swaps ago she had missed traveling with Corey and the crew more than anything. She¡¯d forgotten about the ¡°endless inane bickering¡± part. Her patience was spared further testing by the sudden and welcome intervention of their communicator going off.

    ¡°Crew of the Wild Card Wanderer, thank you for your patience.¡±

    ¡°Of course, random government official,¡± Kamak said. ¡°How long of a delay are we looking at this time?¡±

    ¡°As long as it takes you to descend that ramp,¡± the random government official said. ¡°You¡¯ve been cleared to disembark.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    ¡°Is there a problem?¡±

    ¡°I mean, I need to get my boots on,¡± Kamak said. ¡°And, uh, some other stuff.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve been relaxing here, give us a minute to get all formal again,¡± Corey said, before hanging up. ¡°Let me get my lightsaber.¡±

    ¡°Okay, you¡¯ve got the fancy sword,¡± Bevo said. ¡°I¡¯m not supposed to bring my axe though, right?¡±

    ¡°No axe, yes gun,¡± Kamak said. The axe was a little too intimidating for the civilians surrounding their ship, but this was still technically a combat mission.

    ¡°Okay, and should I wear the gun on my hip to look tough or try to hide it to be sneaky, or-¡±

    ¡°Can you not do both?¡± Tooley demanded, as she buckled up her flight jacket.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    ¡°I¡¯ve only got one gun!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a career bounty hunter and you¡¯ve only got one gun?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have my own ship to store a whole arsenal on,¡± Bevo said. ¡°Have to travel light.¡±

    ¡°You can have my gun if you need a spare,¡± To Vo said. She offered up a small service pistol that she meticulously cleaned and maintained on a weekly basis despite the fact that it had never been used outside of a yearly firearms test.

    ¡°No, you keep your gun,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Nobody should be going into this unarmed. Except Doprel, but he could kill everyone on this planet with his bare hands anyway.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t lead with that,¡± Doprel said. While everyone else scrambled to dress to impress, Doprel sat on the sidelines and watched the humans. He was walking around naked, as usual.

    ¡°Projecting strength may come in handy,¡± Farsus said. He struggled to button a coat over his broad chest. Going shirtless was not quite taboo on Earth, for men at least, but a coat still made him look more presentable.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t threaten to squish anyone,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°Nobody¡¯s threatening anybody. Except Kor,¡± Kamak said. He holstered his gun, made sure it was visible but not too obvious, and looked towards the ship¡¯s exit. ¡°I¡¯m good. Everyone else good?¡±

    ¡°Getting there,¡± Corey said, as he too stashed a gun not quite out of sight. ¡°Should be good.¡±

    The rest of the crew fell in line. After a quick round of reminders on human cultural and social norms, Corey stepped up, and Kamak took a step back. They figured it would be better optics if the resident human took the lead.

    ¡°Okay, three, two, one¡­¡±

    The boarding ramp opened, and Corey could already hear shocked gasps from the crowd outside. He ignored their reactions and focused on walking forward. The police had cleared a ten foot wide lane right through the middle of the crowd. Corey kept his head low and ignored them. His crewmates were a bit more curious.

    To Vo was already cataloging the appearance of the crowd and trying to extrapolate statistics on demographics and genetic diversity. Farsus was taking a similar approach, though he was focused more on various genetic advantages and disadvantages in a way that would¡¯ve been more than a little problematic if he said them out loud. Bevo was trying to decide whether humans were good-looking on average. Kamak, for his part, had absolutely no interest in any such examination of humans and was wondering how hard it would be to stock up on human vodka while he was here.

    At the back of the crowd, Doprel tried his best to look small. He had not been foolish enough to expect a royal welcome, but he¡¯d at least expected humans to be a little more open-minded. The vast majority of the crowd gawked at him like a freak, but there were far too many faces in the crowd staring at him with disgust and fear. After seeing the dozenth child avert their eyes and cling to their mother in fear, Doprel put his head down and focused on following his friends.

    The long path through the crowd was lined on either side with police officers, and led to a small cadre of diplomats and local officials. Kamak restrained his commentary on their nervous, twitchy demeanors and shook a few hands. Bevo eagerly greeted everyone, pleased to have a chance to show off all the hand-shaking practice she¡¯d done, and even Doprel managed to get in a few polite greetings, though he still noticed how sweaty palms suddenly got when held in his massive hands.

    ¡°Welcome to Earth, and to our city,¡± said a visibly sweating mayor. ¡°We¡¯re aware you¡¯re here on important business, and we¡¯re ready to help in whatever way we¡¯re able.¡±

    ¡°Great,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Who¡¯s in charge of security here? We need eyes on any suspicious newcomers to the area lately.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that would be Captain Way here,¡± the mayor said, as he gestured to a nearby police officer.

    ¡°Great, you have any eyes on the situation?¡±

    The police captain cleared his throat and eyed Kamak nervously for a second before nodding to the mayor.

    ¡°I¡¯m deferring to the mayor¡¯s authority here,¡± he mumbled.

    ¡°The mayor has taxes and stuff to worry about, you¡¯re in charge of the police, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    The captain held on to his belt and stared blankly ahead.

    ¡°Are you in charge or not?¡±

    Kamak stared into the captain¡¯s eyes, and saw absolutely no recognition. He rolled his eyes and turned back to the mayor.

    ¡°He doesn¡¯t have a translation chip installed, does he?¡±

    ¡°Not everyone is, ahem, eager to install a piece of alien technology into their bodies,¡± the mayor said.

    ¡°It¡¯s completely harmless,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°It does hurt pretty bad,¡± Corey whispered. Something about the human nervous system made installing the chip significantly more painful than it was for other species.

    ¡°Fine. Corey, you take point, tell his officers what to look out for,¡± Kamak said. ¡°In the meantime, where¡¯s that Kacey lady?¡±

    ¡°Ms. Farlow is often difficult to reach,¡± the mayor said. ¡°But she¡¯s been made aware of the situation, and should be in town to meet you by the end of the day.¡±

    ¡°Great,¡± Kamak sighed. Plenty of time for things to go wrong.

    ¡°In the meantime, we would love to invite you to our city hall, or community center,¡± the mayor said. Kamak could see the effort he was putting into remembering the script. ¡°We¡¯d love to have you address our citizens, help bridge the gap between our kinds, normalize the presence of interstellar visitors.¡±

    ¡°Normalize?¡± Corey scoffed. ¡°Town hall meetings and special events don¡¯t normalize anything. Makes aliens things to gawk at and ask weird questions to.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me, well, just as a preliminary stage, you understand,¡± the mayor said.

    ¡°If you want us being here to seem normal, we have to do normal things,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°Of course, you would be the expert,¡± the mayor said. ¡°What do you suggest?¡±

    Corey thought about it for a few seconds. He did have one idea.

    <hr>

    ¡°Hi, welcome to Olive Garden, how can I-¡±

    The hostess froze in her tracks when she saw the wall of blue, carapaced flesh that was Doprel. After a few seconds staring at that, she started to gawk at To Vo¡¯s fur, the colorful skin of Farsus, Bevo, and Tooley, and the pronounced dermal ridges of Kamak.

    ¡°Hi, party of eight,¡± Corey said. ¡°I know there¡¯s only seven of us, but-¡±

    Corey pointed up at Doprel, who waved politely.

    ¡°-he¡¯s big.¡±

    The hostess stared for a few more seconds.

    ¡°I can see that.¡±

 Book 2 Chapter 68: In The Garden

    ¡°I was expecting more plants,¡± Tooley said.

    ¡°Not that kind of garden,¡± Corey said, as he looked over the menu. His compatriots could not read the actual menus, written in English as they were, so it was his job to translate. Unsurprisingly, the local Olive Garden was not prepared to accommodate interstellar travelers.

    Restaurant staff and fellow patrons alike were finding as many excuses as possible to trawl by the table and stare at the aliens. In the back of house, a very long and intense argument finally resolved, and a single server stepped up to the table.

    ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Kyle, I¡¯ll be your server for today,¡± he said. He tapped himself behind the ear before going any further. ¡°And I am all chipped up, so no need to route everything through Corey.¡±

    ¡°Oh, great, the waiter is braver than the chief of police,¡± Kamak grunted.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got some relatives who speak Spanish, makes family reunions easier,¡± Kyle said. ¡°Anyway, can I get you started with some drinks?¡±

    ¡°Just water, for now,¡± Corey said. The complicated world of soda could wait until later. The last thing he needed to do was introduce Kamak and Tooley to the Coke vs Pepsi debate.

    ¡°And vodka,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°We, uh, we don¡¯t have vodka,¡± Kyle said. ¡°It¡¯s just wine and beer.¡±

    ¡°Beer, then,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°Got it,¡± Kyle said. He didn¡¯t bother asking for brand preferences. ¡°I take it you¡¯ll need some time to figure out the menu?¡±

    ¡°I want this,¡± Bevo said, as she held up her menu and pointed to a picture of spaghetti and meatballs.

    ¡°I think I¡¯ll try that as well,¡± To Vo said. It looked good in the pictures, at least.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    ¡°Okay, so, just so you know, that¡¯s pasta, it¡¯s a sort of bread that-¡±

    ¡°We know what pasta is,¡± Tooley said.

    ¡°Oh, right, should¡¯ve guessed he¡¯d explain that to you.¡±

    ¡°No, we just also have pasta in space,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Noodles aren¡¯t a difficult concept.¡±

    ¡°Speaking of things we also have in space, I¡¯ll have the steak,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Medium rare.¡±

    After confirming with Corey that chicken was a type of bird, both Tooley and Farsus ordered the chicken fettucine, and Corey himself went for the lasagna. After jotting down all the notes, Kyle turned to Doprel.

    ¡°Alright, and what about you, big man?¡±

    ¡°Oh I can¡¯t eat any of this,¡± Doprel said. ¡°Different biology. I¡¯ll be fine, I ate back on the ship.¡±

    ¡°Got it. Do you drink water? Should I bring back a water for you?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I do drink water,¡± Doprel said. It was kind of hard to be a living thing and not drink water. Kyle made that final note and excused himself, returning moments later with one beer, several glasses of water, and a large pitcher which he placed in front of Doprel.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got your food started, should be ready to go soon,¡± Kyle said. ¡°Let me know if you need anything.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, will do,¡± Kamak said. He pulled the cap off his beer and took a swig as Kyle retreated, then looked to Farsus. ¡°How is this random kid handling us better than any of the fucking diplomats?¡±

    ¡°As a service industry worker, he has no doubt seen stranger things than us,¡± Farsus said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Earth sounds pretty boring,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Hey, Corvash.¡±

    After a few seconds of waiting for a response, Kamak turned to find Corey doodling a chicken on a napkin, for educational purposes. Bevo seemed delighted by the tiny bird doodle, and To Vo was visibly taking mental notes, as always.

    ¡°It looks like this,¡± Corey said. ¡°They¡¯re about the size of my head and they don¡¯t fly very well, but they taste good.¡±

    ¡°Are they tough to hunt?¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t hunt them, Bevo, we farm them,¡± Corey said. ¡°They don¡¯t exist in the wild.¡±

    ¡°Really? I figured from the talons they were little pack hunters, they look just like these vicious little bastards from my planet,¡± Bevo said. ¡°Harmless on their own, but they¡¯ll strip you to the bone in packs.¡±

    ¡°Corey wouldn¡¯t have survived long on this planet with anything like that running around,¡± Tooley said.

    ¡°Corey¡¯s very capable, they can¡¯t be worse than the Horuk,¡± To Vo said.

    ¡°No, no, Tooley¡¯s got a point,¡± Corey admitted.

    Tooley allowed herself a smug chuckle, and Bevo¡¯s attention turned to what animal the meatballs were made of. Corey began to draw a cow, and Kamak gave up and returned to his beer.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you have a question?¡±

    ¡°Let ¡®em have their playtime,¡± Kamak grunted. ¡°Maybe ask the waiter for some kids menus next time he comes around.¡±

 Book 2 Chapter 69: Space Kace

    With dinner behind them, it was almost time for the crew to get back to business. Almost. They still had to wait for Kacey to actually show up.

    ¡°How is it taking this lady longer to show up than it took us to get off the spaceship?¡±

    ¡°Apparently it was hard to convince her,¡± Corey said. ¡°She is, quite understandably, skeptical of armed strangers showing up and trying to threaten her to go somewhere.¡±

    The police had charitably described the situation as a ¡°misunderstanding¡±, but from the description Corey had heard it was more like a standoff. The cult both she and Corey had been a part of was effectively dissolved, but its former members still held grudges. Kacey had apparently been harassed and threatened before, and her responses usually came in the form of a shotgun.

    ¡°Seriously?¡±

    Kamak turned and looked at one of the two officers on guard. For lack of any better options, their initial meeting with Kacey was going to happen at the local police station. Kamak took the opportunity to stare down an officer.

    ¡°You brought the guns to give a girl an invitation?¡±

    The officer on guard gave no response. Kamak rolled his eyes.

    ¡°This fucker can¡¯t understand me either, can he?¡±

    ¡°Apparently not,¡± Corey said. The sound of comprehensible speech got the officer¡¯s attention.

