Gunship (16 page)

“Name’s Marek. Metalworker first class, and I’ve been assigned to oversee your ship, Captain.” Marek wore gray coveralls and had dark hair and olive skin smudged with grease. He waved her over to the starboard side and started to talk again.

“Not much we can do in a case like this. Incredible you even landed her. What probably saved her was these patches your man did here. Otherwise would’ve come apart on reentry, and you’d all be ash floating down on us right now. Can’t say I’ve seen a thing like it in a while. What’d ya hit?”

Reilly smiled “I didn’t hit anything. Those are laser scores.”

Marek looked again, more closely. “Huh. Never seen a laser cut that deep before. Must’ve been pretty close or pretty focused. Either way, she ain’t gonna fly again, at least not unless you plan on retiring and doing the milk runs?”

Reilly shook her head. “Not likely. I’d die of boredom during the first one.”

Marek nodded. “Thought you might say that. I got you a contact. He sells ships over the opposite side of the yard; got one I think might suit you. I work with them all, so I can tell you he’s the best dealer we got and he’s fair. He says it’s got it, then it does, and he won’t bullshit you. Doesn’t hurt that he’s family, either.” He grinned, showing very white teeth, as he handed her a business card for Cirrus Ship Sellers.

Reilly took the card, read the info on it, and then reached for her handheld to give Marek a tip, but he stepped back.

“No, ma’am. That’s on me. I owe your man Ty for a few favors he done me in the service and a few bullets he took in my stead. You tell him I said thanks and I’ll be around for a drink later if he’s down at the Iron BAR with you.”

Marek waved once and walked back to another ship, hollering out something to the work crew as he went. Reilly watched him go. It was apparent he was well liked and respected by the way the other metalworkers spoke to him and listened to what he had to say. She looked back over at the hunk of metal that was her ship. She had only managed to get four years out of it, which wasn’t a good sign. There was no way she could afford to keep replacing ships that often, unless she kept getting windfall jobs like Vervian to come up. Then it was still a gamble that would pit her life and her crew’s against retrieving something that might or might not bring them a small fortune. She headed towards the back of the ship and paused to check in on the space cows.

A small pen had been erected by the locals after the miracle landing, and the cows stood contentedly chewing hay and watching the people around the ship. She patted the brown one on the nose, then scratched it behind the ear before walking into the remains of the ship. As Reilly entered the cargo bay, she was surprised to see Skeeter there, hauling a couple boxes down the steps.

“Seth! What are you doing here?”

Skeeter grinned back at her brightly. “I figured I could get in early and start packing up our rooms and some of the small stuff, you know, for storage. Sergeant Ty’s up in his room now packing up his guns and tac-gear. We got a man coming to pick it up in a little bit and carry it over to one of the ISU lockers to hold it until you get us a new ship.”

Just then, Ty came down the catwalk pulling a large black cargo crate on wheels while wearing a full combat pack stuffed with gear. He let the box clank down the steps behind him until it came to rest at the bottom in front of Reilly while he paused to wipe the sweat out of his eyes. A large stack of crates and boxes waiting at the back of the bay indicated that he had been busy for the last hour packing and moving gear down for transport.

“I just ran into your mechanic friend Marek. He tells me he has someone who might be able to help us with a ship,” Reilly relayed to Ty.

“Marek’s good people. We served together on more than a few hairy ops. One of the best mechanics I know, and also a pretty damn good gunner. He might be interested in one of the crew slots.”

Reilly took this detail in. “He mentioned meeting up with you later at the Iron BAR. Commander Zain will be there at nine. Don’t be late, I want us both there to hear what he’s got to say. How are you doing with the merchandise?”

“Already caught up with the traders to have them come out and take a look at what we’ve got for sale.” He gestured toward a bunch of military crates off to the far side of the bay. “Should be able to get a good price and get most of it moved out today. I got a buyer for the cows, too, a couple with a small farm outside of town. He’ll pick them up this afternoon. Chang is downtown doing the supply run for me—we decided to split chores—thought it might be a safer bet to minimize our time here, considering the warning. The specialized items I’ll move with Chang when he gets back from town. The Commander offered us a couple of secure lockers to store everything in for now. He came out this morning to see the ship you and Duv landed. He told me and the kid here he figured he had to since the whole town was telling him how you both did a perfect square down with the entire starboard side on fire and falling off!”

Reilly helped Ty and Seth as they loaded the crew’s personal gear on a loaner TORR that Ty had borrowed that morning. “So Duv is in town, then, looking for potential crew members?” she asked as she set some boxes on top of the cargo crate.

Ty guffawed. “Oh yeah! And he’s recruited exactly one so far! From what I could hear last night, she’s a real—Ow! What’d you do that for?”

Reilly had jabbed him sharply with her elbow in his still-sore ribs. Seth was looking at both of them expectantly. “So Duv found us a new crew member? What’s her specialty?”

Ty started to grin again just as Reilly brought her elbow back into his stomach, causing him to release a whoosh of air. He stood back up a moment later, holding his gut as she eyeballed him severely.

“What? I didn’t—”

“Ty. Don’t speak.”

“But—”

“Not a word. Seth, your dad is interviewing a lot of people right now with all different kinds of experience”—she cast another warning look at Ty, who was still grinning—“but it’s important for you to understand that—”

“A man has needs,” Ty interjected. “And sometimes when you’ve been out in space for a while—”

Thankfully, at