    ¡°Do you need something?¡±

    ¡°I need you to know you¡¯re an idiot,¡± Kamak said, to absolutely no recognition from the idiot. ¡°Corey, tell him he¡¯s an idiot.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not necessary,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s necessary,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°For the record, I can understand you,¡± said the other cop on guard. ¡°And he¡¯s right.¡±

    The smug smile on Kamak¡¯s face lasted until Kacey finally showed up, about ten minutes later. It took Corey a second to recognize her, as her appearance had changed radically since their last, brief meeting. She wore her hair short now, and had ditched the prim and modest attire of the cult for jeans and flannel. She put her hands in the pockets of said jeans and nodded stiffly in Corey¡¯s direction.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    ¡°Corey. Nice to meet you.¡±

    ¡°Nice to meet you too,¡± Corey said, intent on maintaining the charade that they had not met (and murdered his father together) before.

    ¡°So. Shapeshifting alien serial killer?¡±

    ¡°I know it sounds hard to believe, but-¡±

    ¡°No, I believe it,¡± Kacey said. She had become a lot more open minded since getting visited by aliens two years ago.

    ¡°Speaking of our perpetrator,¡± Farsus said. ¡°I would appreciate you confirming you are who you say you are. An isolated cabin in the woods is not exactly a secure environment.¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± Kacey said.  She looked at the numerous guns around her. ¡°I¡¯m going to whisper something in Corey¡¯s ear, please don¡¯t shoot me when I get close to him.¡±

    After getting confirmation she would not be shot, Kacey leaned in and whispered a few details about the death of Corey¡¯s father, including some tedious details like the color of the dress she¡¯d been wearing.

    ¡°She¡¯s clear,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°Great, now we can get to work,¡± Kamak said. ¡°You noticed anything serial killer-y around lately?¡±

    Kacey stared at Kamak for a few seconds, and then looked at Corey.

    ¡°Oh for- did you not get chipped either?¡±

    ¡°Couldn¡¯t afford it,¡± Kacey shrugged.

    ¡°Wait, are people charging money for the chips?¡± To Vo said. ¡°The translation hardware is supposed to be made available for free.¡±

    Corey passed along her words, to the best of his ability. He hated having to play translator.

    ¡°It is, but there¡¯s a waiting list and I¡¯m low on it,¡± Kacey said. She nodded towards the police officers. ¡°Even with these guys passing up every opportunity.¡±

    Police and other public servants were higher on the priority list than common citizens, but even with the police passing the buck there were still only so many to go around. Certain enterprising capitalists were buying up extra models to resell on Earth, but those usually came at a high markup. Not technically illegal, but it did make To Vo upset.

    ¡°God, fine,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Corey, take charge.¡±

    ¡°Kacey, have you seen anything suspicious in the past couple swaps?¡±

    ¡°Swaps?¡±

    ¡°Sorry, days,¡± Corey said. ¡°Space word. Anything suspicious in the past couple days?¡±

    ¡°Well, someone was lurking in the woods outside my cabin,¡± Kacey said. ¡°Though that could just be Melvin Johnson again, who has set my house on fire three times and still not been arrested.¡±

    The pointed glare at a nearby officer went entirely unanswered.

    ¡°Other than that, no,¡± Kacey said. ¡°But I¡¯ve been keeping to myself lately. Not a lot of reasons to leave the house.¡±

    ¡°Great. Seems like things are fairly secure, at least. You might want to have one of us stick around, though.¡±

    ¡°Or I could stick with you. You got any room on that spaceship of yours?¡±

    ¡°There is in fact one more room on the spaceship,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°Hey, we¡¯re not adopting a new human,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Especially not a female one. You¡¯ll start multiplying.¡±

    Tooley gave Kamak an even dirtier look than Corey did. Kacey did a quick double take between them and Kamak.

    ¡°What¡¯s that look about?¡±

    ¡°Just Kamak being Kamak,¡± Corey said. ¡°You¡¯re welcome to stay with us for a while, but¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve got no plans to leave Earth,¡± Kacey said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me trying to hitch a ride.¡±

    ¡°Great, she can stay,¡± Kamak said. ¡°She¡¯s buying her own food, though. Those leftover breadsticks are all mine."

 Book 2 Chapter 70: A Plan for All Seasons

    There was still a crowd surrounding the spaceship when they returned to it, though the horde had decreased in size. Tooley scanned her ship to see if anyone had thrown anything at it, and then eyeballed the crowd. They seemed content to stare for now, but Tooley shot one harsh glare at them as she went up the ramp, just to keep anyone from getting any ideas.

    ¡°Welcome to your serial killer safezone,¡± Kamak said. He stood by Kacey¡¯s side and gestured across the ship¡¯s interior. ¡°Make yourself comfortable, but not too comfortable.¡±

    After that half-hearted welcome, Kamak headed to the kitchen to get a real drink. Restaurant beer barely counted as alcohol. Kacey nodded gratefully and then leaned towards Corey.

    ¡°I still don¡¯t know what he¡¯s saying,¡± she mumbled.

    ¡°He¡¯s just being grumpy,¡± Corey said. ¡°There¡¯s an empty room at the end of the right hallway there. It¡¯s already got a bed and sheets and everything, so you should have everything you need.¡±

    ¡°Could have a slab of wood for a bed and this place would still beat the cabin,¡± Kacey said. She glanced around the sleek interior of the ship, visibly admiring the kind of architecture she had only ever seen in sci-fi. ¡°And it definitely seems safer.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I invested in a good security system,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°Not that anyone¡¯s actually tried to break in so far,¡± Tooley said.

    ¡°What¡¯d she say?¡±

    ¡°Nothing.¡±

    ¡°Coward,¡± Tooley scoffed.

    ¡°Okay, so,¡± Kacy began, eager to move on. ¡°Room¡¯s down there, I¡¯m assuming that is the kitchen. Is that the kitchen?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that is the kitchen,¡± Corey assured her. ¡°The thing that looks like a refrigerator is a refrigerator, but everything else, ugh, maybe ask for advice before you touch anything. They look familiar enough to fool you, but the controls take some getting used to.¡±

    ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll just order takeout,¡± Kacey said. ¡°Is ¡®giant spaceship parked outside the baseball field¡¯ a valid delivery address?¡±

    ¡°God I really hope so, I could go for a pizza,¡± Corey said.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    ¡°Do they not have pizza in space?¡±

    ¡°I mean, they have meat and sauce on flat bread, but it¡¯s from space, so the sauce is made out of like, fermented fruit and the meat comes from something that looks like a sheep fucked a squid,¡± Corey said. ¡°It tastes better than it sounds, but it¡¯s not ¡®my¡¯ pizza, you know?¡±

    ¡°I- I don¡¯t,¡± Kacey said. She¡¯d never eaten regular squid, much less sheep-squid. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I guess that problem would be pretty unique to space travelers,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°We¡¯ll get you some pizza tomorrow,¡± Kacey said. ¡°Unless you have serial killer hunting to do.¡±

    ¡°We have a lot of that to do,¡± Doprel said. ¡°Not that we have a plan to do it.¡±

    ¡°Kind of hard to plan around a killer that can be anyone at any time,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°Right now the only thing we need to do is make sure our presence is known,¡± Farsus said. ¡°Kor¡¯s options on this planet are limited by her communication abilities, and she is at more risk than ever. Our presence here will hopefully be enough to force her into inaction.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d almost rather she took action,¡± Doprel said. ¡°If she comes at us I could just squish her and get this over with.¡±

    ¡°Which is precisely why she¡¯ll avoid us,¡± Farsus said. ¡°You¡¯ll get your chance, Doprel, but likely not soon.¡±

    ¡°Sooner the better. I haven¡¯t gotten to crush a bad guy in a long time,¡± Doprel said. There¡¯d only been one fight in the last few months, and Doprel hadn¡¯t even gotten to be part of it. He had a lot of bad-guy-squishing energy to get out of his system. For a brief moment, Corey was glad Kacey understood none of what was being said.

    ¡°I like Farsus¡¯ take,¡± Bevo said. ¡°Just palling around, making ourselves known. Gives us plenty of time to explore Corvash¡¯s home turf.¡±

    ¡°This isn¡¯t a pleasure cruise, we need to focus on finding Kor Tekaji,¡± Kamak said. ¡°We¡¯re heading back to the police station tomorrow. Hopefully we can finally talk them into something useful.¡±

    ¡°And while you are doing that, I will be grocery shopping,¡± Farsus said.

    ¡°Grocery shopping?¡±

    ¡°I promised the ambassador I would retrieve some local goods for her,¡± Farsus said.

    ¡°Now is not the time to be splitting up,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go with him,¡± Doprel said. ¡°You¡¯ll be surrounded by cops, so it¡¯s not like you¡¯ll need the big guns.¡±

    ¡°We do have the numbers to split up nowadays,¡± Corey said. ¡°Covering a lot of ground would be more effective, even.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. Good point,¡± Kamak admitted. ¡°Fine. To Vo, you speak cop, you can come with me. Farsus, Doprel, you two do the damn errand. Rest of you focus on keeping watch on the new human.¡±

    ¡°Maybe we can get that pizza,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°You can bring me back a slice, I¡¯m staying on the ship,¡± Tooley said. ¡°I don¡¯t like the way the crowd¡¯s eyeballing it.¡±

    ¡°Well then, Bevo and Corey can babysit,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Nice to actually have half of a plan for once.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t get used to it,¡± Tooley scoffed. Kamak rolled his eyes, stood up, and took his beer back to his room. Kacey waited politely on the sidelines until she was sure the conversation had really wrapped up, and turned to Corey.

    ¡°So, uh, what the hell is happening?¡±

    Corey rolled his eyes and reluctantly played the role of translator once again. He¡¯d have to see about getting Kacey some kind of expedited chip tomorrow.

 Book 2 Chapter 71: The Earthlings

    The craving for pizza ran deeper than Kacey had anticipated. Corey had finished off an entire large by himself in about fifteen minutes. Bevo had done the same thing, but Kacey was less surprised by that, considering her new tusked friend was about a foot and a half taller than Corey. Kacey herself didn¡¯t have much of an appetite; the diplomats had showed up to plug a translation chip into her head that morning, and she still had a headache. Corey, who had long ago moved past the pain of his translation chip, could focus entirely on the sweet embrace of pizza.

    ¡°You get it, right Bevo?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I get it,¡± Bevo said. ¡°And I kind of want to get another one.¡±

    ¡°Maybe save it for later,¡± Corey said. ¡°I already know I¡¯m going to regret eating that much.¡±

    ¡°Was that a big meal for you?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not all giants, Bevo,¡± Kacey said. ¡°Wait, was that rude? Are you normal sized where you¡¯re from?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m actually very large for my species,¡± Bevo said. Kacey breathed a sigh of relief at having narrowly avoided space racism.

    ¡°Let¡¯s just go, Bevo,¡± Corey said. ¡°Besides, if you stuff yourself on pizza now I can¡¯t take you out for Thai food later.¡±

    ¡°The only Thai place in town closed, actually,¡± Kacey said.

    ¡°Really? Damn,¡± Corey said. ¡°When did that happen?¡±

    ¡°A couple years back. There was a whole pandemic that you were in space for, long story,¡± Kacey said. Corey was once again struck by how long he¡¯d been away, and how much of the past was catching up to him.

    Corey¡¯s eyes briefly flitted to a clocktower on a nearby bank. He¡¯d been keeping his eyes on every clock he saw since he¡¯d been back to earth. The AI had told him that ¡°the hands of the clock¡± would catch up to him at some point, and that he should try talking it out. He still didn¡¯t know what that meant, but he was staying vigilant.

    ¡°Well there¡¯s got to be some other good food around here,¡± Corey said. ¡°We¡¯ll figure something out.¡±

    ¡°Fine by me,¡± Bevo said. She stood up and followed as Corey paid a gawking cashier, then left the also-gawking crowds of the pizza shop behind. The town streets offered no reprieve from staring either. By now, there were even tourists who¡¯d shown up just to stare at the aliens that had come to town. A few people had even asked questions or begged for pictures, and they weren¡¯t quite done judging by the gaggle of young men coming towards Bevo.

    ¡°Can we take a picture with you?¡±

    ¡°Sure!¡±

    The ever accommodating Bevo posed for the camera as the young men snapped a shot, thanked Bevo, and then left. She waved them off with a smile.

    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    ¡°Nice of them to ask,¡± Bevo said. ¡°Not like that chump over there trying to be sly about it.¡±

    She glared at someone trying to hide the fact they were photographing her without her permission, and he put his camera away and slinked off.

    ¡°You¡¯ve got to start turning people down,¡± Corey said. ¡°If people catch on you¡¯re going to be at it all day.¡±

    ¡°It makes me feel popular,¡± Bevo said. ¡°Besides, if I keep drawing people in, maybe our stabby little friend will take the bait.¡±

    ¡°Are you using yourself as bait?¡±

    ¡°Little bit,¡± Bevo said. She tapped red knuckles against the clothes she wore to disguise her body armor. ¡°I¡¯m armored up! She can take a shot if she wants.¡±

    ¡°Bevo, you¡¯re not live bait,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°I¡¯m trying to pull my weight around here,¡± Bevo said. ¡°If you¡¯ve got my back, I can handle it.¡±

    Bevo gave Corey a broad, confident smile, and then remembered Kacey was also there.

    ¡°Oh, you too Kacey. You got my back too, right?¡±

    ¡°I would prefer not to get in a firefight,¡± Kacey said. Farsus had let her borrow a pistol, but she did not want to have to use it. She¡¯d fired a warning shot at someone in the woods exactly once, she was not cut out for a life or death shootout with a serial killer.

    ¡°Nobody¡¯s shooting or getting shot at,¡± Corey said. ¡°Probably. Let¡¯s just move on.¡±

    ¡°To what?¡± Bevo said. ¡°Do we want to go help Farsus do his shopping?¡±

    ¡°No, he¡¯s fine,¡± Corey said. Corey had given Farsus a few of his own requests as well, so there was no reason for them to double up. ¡°I¡¯m open to suggestions.¡±

    ¡°Do you have any old haunts you want to visit?¡± Kacey said. ¡°People you want to see?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Corey said, without hesitation. His life on Earth had not exactly been filled with friends.

    ¡°What about, uh, your mom¡¯s, you know,¡± Kacey mumbled. ¡°I made sure it got fixed up, after everything happened.¡±

    The very thought of revisiting his mother¡¯s grave made Corey¡¯s stomach turn. Kacey meant well, but she didn¡¯t know the full story. His mother¡¯s remains had been taken and defiled by Morrakesh for its own purposes, and then obliterated in the same explosion that had killed Morrakesh itself. The only thing left of Matilda Vash was cosmic dust drifting through the empty space between galaxies.

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯d be a fun full circle moment,¡± Bevo said. A harsh glare from Kacey did not shut her down. ¡°That¡¯s where you got abducted, yeah? You go right back to where saving the universe began.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think things really started with my mom dying, Bevo,¡± Corey said. ¡°I was just in the right place at the right time.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m no Farsus, but I know how chaos theory works,¡± Bevo said. ¡°Your mom was the reason you were in the right place. And you, Corey Vash, are the one who saved To Vo, the one who realized Morrakesh was a Worm, the one who convinced the crew to keep going when they wanted to call it quits.¡±

    Bevo held her massive arms up and gestured to everything around them.

    ¡°Roundabout way, your mom¡¯s kind of the whole reason lot of us aren¡¯t Horuk food right about now,¡± Bevo said. ¡°When I finally bite it, I hope my corpse is half as useful.¡±

    Corey stared at Bevo for a few seconds. He didn¡¯t know whether to be offended or touched. He appreciated that Bevo was trying, at least.

    ¡°That¡¯s...nice, Bevo,¡± Corey said. ¡°But I¡¯m okay. I¡¯m trying to let the past be the past.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a lot easier to get away from it when you¡¯re in another galaxy,¡± Kacey said. She put a thoughtful hand to her chin for a moment. ¡°Actually, that gives me an idea.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be rude, but Kamak is very intent on not taking you with us when we leave,¡± Corey said. ¡°Sorry.¡±

    ¡°Not that,¡± Kacey said. She had no intentions of leaving Earth either. ¡°Remember that Melvin Johnson guy I mentioned at the police station the other day, the one who keeps harassing me? I know where he lives.¡±

    ¡°And?¡±

    ¡°And, Bevo, how good are you at looking really big and really scary?¡±

    ¡°Oh! Oh, I¡¯m very good,¡± Bevo said. ¡°Want me to go get my axe?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not walking around town with a giant fucking axe on your back,¡± Corey said. ¡°Other than that, hell yeah, let¡¯s do it.¡±

    As much as he was trying to move on from his troubled past, Corey would never stop enjoying tormenting the cultists who had once tormented him.

 Book 2 Chapter 72: Investigative Jackassery

    For the first time since she¡¯d hopped about their little serial killer field trip, Kamak was genuinely glad to have To Vo La Su with him. Even on this foreign planet, the bureaucratic nightmare that was police work was familiar to her. She could easily navigate the labyrinthine rules and regulations on accessing surveillance videos and setting up suspect profiles. That gave Kamak time to focus on talking to someone he liked much better than a cop: another serial killer.

    Now that they weren¡¯t trying to keep a lid on any case details, Kamak could just call Nible instead of having to go all the way to Jukati for a visit. Made the process much easier.

    ¡°Hey, Nible, how you doing?¡±

    ¡°Oh, you know, trapped in an inescapable prison, surrounded by police,¡± Nible said. ¡°The usual.¡±

    ¡°Would you believe I¡¯m also surrounded by cops?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯d you do this time, Kamak?¡±

    ¡°I am working with them, reluctantly,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Still trying to crack that serial killer thing.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve seen,¡± Nible said. He still got to read the news, even in prison. ¡°Shapeshifting genetic engineer with a grudge, yeah?¡±

    ¡°Among other neuroses,¡± Kamak said. ¡°So, you¡¯ve clearly been keeping up to date. What¡¯s your take, now that you have more information?¡±

    ¡°Well, on a large scale level, you¡¯re in the shit,¡± Nible said. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve been reading the news-¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been trying to avoid it,¡± Kamak said. The press had turned bad with the Bevo incident alone, he could not imagine it had improved after Annin¡¯s little stunt had gotten dozens of people killed.

    ¡°Probably keep it that way,¡± Nible said. ¡°Suffice to say it is not good. Media¡¯s really been raking you over the coals.¡±

    ¡°Thanks for the reminder, bud, do you want to answer my actual question now?¡±

    ¡°This is part of the answer,¡± Nible said. ¡°Kor Tekaji¡¯s on that ¡®psychosocial immortality¡¯ bullshit, her win condition isn¡¯t killing you, it¡¯s being remembered forever -and making sure you guys get forgotten. Or at least permanently overshadowing you.¡±

    Kamak sat up straight and briefly glanced at the scramble of cops surrounding him.

    ¡°You think this is going to change her methods,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°It¡¯s very likely,¡± Nible said. ¡°Especially now that her name is out there. Violence will still be her medium of choice, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s going to be as simple as just stabbing people anymore.¡±

    ¡°What do you think? Another gas attack?¡±

    ¡°Maybe,¡± Nible said. ¡°Especially if she¡¯s killing you in the process. But I¡¯d keep an eye out for something more indirect. She doesn¡¯t just want people to die. She wants it to be your fault they die.¡±

    ¡°Just keeps getting better,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Any other trenchant insights?¡±

    ¡°Maybe. Is it true, what they say about the mental degradation from all these genetic changes this bitch doing to herself?¡±

    ¡°It certainly seems like it,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Though it seems like Kor is smart enough to slow down the process.¡±

    ¡°Oh that¡¯s worse. That¡¯s actually worse,¡± Nible said. ¡°If it were happening fast you could just outmaneuver her long enough that her brain melts. If it¡¯s a slow process, at some point she might become deranged enough to think mass chemical warfare is a good idea, but still be smart enough to actually pull it off.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. We¡¯ve been worried about that,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Any more horrific omens of doom for me?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m all tapped out,¡± Nible said. ¡°Keep me posted, Kamak. I can¡¯t make outgoing calls from this place, so I can¡¯t give you live updates on all my brilliant ideas.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll call you when I have good news,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°Oh, so I¡¯m never going to hear from you again?¡±

    ¡°And you¡¯ll be better off for it,¡± Kamak said. He hung up without another word. It was funnier that way.

    While Kamak had been on the phone, To Vo had apparently cut through one of the bigger tangles of police bullshit. She¡¯d secured some security camera footage from various feeds around town and was scanning them for anyone who resembled Corey Vash. Kamak joined her at the screen, and examined the primitive infrastructure.

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    ¡°God, its like working with cavemen,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°Be nice, Kamak,¡± To Vo said.

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Then at least be quiet,¡± To Vo said. ¡°It took me a long time to get this working, I don¡¯t want you messing it up because you can¡¯t stop being rude for no reason.¡±

    Most of the people in the building couldn¡¯t even understand To Vo, tripling the amount of work needed for an already arduous process. She had recruited a few trustworthy translators and untangled the web in time, but had no desire to repeat the process.

    ¡°Improve my mood by giving me some good news,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°Good news: the local police have actually identified some videos of people matching our profile of what Kor might look like in disguise.¡±

    ¡°And the bad news is?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not bad news, it¡¯s just part of the logistics process,¡± To Vo said.

    ¡°And the bad news is?¡±

    To Vo rolled her eyes and gave up.

    ¡°It turns out there¡¯s a lot of people who look like Corey,¡± To Vo said. ¡°His appearance is pretty ¡®generic¡¯, apparently.¡±

    Kamak looked around. There were a lot of male humans with white skin, brown hair, and brown eyes around. Corey didn¡¯t even have any prominent facial features like a big nose or weird eyebrows. To Vo turned the display in Kamak¡¯s direction and let him scan the numerous video feeds they¡¯d been sent so far.

    ¡°This is going to take a while, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome to help,¡± To Vo said. ¡°You do have a better eye for suspicious behavior.¡±

    ¡°Sure, why not,¡± Kamak said. Anything to make this nightmare end sooner. He grabbed a tablet from To Vo and started thumbing through the most frustratingly low-quality footage he¡¯d ever seen in his life. He didn¡¯t know why humans even bothered having video camera if they were all such shit quality. In spite of the horrendous quality, Kamak could eliminate several ¡®suspects¡¯ right away. Serial killers didn¡¯t stop to compare prices in grocery stores, nor did they pick up kids in a school parking lot. Kamak scrolled through dozens of completely innocuous surveillance snippets that all showed boring people doing boring things.

    ¡°We should really be having some kind of computer do this,¡± Kamak grunted.

    ¡°I tried,¡± To Vo said. ¡°Apparently computers haven¡¯t automated that much around here.¡±

    ¡°The more time I spend here, the more I understand why Corvash doesn¡¯t want to come back,¡± Kamak said. To Vo agreed, but kept it to herself. The few cops that could understand them were shooting dirty looks at Kamak.

    Heedless to the quiet scorn of his earthling peers, Kamak continued plugging away at one boring video after another. He had already burned through a day or two of videos and was getting into more recent history. After watching a few more videos of random women doing pointless things, Kamak skipped ahead to the day of their landing on Earth. If Kor truly was present on Earth, their arrival would¡¯ve been what spurred her into action and made it more likely for her to get caught.

    One dozen surveillance videos later, something finally caught Kamak¡¯s eye. It was dated on a cycle or so after the Wild Card Wanderer had landed outside of town. The streets were empty, but for one lone woman wandering through a suburban neighborhood, examining houses one by one before picking one seemingly at random and walking towards the door. The angle of the camera that had captured the video didn¡¯t allow him to see the door, but from the fact the mystery woman didn¡¯t re-emerge, Kamak assumed she had gotten inside.

    ¡°Did this not immediately raise red flags with anyone?¡±

    To Vo glanced at the video. She, of course, had been examining every video in exact chronological order, so she hadn¡¯t gotten there yet.

    ¡°Keep playing. See what she does next.¡±

    The video started to blur as Kamak fast-forwarded, looking for any signs of motion from their mystery woman. The house was quiet. Accelerating through about an hour of time, traffic started to pick up, and people up and down the street returned to their homes -the result of the crowd dissipating once they¡¯d stared at the alien ship enough. One such vehicle pulled into the driveway of the same house as their potential target, and an adult woman with red hair stepped out and strolled inside without a care in the world. Kamak started fast forwarding again, and the same red-haired woman walked back out, drove away, and returned with one bag from a shopping trip.

    ¡°That seems pretty innocuous to me,¡± To Vo said.

    ¡°No. Hold it,¡± Kamak said, as he rewound and froze the video on the woman walking back in with the groceries. ¡°Look at that.¡±

    He pointed to the hands, where fists clenched tight around her shopping bags, and the arch of her hunched neck.

    ¡°That¡¯s tension if I ever saw it,¡± Kamak said. Humans had slightly different body language than most species, but not by much. ¡°Something happened in there.¡±

    ¡°If you think so, I can organize a check-in with some of the officers here,¡± To Vo said. ¡°But why would Kor look so angry if she¡¯d taken that woman¡¯s appearance?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think she did,¡± Kamak said. ¡°No way she has the necessary supplies on hand. More likely she just found a good mark and is using them as proxy, under threat. Keeps her from getting noticed by someone without a translation chip installed.¡±

    ¡°That would explain why she¡¯s targeting a completely unrelated woman,¡± To Vo said. ¡°I¡¯ll have the local police check the address.¡±

    ¡°Fuck that, we¡¯ll go ourselves,¡± Kamak said. It would be more conspicuous, but he was willing to trade being conspicuous for being competent. ¡°Let me call in the big guns and we¡¯ll get going.¡±

    Kamak pulled out his datapad and then called Doprel.

    And then called him again. One missed call was curious. Two was concerning.

    ¡°Kamak¡­¡±

    ¡°Hold on.¡±

    He tried to connect to Doprel one more time. He failed one more time. Kamak slammed the datapad back into his pocket and pointed at To Vo.

    ¡°Look up where they were headed,¡± Kamak demanded. Then he spun to point his finger at the nearest cop. ¡°You! I need a ride!¡±

    The cop stared blankly at him and blinked twice. Kamak let out a low growl of frustration.

    ¡°Someone who understands me give me a damn ride,¡± Kamak said. That got the attention he needed, and Kamak was soon out the door, following To Vo¡¯s heading to the same store as Farsus and Doprel, to find out what had gone wrong this time.

 Book 2 Chapter 73: Whats In Store

    ¡°And what would you consider to be the best brand of rice wine?¡±

    The store manager who had been assigned to help Farsus looked at the options for a moment, and then selected what was clearly the most expensive looking one. While had was very useful for translating labels and prices Farsus could not read, General Manager Ronald Sikowski was not particularly knowledgeable when it came to Chinese cuisine.

    While Farsus focused on the shopping list, Doprel focused on the security. His physique was enough to scare most people away, but it had the opposite effect on some.

    ¡°What color is your blood?¡±

    ¡°Black. But I also have another internal fluid that¡¯s blue.¡±

    ¡°You have two bloods?¡±

    ¡°Not exactly, but close enough,¡± Doprel said. Apparently the child thought that was cool. She was small enough that Doprel had no reason to fear her. He doubted even Kor Tekaji¡¯s expertise in genetic manipulation let her be three feet tall on demand.

    The girl continued to ask question, much to her mother¡¯s obvious discomfort, and Doprel continued answering in spite of that discomfort. Talking to the kids was the best way to ensure future generations didn¡¯t treat aliens like Doprel as monstrous freaks of nature, the way almost everyone else in the grocery store did. That was half the reason kids were so high on the priority list for translation chips.

    Eventually, Farsus got called to move on, and the mother took that as a reasonable excuse to pull her child away from the monstrous alien. Doprel waved goodbye and followed Farsus into the next aisle.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad to see your interactions with the locals are going well,¡± Farsus said. ¡°I expected them to be more put-off by your appearance.¡±

    ¡°Well, most of them are,¡± Doprel said. ¡°You¡¯ve seen how many people turn around and go the other way when they see me in the aisle.¡±

    Most people just stopped and stared, forming a small crowd at the end of either aisle they occupied, but some reacted with actual fear rather than just slackjawed staring.

    ¡°To be fair, many of them are likely doing so because your prodigious size blocks the aisle.¡±

    Doprel did a quick check and realized he was, in fact, blocking most of the aisle. Even standing sideways, there wasn¡¯t really room for one of those odd metal carts to get around him. An unintended side effect of being an eight foot tall alien behemoth.

    ¡°Maybe I should just go stand a little off the end of the aisle while you shop,¡± Doprel said.

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    ¡°You are free to do as you please,¡± Farsus said. Doprel decided he was going to be polite and give people space. He walked towards the back of the store, to the area where they sold meat and seafood. The tiny mob that had formed to stare at him and Farsus dispersed and moved back as he passed. Doprel pretended to be interested in the goods on display just to look busy. He ended up locking eyes with a frozen lobster, and saw some kinship in the carapaced shell and grasping mandibles around its mouth. He wondered if the humans thought of that tiny little sea creature when they saw him.

    After another human turned around and ran as they saw Doprel, he started to wish he was a bit more like the lobster. Maybe then they¡¯d find him familiar enough to not be afraid. He clung to that pipe dream and clenched a carapaced fist tight in frustration. When all this was over, he needed to get back into actual bounty hunting. Cracking bad guy heads was a great way to vent his frustrations.

    Another actual shopper cut her way through the crowd of curious onlookers and headed down the aisle. Doprel glanced curiously at her red hair and then turned his attention back to the lobster. The woman looked scared, but that was nothing new.

    Deeper in the aisle, Farsus was preoccupied with rice.

    ¡°Is there a meaningful difference between white and brown?¡±

    ¡°I think the brown rice has more fiber,¡± Ronald said. ¡°Or nutrients. Something.¡±

    ¡°That would be better then, yes?¡±

    ¡°Well, most people cook with white,¡± Ronald said. ¡°It¡¯s about- oh god!¡±

    Ronald¡¯s eyes went wide as he saw something behind Farsus, and he whipped his head around to face the same direction. The second he saw a flash of metal held in a shaking hand, his mind went right into combat logistics mode.

    There was a gun pointed at him -a plasma pistol, to be specific, from a high-end personal defense line. Clearly not a weapon from Earth. It was held in a tight, two-handed grip, clutched in the shaking fists of a red-haired human woman. Farsus¡¯ immediate gut instinct was Kor, but Kor was an experienced killer. He hands would not be shaking, her eyes would not be welling up with tears as she averted them and pulled the trigger. This was an amateur. Not that it mattered at this distance.

    The split-second analytical process ended as soon as the first bolt of vibrant blue plasma shot out of the barrel and into Farsus¡¯ gut. He had good body armor, and that was likely the only reason he didn¡¯t die on the spot. Most of the heat had dissipated by the time the plasma burned through the armor plating and started to melt his flesh.

    Ronald ran away screaming, which was probably a good thing. Farsus¡¯ pain-seared brain barely had the bandwidth to keep his eyes open right now. He grit his teeth and endured the pain anyway. His attacker was weeping in earnest now, but her hands still clutched tight around the plasma pistol. There was a very real chance Farsus would be shot again, but he was less concerned about a second shot and more concerned with what might stop it. A wall of blue was barreling down towards the shooter from behind.

    ¡°Doprel,¡± Farsus grunted, even as his lungs rebelled with searing pain. ¡°Do-¡±

    The first carapaced fist impacted hard enough that even Farsus could hear the crack of shattering ribs. Gun and shooter alike were thrown to the ground so hard they bounced. A heavy foot raised to stomp down and put a permanent end to the ¡°problem¡±.

    ¡°Stop!¡± Farsus screamed. ¡°Don¡¯t kill her!¡±

    Doprel hesitated. He put his foot down, but on the floor, not on the shooter¡¯s skull.

    ¡°What? Why not?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not-¡± Farsus groaned, as searing pain shot through his burned stomach. ¡°That¡¯s not Kor Tekaji.¡±

    Doprel¡¯s alien mandibles twitched. He looked down at the red haired woman. Blood was starting to leak out of her mouth. On either end of the aisle, horrified onlookers watched as Doprel stood over the broken body of the woman he¡¯d just crushed.

 Book 2 Chapter 74: Wrong Turn

    ¡°Fuck! God- fucking damn it! Are you kidding me?¡±

    Tooley was taking the news about as well as could be expected, considering the news was that one of her friends had been shot.

    ¡°Is he okay? He¡¯s fine, right?¡±

    There were very few entities in the universe Tooley felt any sort of genuine concern for, and Farsus was number three on that list. News of his injury also interfered with her long-held mental image of Farsus as being mostly invincible. He¡¯d gotten grazed before, of course, gotten scorched by close calls or nipped at by Horuk pincers, but he¡¯d never actually gotten hurt.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Kamak admitted. ¡°It¡¯s hard to tell with the fucking caveman technology this planet has.¡±

    The local hospital wasn¡¯t equipped with top of the line equipment even by human standards, and the doctors certainly weren¡¯t trained to handle alien physiology. Corey was trying to smooth things over as best he could, but even his knowledge of alien medicine was limited, especially for such a severe injury. He¡¯d at least stopped the doctors from pumping him full of painkillers -no one had any idea how local drugs might have affected Farsus¡¯ biology.

    ¡°Does he need anything from the ship?¡± Tooley asked. ¡°I¡¯m right here, I can-¡±

    ¡°This is a little more than our first aid kit can handle,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Just stay put. Get the engine started. We might need to make a quick exit.¡±

    ¡°You think we can get Farsus somewhere with an actual hospital in time?¡±

    They were a few swaps out from the nearest developed world. If Farsus needed more care than Earth could give, Tooley wasn¡¯t sure they¡¯d make it in time.

    ¡°Just be ready,¡± Kamak said. ¡°The locals are pissed, and for good reason. Kor pulled some kind of trick, got a human to shoot Farsus on her behalf. Doprel basically flattened her.¡±

    The unfortunate proxy was in the same hospital as Farsus, with an even worse prognosis than her victim. She was still alive (a fact the local officials were repeating as loudly and frequently as possible to angry crowds), but Kamak knew that was only a matter of time. He¡¯d gotten the reports; her ribcage was effectively reduced to powder, and most of her internal organs were collapsing or already collapsed. Doprel had thrown a punch fully believing it was Kor Tekaji he was hitting, so he had held nothing back.

    ¡°She- fuck. Fucking fuck,¡± Tooley said.

    ¡°Eloquent as always,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Start the ship.¡±

    Kamak hung up, which was fine, since Tooley was just going to say more variations of ¡°fuck¡± anyway. She strolled over to the cockpit and started up the engine, and did a few quick checks of the various systems. If they needed to make a quick exit, she wanted to be sure everything was working perfectly. While her right hand traced across control panels, her left hand grasped at a phantom glass. The craving for alcohol gnawed at the back of Tooley¡¯s mind, but she chased it off. Getting drunk would help nothing.

    Her fingers bounced across engine coolant readouts, fuel reserves, and atmospheric condition scans. As Tooley wrapped up a check on the gyroscope controls, one of the few systems she hadn¡¯t thought to check started to ping. The proximity sensor.

    A ship had started flying nearby.

    ¡°You absolute bitch-¡±

    The comms console blared to life in a second.

    ¡°Miss Tooley,¡± a vaguely voice said. Tooley recognized him as one of the controllers from the orbital waypoint station. ¡°We¡¯re detecting an unauthorized launch, and we just wanted to know if you were-¡±

    ¡°Can it,¡± Tooley said. ¡°I¡¯m taking off!¡±

    She clutched the controls and started up the takeoff sequence.

    ¡°I know you might be in a hurry, ma¡¯am, but there are still protocols-¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m taking off soon,¡± Tooley clarified. ¡°The ship that¡¯s already taking off isn¡¯t me!¡±

    ¡°Then- oh dear,¡± the controller.

    ¡°Yeah, scramble interceptors or whatever it is you do,¡± Tooley said. ¡°I¡¯m not letting that bitch get away.¡±

    Tooley could actually see the ship now, as an arc of black and flaring blue light emerging from behind the mountains. Kor had snuck her way onto the planet, but now that it was time to make an exit, she was going for speed above all else. Tooley was on the same page.

    There was still a crowd of spectators (and protesters) gathered outside the Wild Card Wanderer, and they all got knocked off their feet by the shockwave of Tooley¡¯s rapid ascent. Silver wings sliced through the sky on an arc to intercept Kor Tekaji¡¯s ship. The initial thrust was enough to close the gap slightly, at least enough for Tooley to get a better look at the ship itself.

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    ¡°You bitch.¡±

    The comms console clicked on again, this time with a more familiar voice.

    ¡°Tooley, what¡¯s happening?¡± Corey asked. ¡°The orbital people called, is Kor really making a break for it?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s her,¡± Tooley growled. ¡°The bitch is flying my ship!¡±

    The curved, single-wing figure of the craft was unmistakable. Kor Tekaji had bought a ship of the same make and model as the Wild Card Wanderer, though she had clearly sprung for a newer model. She had also painted it purple. Tooley was really starting to hate the color purple.

    ¡°Can you-¡±

    ¡°Shut up and let me fly, Corvash,¡± Tooley said. Corey obeyed.

    The upgraded model was a problem. Tooley was the better pilot by far, but she could only do so much to overcome the limitations of hardware. Kor¡¯s ship was faster, if only slightly. Tooley would never be able to close the gap completely, and as soon as Kor¡¯s craft exited the atmosphere, she¡¯d be able to make an FTL jump further and faster than Tooley would ever be able to. They¡¯d lose her trail in a second.

    While she focused on barreling forward, Tooley¡¯s left hand danced across the controls of the ship¡¯s weapons. She technically had her own command console up front, but it was imprecise at best, and Tooley was not the best. She usually left the shipboard weapons to Farsus, the man currently wounded in a hospital bed.

    The reminder of her injured friend set Tooley¡¯s temper and guns ablaze. Streaks of plasma burned bright through the atmosphere, reflecting off the shiny purple shell of Kor¡¯s ship as every single shot went wide. Tooley muttered a curse and kept the automatic guns running. They fared no better, but it gave her more room to focus on her actual specialty: flying.

    Speed wasn¡¯t constant, even for starships. She ran her eyes along her instruments, looking for Earth¡¯s current atmospheric and gravitational conditions. Finding a thin pocket of air or a decent crosswind could get her even the slightest burst of speed she needed¡­

    Tooley held onto that hope right up until all the atmospheric readings hit zero. Skies gave way to stars, and the gravitational pull of Earth faded. In a matter of ticks, they were completely free of the mass shadow -but Kor got there first.

    Their quarry already had her escape route plotted, and an FTL jump primed and ready. As soon as she was free of Earth¡¯s gravity, Kor¡¯s ship vanished in a blip, careening through the cosmos at unfathomable speeds.

    ¡°Fuck!¡±

    Tooley did not stop flying, but she slammed a fist into her controls in frustration. Her instruments rattled, including her gravity readouts. Tooley glared at the display of planetary mass, and her mind started to race. She hit her comms console as well.

    ¡°Hey, orbital station dude, you still there?¡±

    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am,¡± they mumbled.

    ¡°Still here too,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°Cool, help me out here,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Station guy, you get Kor¡¯s trajectory?¡±

    ¡°We believe we have,¡± station guy said. ¡°We¡¯re trying to mobilize someone to intercept, but it¡¯s far removed from civilization.¡±

    ¡°Good work. Corvash, what¡¯s that really big gas giant planet we flew by called?¡±

    ¡°Jupiter?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that one,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Station guy, give me all the gravitational and orbital info you¡¯ve got on that planet.¡±

    ¡°Uh...of course,¡± the attendant said. They didn¡¯t have any clue why Tooley might want that, but he wanted to be helpful. They hadn¡¯t even managed to launch their small contingent of fighters before Kor had gotten away, so he felt like contributing something.

    ¡°Tooley,¡± Corey said. ¡°What are you planning?¡±

    ¡°Setting up an ambush,¡± Tooley said. ¡°I¡¯m going to get where Kor¡¯s going before she does.¡±

    ¡°How the fuck does that involve Jupiter?¡±

    ¡°Gravity slingshot,¡± Tooley said, as she started punching in the required math. ¡°If I swing around the planet at the right angle and hit the FTL at just the right time, I¡¯ll carry the inertia into the jump, get there faster than the engines would normally allow.¡±

    ¡°An FTL slingshot? Ma¡¯am, slingshotting is an imprecise technique even over local stellar distances,¡± station guy said. ¡°You¡¯ll end up careening into the void if you¡¯re lucky.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not relying on luck,¡± Tooley said. ¡°I¡¯m the best damn pilot in the universe, remember?¡±

    ¡°Hey, what if you¡¯re unlucky?¡± Corey said. Tooley didn¡¯t respond. ¡°Hey, you, what if she¡¯s unlucky?¡±

    ¡°Well,¡± station guy mumbled. ¡°Any number of things. An FTL impact, if the gravitational stress doesn¡¯t tear apart the ship first.¡±

    ¡°Tooley. Maybe we pick up her trail some other way,¡± Corey said. ¡°Tooley?¡±

    ¡°Love you, Corey,¡± Tooley said. Then she shut off her comms. Even she knew this one was going to take a lot of focus.

    She had her heading now, a jump trajectory that would take her right to Kor¡¯s destination. Once she was there, all she had to do was get the guns ready and catch Kor unawares. It would require an FTL jump timed to the millisecond; any earlier and her ship would be torn to shreds by kinetic stress, any later and she¡¯d jump into a random spot of void lightyears away from her intended destination.

    Tooley wasn¡¯t worried. She was, after all, the best pilot in the universe. She held her controls tight, soared past the swirling maelstroms of Jupiter¡¯s surface, and then leaned on the accelerator. Her finger hovered over the FTL trigger as she carefully watched her readouts. Her arc around Jupiter reached its apex, and Tooley slammed her hand down. The colors of the Sol system faded into the beige wall of FTL travel.

    Tooley took a breath for the first time in what felt like years. She was alive, which was a great starting point. Hull integrity showed some minimal stress damage, but well within acceptable tolerances. Speed readings were a little slower than she¡¯d like, but still much faster than conventional travel, and her heading-

    Her heading was off by zero point zero zero zero zero zero four. A tiny, almost imperceptible margin of error, but compounded across faster than light travel and the vastness of space, it added up to a huge mistake.

    The beige blur of FTL faded back to black as Tooley hit the brakes. She found herself alone, lost in the inky blackness of the void between stars. Nothing and no one was around. No enemies, no friends, no stars or light. Just nothingness on every side.

    No one heard Tooley when she screamed so loud and long that her lungs burned. No one felt it when she stormed out of the cockpit and slammed the door shut behind her so hard the ship shook. No one saw it when she found a bottle and started to drink, alone in the void, to try and drown her failure.

 Book 2 Chapter 75: Earthbound

    ¡°They know where Tooley is,¡± To Vo said. ¡°The Wanderer¡¯s lightly damaged. Not unusable, but they¡¯re going to put together a recovery mission just to be safe. It shouldn¡¯t be more than a few swaps.¡±

    ¡°Thank god,¡± Corey said. That was the first bit of good news he¡¯d heard all day. All he¡¯d been hearing for the past few cycles was doomsaying about how Tooley might have catapulted herself into an asteroid, or hundreds of lightyears into a lifeless void.

    ¡°That¡¯s great, fantastic news,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Any word on us getting out of here?¡±

    Thanks to some long-distance consultation, Farsus had gotten patched up enough to be relatively stable. His would-be assassin, on the other hand, had gone the opposite directions. After cycles of valiant effort to keep her ¡°alive¡± with ventilators, the local doctors had been forced to give up and admit she was gone. Between that and the video of the fatal punch leaking, public opinion of their new alien visitors was not exactly positive. Doprel sat on the far side of the room and tried to ignore the noise of the crowd protesting outside the hospital.

    ¡°We should have a ride ready in less than half a cycle,¡± To Vo said.

    ¡°Shame to be leaving so soon,¡± Bevo said. That earned her a few sideways glances.

    ¡°Have you been paying attention, Bevo?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Kamak gestured out the window, towards the angry mob.

    ¡°We could talk it out,¡± Bevo said. ¡°Doprel was defending his friend. It makes sense, once you know the facts.¡±

    ¡°The last thing we want is for those fuckers to know the facts,¡± Kamak said. ¡°If they find out about the kids there¡¯s no way we¡¯re getting off this planet alive.¡±

    The local police had searched the home of Farsus¡¯ would-be killer, and found the leverage Kor had used to turn a suburban housewife into an assassin. A grown man and two young boys, obviously her husband and children. The bodies had still been warm when the police arrived. Kor had disposed of all loose ends before making her exit, apparently.

    That part of the case was still being kept under wraps, since there hadn¡¯t been any supermarket gawkers to record it on cellphones. Kamak didn¡¯t want to be on the planet when that news broke. News of dead kids would turn a crowd of protesters into an angry mob in a heartbeat. It wouldn¡¯t matter who had done what or why: human children had been killed by alien hands, and that was enough for some people.

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    ¡°We stay here and stay low as long as possible,¡± Kamak said. ¡°We can play diplomat when heads are cool and we¡¯re out of lynching range.¡±

    ¡°That feels like too little too late,¡± Bevo said.

    ¡°Better than us getting shot,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°Historically speaking, there is often hostility between recently Uplifted species and their visitors,¡± To Vo said.

    ¡°Humans were still working on getting along with themselves, much less alien races,¡± Corey said. ¡°We can play nice later, Bevo, but right now I think we need to keep our heads down.¡±

    ¡°But this is your home,¡± Bevo said.

    ¡°It¡¯ll feel a lot more homey when people aren¡¯t trying to kill me,¡± Corey said. ¡°Just stay calm, and if anything happens, let me take the lead and do the talking. They¡¯ll like another human better.¡±

    Bevo seemed upset by the idea of inaction, but she followed orders and held her ground. She was starting to miss her axe.

    The muffled shouting of the protest outside ebbed and rose again. Every shift in the crowd made Corey¡¯s hair stand on end, as he waited for some unseen switch to flip. He was starting to understand why Kacey had made such a quick exit. With Kor definitely off-planet, it was safer to be in a cabin in the woods, away from any group of people large enough to form an angry mob. He didn¡¯t have a cabin, or even a ship, to run away to. All he had was an injured friend and a stuffy hospital room. A very familiar one.

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Kamak snapped, as he shifted in his seat. ¡°You hear something?¡±

    ¡°No. Just thinking.¡±

    ¡°About what.¡±

    ¡°Nothing important,¡± Corey said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±

    ¡°Well now I¡¯m just curious,¡± Bevo said. To Vo agreed -silently. She was too polite to say it out loud.

    ¡°Not like we have anything better to talk about,¡±

    ¡°Fine. I¡¯m just now realizing this is the same hospital where my mom died,¡± Corey said. ¡°It¡¯s been like a swap and I hadn¡¯t even thought of that.¡±

    In years past, during his life on Earth, Corey had gone out of his way to avoid even driving near the hospital. Now he was sitting in a room just down the hall from where his mother had taken her last breaths, and not even thought of her until now.

    ¡°Well, you got a lot going on, kid,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°Yeah. Just hope I can avoid making any new bad memories here.¡±

    ¡°We should be fine,¡± To Vo said. ¡°It¡¯s quieted down.¡±

    Kamak¡¯s ears perked up. Bevo sat upright and turned to the window.

    ¡°Quiet,¡± Bevo said. ¡°Always worse than noise.¡±

    She tapped a red knuckle on the window pane. Kamak and Corey stood to look. The security cordon around the hospital had broken, and members of the crowd outside were flowing into the building. A few officers were putting up a token effort towards keeping the crowd at bay, but most were standing back and standing by as the crowd filed in.

    ¡°Pigs,¡± Kamak grunted. To Vo raised no protest. ¡°Doprel, grab Farsus¡¯ bed and whatever drugs he needs to stay breathing, we¡¯re getting the fuck out of here.¡±

 Book 2 Chapter 76: First Do No Harm

    Unfortunately for Farsus, he was conscious.

    ¡°I assume from your urgency that we are in danger,¡± Farsus mumbled. He could hear the plastic wheels of his hospital bed skidding along the tile.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Kick back and enjoy the drugs. Apparently they gave you the good stuff.¡±

    ¡°Quite good,¡± Farsus said. ¡°I am only vaguely aware of the hole in my torso.¡±

    He patted the right side of his stomach, which was not the side the hole was on. The drugs really were doing good work. Kamak kept his head up and stayed in front of the bed. Thankfully the doctors were giving the gaggle of aliens a wide berth as they charged through the hall. Their exit was easy, until they crossed paths with the biggest ego in the hospital.

    ¡°Hey,¡± the security officer said. ¡°Where do you all think you¡¯re going?¡±

    ¡°Space,¡± Kamak said. ¡°We need to do space things.¡±

    The officer turned to Corey.

    ¡°What¡¯d he say?¡±

    ¡°I said go fuck yourself, pig,¡± Kamak said, now that he was sure this cop also couldn¡¯t understand him.

    ¡°He said we¡¯re leaving,¡± Corey said, far more diplomatically. ¡°If you¡¯ll excuse us-¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s hospital equipment,¡± the officer said. ¡°And a patient. You can¡¯t just leave with that.¡±

    ¡°Watch us,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°We just need to get Farsus some extra medical attention,¡± Corey said. ¡°The high-tech kind, that they have in space. It¡¯s kind of urgent, so if you¡¯ll excuse us¡­¡±

    Corey gave Farsus¡¯ bed a little tug forward, towards the security officer. He didn¡¯t move.

    ¡°Fine,¡± the officer said. ¡°You can come right this way-¡±

    He gestured towards the front of the building, in the direction of what Kamak could only assume to be the angry mob. The building was large enough that there was no sign of the intrusion here yet, but Kamak could not help but notice that he was wearing some kind of communication device on his belt -and that the holster of his gun had a little latch that had been clicked open.

    ¡°Corvash.¡±

    ¡°I see it,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°What is he saying?¡±

    The officer tensed every time the aliens talked. Clearly he wasn¡¯t comfortable with not being able to understand everything around him.

    ¡°Just an alien medical thing,¡± Corey said. ¡°Bevo, have you seen the problem?¡±

    Bevo nodded, trying to keep to actions the cop could understand. She had picked up on his tension too.

    ¡°We need to get our friend to an ambulance,¡± Corey said. ¡°It¡¯s urgent.¡±

    Kamak heard the echo of many footsteps coming down the halls, along with a few muffled gasps of surprise and offense. They were officially out of time. Kamak and the security guard went for their guns at the same time. Neither got a chance to draw. While the officer reached for his gun, Bevo reached for the officer. She grabbed his gun hand, pulled him forward, and slammed a shoulder into his chest to knock the wind out of him, all in one swift motion. With the air forced out of his lungs, the officer could not resist as Bevo hefted him off the ground and tossed him aside like a ragdoll.

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    ¡°Time to go,¡± Bevo said. Farsus¡¯ bed was already wheeling past her. No one was in the mood to waste time. Bevo grabbed the officer¡¯s gun and slid it across the ground, out of reach, before bringing up the rear of the rapid retreat. Kamak tried to take the lead, but after he hesitated at an intersection of hallways, Corey barreled right past, still dragging Farsus¡¯ bed behind him.

    ¡°Do you actually know where you¡¯re going?¡±

    ¡°I spent a lot of time here, remember?¡±

    Corey¡¯s memory of the hospital was far from encyclopedic, but he did remember the basics, including where the ambulances came in. He had mixed feelings about stealing an ambulance, but his feelings about getting torn to shreds by an angry mob were purely negative.

    Those negative thoughts became slightly more prominent when half a dozen people stepped into their path. Corey hit the brakes, and the others came to a halt behind him. Nobody was armed, but they were clearly aggressive.

    ¡°There they are!¡±

    ¡°Stop!¡±

    Corey threw himself forward, hands up, between the aliens and the human mob. Hopefully he could bridge the gap.

    ¡°I know you¡¯re mad,¡± Corey said. ¡°But this is all a misunderstanding.¡±

    A nearby nurse cowering behind her desk gasped with offense as someone grabbed a mug of pens off her workstation and hurled it at Corey. Corey watched the mug sail by and shatter on the ground as it missed him by a mile. Random angry mob members weren¡¯t usually very accurate.

    ¡°Hey!¡±

    ¡°You brought those things here,¡± the member of the mob spat. ¡°They¡¯ve been here two days and four people are already dead.¡±

    Kamak¡¯s moved his hand a little closer to his gun. Four. They knew about the kids. Not good.

    ¡°That¡¯s not our fault, we were trying to stop-¡±

    ¡°We watched that monster crush someone!¡±

    Doprel kept to the back, kept his head down, and tried to look as small as possible.

    ¡°And now you¡¯re trying to run!¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re running because there¡¯s an angry mob after us,¡± Corey said. ¡°If you leave us alone, we can get this sorted out with the proper authorities.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯d like that, wouldn¡¯t you? You aliens have been pumping our leaders full of nanomachines and putting chips in their brains,¡± someone else protested. Corey rolled his eyes. It was really unfortunate that alien technology overlapped with so many dipshit conspiracy theories.

    ¡°Alright, fine,¡± Corey said. Reasonable discourse had failed, so it was time to get unreasonable. He reached down to his belt, undid the metal latch that held the hilt of his energy sword in place, and raised it high above his head before igniting it. A wave of heat shot down the hall as the faces of the angry mob were bathed in red light.

    ¡°Cool,¡± Bevo said, before realizing she was ruining the mood and shutting her mouth.

    ¡°Get out of my way,¡± Corey demanded. A few of the people in the mob stepped back, but the way out still wasn¡¯t clear. Corey was surprised by how few people backed down from an actual lightsaber. They seemed more offended than threatened. Perhaps they were trying to call his bluff. Corey aimed his saber more pointedly in their direction, just to make it clear. He didn¡¯t want to kill anyone, but since they were already in a hospital, he could probably get away with chopping off a hand or two.

    The threatening display still failed. Even with a laser sword, Corey was still just a human. The mob didn¡¯t fear him, they feared the unknown -the alien.

    The lightsaber and its wielder got bumped to the side as Doprel¡¯s massive frame moved up through the hallway. With four-fingered fists clenched tight, Doprel raised his head and spread his mandibles wide. Kamak covered his ears.

    The automatic translator usually turned Doprel¡¯s vocalization into comprehensible words, but there was nothing in his inhuman howl to translate. It was just noise: rage and frustration translated into pure decibels. Corey shut off his saber just to have another hand to cover his ears with. He¡¯d never heard a sound so loud it caused physical pain before.

    After a few seconds of sustaining his bone-shaking shriek, Doprel stomped forward, still screaming. Those who still had the coherence to run did so. Those who were clutching at their ears in pain got kicked aside by heavy blue feet. Only when a clear aisle had been cut through the mob did Doprel finally lower his voice and nod to his friends. Bevo and To Vo grabbed the hospital bed and started sprinting after him.

    ¡°Haven¡¯t seen you do that in a while,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°They already think I¡¯m a monster,¡± Doprel grunted. ¡°Might as well play the part.¡±

    Kamak didn¡¯t say anything else. He kept himself busy by helping Corey steal an ambulance.

 Book 2 Chapter 77: Wildest Animals

    ¡°I always forget how shit those drones are at flying,¡± Kamak said. For security reasons, the Wild Card Wanderer and its crew had been dragged into a drydock in deep space. Autonomous drones had done all the flying, which had the benefit of no living things in the universe knowing where they were, and the downside of drones being shit at flying. The machines could¡¯ve been better, but every time somebody built a robot that was too smart, it ended up running off to join the AI collective, so manufacturers erred on the stupid side nowadays.

    ¡°We got here in one piece,¡± Corey said. ¡°That¡¯s what matters.¡±

    When the boarding hatch finally opened, he was the first through the door. The first thing he noticed was the not-so-faint scent of alcohol. Boarding the ship felt like walking straight into an open bottle of rubbing alcohol.

    ¡°Tooley?¡±

    No response.

    ¡°Tooley, where are you?¡±

    ¡°Quit yelling,¡± Tooley shouted back, with an obvious drunken slur to her voice. ¡°I¡¯m in the cockpit, dipshit, that¡¯s where the pilot goes. It¡¯s me. I¡¯m the pilot. I go here.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll go talk to her,¡± Corey sighed. He walked into the cockpit and sealed the door shut behind him.

    ¡°Good luck with that trainwreck,¡± Kamak grunted. ¡°You need a hand getting settled in, Farsus?¡±

    ¡°In a very literal sense, yes,¡± Farsus said. He was fully lucid now, and had even received some proper medical treatment for his injuries, but he was far from fully recovered. The damage to the muscles in his core made it difficult for him to lift his arms at all. Kamak and Doprel each took a shoulder and helped Farsus into his room. They shut the door behind them, and it stayed shut. The two most recent additions to the crew stood alone in the common room.

    ¡°So,¡± Bevo began. She looked at To Vo. ¡°Want to help me sharpen my axe?¡±

    ¡°You need help with that?¡±

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    ¡°It¡¯s a big axe,¡± Bevo said. ¡°And I¡¯m trying to be polite. Don¡¯t want you getting left out of one more thing.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t take it personally, Bevo,¡± To Vo said. ¡°They have a lot going on, and we¡¯re just on the fringes of it.¡±

    ¡°I know, and that makes me so god damn mad,¡± Bevo said. Broad muscles tensed beneath her red skin. ¡°I want to help, and I feel like I¡¯m getting kept at arms length. Like I¡¯m being excluded on purpose.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because you are,¡± To Vo said. ¡°But like I said, it¡¯s not personal. It¡¯s just in their nature.¡±

    Bevo grunted with frustration and sat down on a couch. To Vo joined her, and tried not to feel dwarfed by Bevo¡¯s comparatively massive size. All the giants around were starting to make her feel self-conscious about being so small.

    ¡°Have you ever hunted wild animals, Bevo?¡±

    ¡°Not if I can help it,¡± Bevo said. ¡°Hurting animals makes me feel bad.¡±

    ¡°Good instinct,¡± To Vo said. ¡°I had to hunt for most of my life. It was probably the one thing in my life that prepared me for being on this ship.¡±

    ¡°Because it taught you how to be patient?¡±

    ¡°Because it taught me how to avoid getting bitten,¡± To Vo said. ¡°Look, these guys, they¡¯re all a little bit wild, in their own way. Things tried to tame them, and failed. I won¡¯t claim to know what it is, but there¡¯s something in them that just rejects structure, hates being chased or controlled.¡±

    ¡°Natural rebels, yeah? Cool.¡±

    ¡°Occasionally cool, and occasionally very very frustrating,¡± To Vo said. Occasionally a source of nigh-endless inane arguments, too. ¡°Like wild animals, they are often prickly, hard to get close to, prone to biting, and, importantly: most dangerous when they¡¯re cornered.¡±

    Bevo looked around at all the closed doors on the ship. She didn¡¯t like how quiet it was. To Vo, on the other hand, acknowledged that silence as a calm before the storm.

    ¡°You think we¡¯re cooking up a comeback, then?¡±

    ¡°They turned it around when things were at their worst with Morrakesh,¡± To Vo said. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s just wishful thinking, but I believe they can pull it off again.¡±

    ¡°Hell yeah,¡± Bevo said. She sat up and leaned forward, then realized she had nowhere to go. ¡°So what do we do?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± To Vo admitted. ¡°I¡¯m a little more domesticated. I like to think I help keep them grounded. Stop them from going completely feral.¡±

    ¡°Feral sounds fun,¡± Bevo said. ¡°But also like it¡¯d get somebody in trouble.¡±

    ¡°More trouble,¡± To Vo said. Though she wasn¡¯t sure it was possible for them to be in more trouble right now. She¡¯d been monitoring the news. Right now the media was making it seem like Kamak and the crew were bigger villains than Kor Tekaji. To Vo might have been concerned by that, if not for past events. The crew had not only survived the entire universe being their enemies, they had actually turned it into an advantage. To Vo had no doubt they could make it out of this serial killer nonsense in a similar fashion. There weren¡¯t even any horrible arm-monsters involved.

    Yet.

 Book 2 Chapter 78: Forward Momentum

    Corey shut the door to the cockpit behind him. He was glad the Wanderer¡¯s doors had better soundproofing than the Hermit. There was a chance this might involve shouting.

    Tooley had sprawled herself across the pilot¡¯s chair, facing away from the cockpit window, as if she could not bear to look into the blackness any longer. Her hair was a tangled mess, her clothes were dirty, and she smelled of alcohol.

    ¡°Rough couple swaps, huh?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯ve had a great time,¡± Tooley grumbled. ¡°Nothing to do but drink and listen to the universe call me a failure.¡±

    ¡°Oh god, you¡¯ve been watching the news,¡± Corey said. He¡¯d managed to power through about three headlines before shutting down his datapad and ignoring any new updates.

    ¡°It¡¯s been real fun watching myself go from greatest pilot in the universe to washed up has-been in real time,¡± Tooley said.

    ¡°It¡¯s the news, Tooley, they¡¯ll say whatever gets them a view,¡± Corey said. He sat down in the copilots seat opposite Tooley.

    ¡°Well they used to say I was great,¡± Tooley said. ¡°It¡¯s almost like I fucked up the one thing I¡¯m any good at.¡±

    ¡°Tooley, you¡¯re not-¡±

    ¡°Would you just let me bitch for a minute, asshole,¡± Tooley said. ¡°I don¡¯t want to feel better, I want to complain!¡±

    She slammed a fist into the console, and made the controls shake.

    ¡°Fucking things up back on Turitha was bad enough,¡± Tooley growled. ¡°But I¡¯ve never claimed to be good at putting up with bullshit. Take a lot of pride in not putting up with it, actually.¡±

    The defiant pride left Tooley¡¯s body, and she deflated, shrinking in on herself.

    ¡°I¡¯m supposed to be good at flying,¡± she mumbled. ¡°I¡¯m supposed to be the best. But I fucked up. Our best chance at stopping that crazy bitch, and I fucked it up. I could¡¯ve stopped all of this, and I fucked it up.¡±

    Tooley leaned backwards in her chair and stared out at the empty void of space. Corey watched it with her, until he¡¯d counted out twenty ticks.

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    ¡°So, am I allowed to make you feel better now?¡±

    ¡°You can fucking try.¡±

    ¡°Tooley, I heard what that station worker said about that stunt you tried to pull, it¡¯s a miracle you made it through that with the ship intact,¡± Corey said. ¡°I count that as half a win, frankly, and even if you don¡¯t, that still makes you one for two on pulling off billion-to-one miracle maneuvers. That¡¯s a pretty good record. Hell, a lot of people have vaporized themselves trying to pull off your first stunt.¡±

    The FTL evasion stunt that had helped defeat Morrakesh had yet to be replicated, despite dozens of attempts and dozens of vaporized daredevils.

    ¡°Even your biggest loss is still better than a lot of people¡¯s biggest wins,¡± Corey said. ¡°It sucks, and you¡¯re allowed to feel bad about it. But you still have a hell of a lot to feel good about, too.¡±

    Tooley didn¡¯t go so far as smiling, but her deep scowl did at least shift into a neutral expression.

    ¡°And come on, Tools, we need you,¡± Corey said. ¡°Not going to solve this thing sitting in the dark, somebody¡¯s got to fly us to the next step.¡±

    ¡°Are you-¡±

    Tooley pivoted in her chair and glared at Corey, looking offended.

    ¡°How the fuck do you do that?¡±

    ¡°Do what?¡±

    ¡°Be...like that,¡± Tooley said, waving a hand at nothing in particular. ¡°We lost, Corey. We¡¯ve failed in every way it¡¯s possible to fail, and you¡¯re just out here saying hey let¡¯s go, next step, onward and upward. I know you know how to mope, you spent like two years doing it about your mom. Why don¡¯t you ever stop and mope about this bullshit?¡±

    ¡°I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°That makes it worse! You just...go! All the time,¡± Tooley said. ¡°It was like this with Morrakesh too! You just look at the worst situation in the universe and decide to keep going.¡±

    Corey shrugged off the praise. At best he thought of himself as stubborn, but not exceptionally so.

    ¡°I know what the end looks like, Tooley,¡± Corey said. He¡¯d watched his mother lose her battle with cancer, and he would never forget the light leaving her eyes when she finally gave in -long before the cancer had claimed her. Matilda Vash had lost the will to live long before she¡¯d lost life itself. ¡°This isn¡¯t the end. Not as long as I¡¯m breathing.¡±

    ¡°Then maybe I should strangle you,¡± Tooley grunted.

    The pilot chair pivoted again as Corey grabbed Tooley by the shoulders, turned her to face him, and looked her dead in the eyes.

    ¡°Try it, pussy.¡±

    Tooley hated Corey for being dumb enough to say that, and she hated herself for being dumb enough to laugh at it.

    ¡°Sometimes I wonder why you put up with me,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Sometimes I wonder why I put up with you.¡±

    ¡°Sounds like a perfect relationship, then,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°I¡¯d kiss you but my mouth tastes like cheap booze,¡± Tooley grunted. She stuck out her tongue and made a little retching noise to really emphasize how disgusting it was. ¡°Fine. What¡¯s the next step, champ?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Corey admitted.

    ¡°See, that¡¯s why it¡¯s kind of annoying,¡± Tooley said. ¡°This determination would make more sense if you had an actual plan.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to ask To Vo about things,¡± Corey said. ¡°She probably has all the case details memorized.¡±

    ¡°Might as well,¡± Tooley said. Small steps forward were still steps.

 Book 2 Chapter 79: Break Point

    A lot of people would¡¯ve cringed while pulling away Farsus¡¯ bandages. Kamak had seen worse.

    ¡°Hmm. That¡¯s a lot of muscle lost,¡± Kamak said. He leaned in a little closer to the scabrous wound. ¡°Are these stitches? They used a needle and thread to put you back together?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think they had access to anything better,¡± Farsus said.

    ¡°Six below, that¡¯s depressing,¡± Kamak said. ¡°We¡¯ll have to send them some flesh-fusers as a thank you gift.¡±

    ¡°Maybe stick to calling them Regenerative Tissue Modifiers,¡± Doprel suggested. ¡°Flesh-fusers¡± was an off-putting nickname for an otherwise helpful medical device.

    ¡°Same difference,¡± Kamak said. He grabbed some fresh bandages and a few other medical supplies from their stocks. ¡°You want us to try and fix whatever they fucked up in there?¡±

    ¡°I would prefer to avoid any more digging around in my torso,¡± Farsus said. Kamak nodded along and stuck to cleaning the wound and replacing the bandages.

    ¡°We¡¯ll get you to Theddis as soon as we can,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Or some other doctor, if you¡¯d prefer someone less crazy putting your guts back together.¡±

    ¡°Theddis will be fine.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll see if he makes housecalls, then,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Not sure going back to Centerpoint is a good idea right now.¡±

    ¡°I would prefer to return, actually,¡± Farsus said. ¡°I think I would like to see Ambassador Y¨¬h¨¢n.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t get all sentimental on us, you weren¡¯t that near-death,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°It was closer to death than I have been before,¡± Farsus said. ¡°And to my surprise, I did not enjoy it.¡±

    Kamak glanced sideways at Doprel, but Doprel just had his eyes on the floor.

    ¡°Most people don¡¯t like dying, Farsus.¡±

    ¡°And I am not most people,¡± Farsus said. ¡°I am a chaos scholar, a student of death. I had always imagined I would greet death as a new adventure. That was not the case.¡±

    Farsus shifted uncomfortably in his bed, trying to sit as upright as his wounded stomach would allow.

    ¡°Instead, my thoughts were of things I had not seen, words I had not said,¡± Farsus said. ¡°I was not expecting to meet death with regrets.¡±

    ¡°Again, very normal thing to feel,¡± Kamak said. He¡¯d seen enough people die to know there were always regrets.

    ¡°All the same, I think I have spent too much time in the company of death,¡± Farsus said. ¡°I should, perhaps, try to live for a while.¡±

    He adjusted himself once again, and suffered the stinging pain of his half-treated wound.

    ¡°Especially considering my condition,¡± Farsus said.

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    ¡°Hey, come on, this isn¡¯t a career-ending injury,¡± Kamak said. ¡°We can fix that. Hell, the government wackos grabbed some of Kor¡¯s fucked up gene tanks. We can probably make you better than you started if we borrow one of those.¡±

    Kor¡¯s apartment on Centerpoint had been sparse, resource wise, but the Council Police had raided her manor on her homeworld as well. They¡¯d found a fully stocked lab and many of Kor¡¯s notes, giving them a vague idea of how Kor¡¯s technology functioned. Kamak didn¡¯t trust the tech enough to use it for frivolous reasons, but fixing a giant hole in Farsus¡¯ abdomen was hardly frivolous.

    ¡°My physical state is only part of my reasons for wanting time away from violence,¡± Farsus said. ¡°If you and the crew are not willing to accompany me, I will find my own way to Centerpoint.¡±

    ¡°I should go to Centerpoint too,¡± Doprel said. ¡°We might as well all go together.¡±

    ¡°What do you want to go to Centerpoint for?¡± Kamak said. ¡°You got an ambassador you want to chat up too?¡±

    ¡°No, I just...I have things I need to do,¡± Doprel said.

    ¡°You¡¯re still a terrible liar, Dop,¡± Kamak said. ¡°What are you planning?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m...I think I should maybe turn myself in.¡±

    ¡°For what?¡±

    ¡°I killed a woman, Kamak!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, one who was trying to kill you,¡± Kamak said. He gestured to Farsus¡¯ wound. ¡°Everyone with half a brain knows that¡¯s self defense.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a lot of people with less than half a brain out there,¡± Doprel said. Kamak had no rebuttal. ¡°Look, things are rough with humanity already. Maybe a little due process will help smooth things over, keep people from seeing me as a mindless monster.¡±

    Doprel knew that some people would always see him as an animal or some otherworldly freak, but he had to try, at least.

    ¡°Accountability will help things along,¡± Doprel concluded.

    ¡°The people who chased us out of the hospital didn¡¯t want ¡®accountability¡¯, they wanted your head on a pike,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Don¡¯t give them the satisfaction of acting like they might have a chance. And you sure as hell don¡¯t put yourself in a locked room surrounded by strangers when there¡¯s a serial killer on your ass.¡±

    Doprel scoffed at the idea, but Kamak latched on to it, and glared daggers at Doprel.

    ¡°Or maybe that¡¯s exactly what you want. Nice little locked room with a bunch of armed guards.¡±

    The withering glare turned to Farsus next.

    ¡°What about you? You interested in the ambassador, or in her security detail?¡±

    ¡°Kamak, that is not what this is about,¡± Doprel said.

    ¡°I never took either of you for cowards,¡± Kamak said. ¡°You come up with the idea to quit together, or did you both chicken out separately?¡±

    ¡°Kamak, do not insult me,¡± Farsus said. ¡°This is no shift in my courage, only my priorities.¡±

    ¡°People don¡¯t just change in a flash, Fars,¡± Kamak snapped.

    ¡°The flash of a gunshot does wonders for one¡¯s perspective,¡± Farsus said.

    ¡°And not everyone¡¯s as stubborn as you, Kamak,¡± Doprel said.

    ¡°Fine! Call it what you want, I¡¯ll call it what it is,¡± Kamak said, as he headed for the door. ¡°Cowardice.¡±

    Kamak stepped out and slammed the door behind him.

    ¡°Quit slamming doors on my ship, asshole,¡± Tooley cried out. Kamak turned to glare daggers across the room and saw her, Corey, To Vo, and Bevo all sitting around the common room table, datapads in hand as if they were comparing notes. To Vo looked up from her task long enough to match Kamak¡¯s frown with one of her own.

    ¡°Were you arguing about something?¡±

    ¡°Just being an asshole, as usual,¡± Kamak said. For some reason, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to throw those two under the bus yet. ¡°What are you all doing?¡±

    ¡°Trying to figure out where Kor might head next,¡± Bevo said. ¡°Checking out low-tech or off the grid places that might have a connection to us.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s...good,¡± Kamak said. The exact kind of thing he would¡¯ve told them to do. But they didn¡¯t need to be told. ¡°Keep at it.¡±

    ¡°Well, we haven¡¯t got much yet, so yeah,¡± Corey said. ¡°We could use a hand.¡±

    ¡°And I could use a drink,¡± Kamak said. He walked over to the kitchen and popped open one of his usual cabinets, finding it empty. ¡°Fucking hell, did you drink everything on this ship, Toobertas?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Tooley grunted. Only most things. Kamak continued searching and continued not finding, until he popped open an upper right cabinet. A beeping alarm filled the air on the ship, making Kamak¡¯s ears ring.

    ¡°Fucking hell,¡± Kamak said. ¡°You set up an alarm in case I ever break into your secret stash?¡±

    He glared at Tooley, ready for another round of insults. She didn¡¯t look at him. Her blue face had gone pale.

    ¡°That¡¯s the proximity alarm,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Someone¡¯s coming.¡±

 Book 2 Chapter 80: Not Alone in the Dark

    The droning alarm had ceased, but the tension on the ship stayed high. Tooley had dashed to the pilot¡¯s chair and started tuning every sensor she could get her hands on. They all said the same thing: a ship was approaching them. Not quite at FTL speeds, but fast. Meanwhile, Kamak executed one of his favorite skills: complaining.

    ¡°You said this place was supposed to be hidden!¡±

    ¡°It is,¡± the Ghost snapped back. ¡°Though not anymore, now that you¡¯ve opened a direct comm channel. Before that even I didn¡¯t know where you were.¡±

    ¡°Well somebody clearly does!¡±

    ¡°All the drones were non-networked, and had their memories automatically wiped as soon as they were out of sensor range,¡± Ghost said. ¡°The drop was a randomly generated point in deep space. There isn¡¯t a single living or nonliving thing in the known universe that knows where you are.¡±

    ¡°And again, something clearly does!¡±

    Kamak held his datapad out, and Tooley briefly switched the alarm back on. The Ghost got a few earfuls of siren before Tooley shut it down. As annoying as it was, the Ghost was grateful for the valuable insights into the case. Every time he talked with Kamak and his crew, Ghost better understood why Kor wanted to kill them.

    ¡°Yes, clearly we have been outwitted in some other completely unforeseen bullshit manner,¡± Ghost said. ¡°Do you have any idea what¡¯s after you?¡±

    ¡°Not much,¡± Tooley said. The Wild Card Wanderer had top of the line long range scanners, but they could only do so much. ¡°It¡¯s small. Scout craft, or a single-person traveler.¡±

    ¡°So not the ship Kor was seen leaving Earth in,¡± Ghost said. That had been a multi-person cruiser of the same model as the Wanderer, and would have read much larger to the scanners. ¡°Maybe you¡¯re lucky and it¡¯s just some Structuralist finally catching up to you.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I hope so,¡± Tooley said. ¡°I¡¯d love to blow up one of those assholes right now.¡±

    ¡°We shouldn¡¯t take any risks,¡± Corey said. ¡°Kor¡¯s rich enough to own two ships.¡±

    ¡°Corey proves to be the sensible one yet again,¡± Ghost said. ¡°If you start evasive maneuvers now, you should be able to meet escort craft coming the other way before whoever that is catches up to you.¡±

    Tooley¡¯s hands flexed on the controls, and she readied their launch sequence. She¡¯d already calculated their escape vectors (an easy thing to do, in the black void of dead space), and could set them running with the flip of a switch. The switch stayed unflipped.

    ¡°Nah.¡±

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    Instead of starting their engines, Tooley powered on the weapon systems, and cycled their engine power.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got an idea,¡± Tooley said. ¡°I don¡¯t care if it¡¯s a Structuralist or Kor Tekaji or the Seventh High One himself, I can outfly them. In any straight dogfight, I win.¡±

    ¡°Love the confidence,¡± Kamak said. ¡°But what if they don¡¯t take a straight dogfight?¡±

    ¡°Nothing that small is carrying heavy ordinance,¡± Tooley said. ¡°And whoever they are, they probably think we¡¯re damaged. We play into that and bait them right into position.¡±

    Tooley did a quick shuffle and positioned the Wanderer directly on the incoming ship¡¯s trajectory, then cut the propulsion and put them on a gentle drift. She fiddled with the power controls again.

    ¡°When we get visual, I¡¯m going to manually trigger a power surge, make it look like our engine overloaded when I tried to set off too fast,¡± Tooley said. ¡°The ship¡¯ll look dead, but be ready to fly on a moment¡¯s notice.¡±

    ¡°Oh, like that thing you mentioned when we met,¡± Bevo said.

    ¡°Exactly,¡± Tooley said. ¡°We look dead, and our hunter sees easy prey. When he comes in for a strafing run, he¡¯ll come in right along our cannon¡¯s line of fire.¡±

    Tooley traced the blackness of space with her fingers held out like a gun, and pulled the trigger. Kamak was skeptical it would be that simple, but if there was one thing in the universe he was confident of, it was Tooley¡¯s piloting skills. It was her only redeeming quality, after all.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be a little focused on the engine toggling, though, so if someone else could grab the gun¡­¡±

    ¡°Anyone other than Farsus got experience on main guns? No offense, Fars.¡±

    Farsus shrugged, and hurt himself in the process, demonstrating exactly why he could not be a gunner.

    ¡°I got it,¡± Bevo said. ¡°Used to run tail-gunner for my sister.¡±

    ¡°You have a sister?¡±

    ¡°Used to,¡± Bevo said. To Vo promptly tried to disappear.

    ¡°At the risk of being rude,¡± Kamak said, though that had never stopped him. ¡°Were you by any chance tail-gunning for your sister when that ¡®used to¡¯ happened?¡±

    ¡°Nah, Bort¡¯orit insisted on taking it,¡± Bevo said. ¡°Little bastard always was cocky, did you know he-¡±

    ¡°Focus, Bevo,¡± Kamak snapped. She dutifully shut up, took the gunner¡¯s seat, and aimed in the direction Tooley indicated.

    ¡°If they¡¯ve got any sense, they¡¯ll stop outside our effective range,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Wait until they¡¯re close.¡±

    Bevo nodded, and clenched the controls tight. Tooley double-checked her instruments.

    ¡°Should be getting here soon,¡± Tooley said. ¡°One-hundred ticks, or less.¡±

    ¡°Well, this sounds like a valiant last stand,¡± Ghost said. ¡°I¡¯ll send a cleanup crew along with the escort vessels.¡±

    ¡°Great,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Since these might be my last words: thanks for not being as much of an asshole as you could¡¯ve been, Ghost.¡±

    ¡°Same to you,¡± Ghost said, after considerable delay.

    ¡°Thirty ticks,¡± Tooley said.

    ¡°Please spare us the countdown,¡± Kamak said. Tooley obliged. The rest of the wait played out in dead silence, until the vessel on approach slowed and finally came into visual range. On the opposite end of the universe, the Ghost stayed on the line and waited, expecting to hear the sounds of cursing and explosions any second. He ended up waiting a lot more than thirty ticks.

    ¡°Ghost? Still there?¡±

    ¡°Still here, Kamak,¡± Ghost said. To his surprise, Ghost was relieved to hear the voice again. ¡°Should I cancel that cleanup crew, then?¡±

    ¡°No. Send them. Send the escort vessels. Send the entire fucking fleet, everything you got. Now.¡±

    Ghost stared down at his datapad. There was an edge to Kamak¡¯s voice that sent a chill down his spine.

    ¡°What is it? Is it Kor?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s worse,¡± Kamak said, and it baffled them all that it was true. He glared out the cockpit window at the circular vessel slowly rotating in front of them.

    ¡°It¡¯s the Horuk.¡±

 Book 2 Chapter 81: Tick Tock

    Corey stared straight down the barrel of the circular ship. It had two spokes connecting the interior pod to an exterior wheel, like a smaller version of the ¡°Great Wheel¡± ships that had been the vanguard of the Horuk¡¯s attempted invasion. Dozens of ships like this had chased the Hard Luck Hermit with lethal intent during the Morrakesh crisis. Right now, there was only one, slowly rotating in the void ahead of them.

    ¡°We should¡¯ve shot the damn thing out of the black as soon as it showed up,¡± Kamak said.

    ¡°It¡¯s still out of range,¡± Bevo said. ¡°I pull the trigger now, it has all the time it needs to react.¡±

    ¡°Well what about that fake engine trouble thing you were going to do? Lure it in!¡±

    ¡°I got a little distracted when the invading army of horrible arm monsters showed up,¡± Tooley said. ¡°If I tried it now it¡¯d obviously be fake.¡±

    ¡°Well fucking do it anyway,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Or just start running. I don¡¯t want to be here when this thing¡¯s friends show up.¡±

    ¡°Well...it doesn¡¯t have any friends,¡± Tooley said. ¡°Dead space for lightyears around.¡±

    She tapped her monitors, and the blank readouts on every front. There was nothing but void in every direction, with no signs of any approaching vessels.

    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s a straggler from the Battle of the Bang Gate,¡± To Vo suggested. ¡°There could¡¯ve been at least one ship outside the blast zone.¡±

    ¡°And what, it¡¯s been biding its time for two years to catch us alone? That¡¯s- no, yeah, that¡¯s probably what happened,¡± Kamak said. It would fit the tone of their life perfectly. ¡°All the more reason to shoot it now.¡±

    ¡°Wait,¡± Farsus said. ¡°If it¡¯s alone and isolated, this could be an opportunity for us to capture it intact.¡±

    ¡°Now is not the time to satisfy your curiosity, Farsus.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s about more than that,¡± Farsus said. ¡°The universe at large has no idea the breadth of the Horuk empire, their military forces, where in the universe their holdings are located. An intact ship¡¯s computer might have a treasure trove of useful military secrets.¡±

    ¡°Even basic navigational data could paint a picture of their whole empire,¡± Tooley said. Her ship¡¯s logs contained basic maps of all major transit routes through the known universe, and by extension, info on all its major population centers. If the Horuk ship had a similar archive system, they could download a fairly comprehensive map of Horuk-controlled space.

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    ¡°The weapons range thing goes both ways,¡± Bevo said. ¡°As long as we stay this far apart, it can¡¯t really hurt us anymore than we can hurt it. Standoff¡¯s fine.¡±

    ¡°Farsus is right,¡± Ghost chimed in, still speaking out of Kamak¡¯s datapad. ¡°That thing is a treasure trove we need to crack open. Keep it in stalemate as long as possible. If that stalemate breaks, follow your old escape trajectory, it¡¯ll lead you right to our escort ships.¡±

    ¡°And if it tries to kill us?¡±

    ¡°Then try to aim at unimportant things,¡± Ghost said.

    Kamak was about to ask for a definition of ¡°unimportant¡±, but then the beeping started.

    ¡°Burn me, that¡¯s not another proximity alarm, is it?¡±

    ¡°No, that was the screeching noise you heard like a drop ago, Ghosty,¡± Kamak said. ¡°What is that alarm?¡±

    Tooley looked down at her console. She¡¯d actually never heard that chime before.

    ¡°Unrecognized contact attempt,¡± Tooley said, quoting the popup exactly.

    ¡°Cont-¡± Kamak stopped and looked up at the spinning wheel ship. ¡°That thing¡¯s trying to talk to us?¡±

    He put a hand on his hip, where a gun usually would be. He glared at Bevo, who had the actual guns and was still not using them.

    ¡°Well,¡± Doprel said. ¡°Do we want to listen?¡±

    ¡°Any chance this gives us some kind of virus that hijacks our ship remotely?¡±

    ¡°None,¡± Tooley said.

    ¡°Well then,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Shoot them anyway.¡±

    ¡°Stop,¡± Ghost demanded. ¡°At least open the comms channel.¡±

    Tooley figured the spooky government secret agent ranked higher than the local asshole, so she flipped some switches and connected to the unknown channel. The sound system started to play a low, repetitive message.

    ¡°Surrender. Surrender. Surrender.¡±

    After listening to the word repeat a few times, Tooley turned the volume down and let the message loop in the background.

    ¡°Surrender,¡± Doprel said. ¡°Why would it want to surrender?¡±

    ¡°If it really is a leftover from the battle, it¡¯s been stranded for years,¡± To Vo said. ¡°It¡¯s been alone, probably running out of supplies...maybe it just wants help?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s sweet of you, To Vo, but also stupid,¡± Kamak said. ¡°The battle happened way on the other end of the universe. It could¡¯ve flown back to its home galaxy faster than it could¡¯ve flown here. Even if what you said is true, why it would wait this long, and why would it try to surrender to us specifically?¡±

    Kamak pointed a finger at circular ship.

    ¡°This is a fucking trap, and we are currently falling for it,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Shoot the damn thing and let¡¯s get out of here, damn what Ghosty says.¡±

    ¡°You could¡¯ve at least hung up on me before you said that,¡± Ghost sighed.

    ¡°Fuck you,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Are you all insane? Do you guys not remember when we were in Morrakesh¡¯s hangar? One of those fucking things ripped an innocent person to shreds! Ate them, piece by piece.¡±

    Kamak¡¯s stomach turned as he recalled the gruesome sight. The Horuk¡¯s victim had been chosen specifically to resemble Kamak, so the memory had stuck in his mind over the years despite his best efforts to forget. He still had nightmares about it sometimes.

    ¡°They tried to burn down the universe,¡± Kamak said. ¡°They killed Ghul! We¡¯re not talking to them, we¡¯re shooting them! We have enough to fucking deal with without-¡±

    ¡°We need to talk to them,¡± Corey snapped. He¡¯d been staring at the ship long enough that something had finally snapped into place.

    The circular ship had two spokes connecting the interior pod to an exterior wheel. The spokes were at odd angles, and turned slowly as the ship rotated -like the hands of a clock.

    ¡°¡®When the hands of the clock catch up to you, try talking it out¡¯,¡± Corey said. Kamak recalled the words of the AI, and then looked back at the spinning ship.

    ¡°You¡¯ve got to be fucking kidding me.¡±

 Book 2 Chapter 81: One Two

    The threat of the AI retaliating for their disobedience was the only reason Kamak was playing along. They had allowed him to hold his gun, just to make him shut up, as Tooley carried out the docking sequence.

    The Horuk ship had raised no protest as they transmitted docking coordinates, and continued to remain silent as the two ships drifted closer and eventually interlocked via the Wanderer¡¯s docking tube. Tooley held her breath until the seal was confirmed.

    ¡°Scanning,¡± Tooley said. Now that they were in physical conduct, she did a few much more detailed sweeps, just to be safe. ¡°Weapons disarmed. No internal hazards detected...one life sign aboard.¡±

    ¡°One?¡±

    ¡°One,¡± Tooley repeated, after checking for a fourth time.

    ¡°The Horuk usually travel in hordes,¡± Farsus said. ¡°Curious.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re learning all sorts of things,¡± Kamak said. ¡°Like how we¡¯re all about to die.¡±

    Doprel growled at him, and Kamak shut up again. The gun stayed aimed at the boarding tunnel, though, and no one protested that. Everyone else had a weapon on them, and hands drifted closer every time the tunnel made a noise. Corey palmed his stolen lightsaber and started to sweat even without activating the superhot blade. He had taken this blade from the Horuk, and he was starting to worry they might want it back.

    The boarding tunnel echoed with a dull thud as a door on the far side of it opened and shut. A drop of sweat ran down Kamak¡¯s palm as he clenched his gun. Dull clicking noises shuffled up the tunnel, towards them. Nothing came into sight just yet.

    ¡°Crew of Hard Luck Hermit.¡±

    A lifetime of trigger discipline only barely kept Kamak¡¯s hand steady. The raspy, stilted voice was filtered through a translation chip, but Kamak still knew the sound of a Horuk voice.

    ¡°Wild Card Wanderer,¡± Tooley corrected. Kamak tore his eyes away from the tunnel for just a second, to glare at her.

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    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s us,¡± Corey said. ¡°Who are you?¡±

    ¡°It is 846, of caste 1024,¡± the raspy voice said. ¡°It comes unarmed, and fangs turned away, that you know its approach of peace. It asks that your welcome be the same. May 846 make approach?¡±

    Kamak licked dry lips, and his hand shook. Corey took the initiative.

    ¡°You can approach,¡± Corey said. ¡°But if you try anything, make any hostile motions, we are armed and ready to shoot.¡±

    ¡°Your caution is understood and accepted,¡± 846 said. ¡°846 approaches slow.¡±

    True to its word, 846 moved slowly. At first, Kamak could only see a few of the thin appendages that formed its grasping arms, but after a few steps, the circular core came into view, and slowly backed out of the boarding tunnel onto the cargo bay of the Wanderer. Kamak followed its movements every step of the way.

    Farsus kept his eyes locked on the Horuk, but for very different reasons. In spite of the high stakes, he did still retain his curiosity. He hadn¡¯t had many opportunities to examine a living Horuk specimen that wasn¡¯t actively trying to tear his throat out. Watching the hydraulic capillaries flow and flex beneath the Horuk¡¯s carapace was fascinating, even as Farsus kept a hand near his gun. Those throat-ripping attempts hadn¡¯t completely left his mind.

    ¡°846 would turn and face directly,¡± 846 said. ¡°Is it allowed?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re allowed,¡± Corey said.

    The Horuk began to rotate, using the few dozen of its limbs that supported its circular core to spin in place in an unnerving fashion. Kamak¡¯s lips twitched with disgust as 846¡¯s mouth came into view, visibly full of razor-sharp teeth that could all too easily consume living flesh. The mouth was shut for now, and though it was difficult to tell exactly where it was looking, since it had sensory organs on each of its hundreds of limbs, Corey got the feeling it was focused on him. Or maybe just the lightsaber.

    ¡°Alright, 846, you need to tell us why you¡¯re here,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°It is so. But first, query: You are the Corey Vash, yes?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I am,¡± Corey said.

    ¡°Then 846 supplicates before you,¡± 846 said. It held all of its hundreds of arms straight out, like an organic sunburst, and held the pose for several ticks.

    ¡°Uh...Supplicate?¡±

    ¡°Yes. To you it is loyal, and to you it is beheld.¡±

    Corey looked at the alien, still frozen in place, and then took a few quick glances at his friends. They were all just as clueless as he was.

    ¡°You¡¯re loyal to me? Why?¡±

    ¡°Because you have achieved completion of ascension rites of the Ordered Count, and claimed the Heatrazor of the First One.¡±

    Corey took a quick glance at his lightsaber, and then back at 846. The pieces were starting to come together.

    ¡°By ancient stricture, you, Corey Vash, are now One,¡± 846 said. ¡°Leader of all Horuk.¡±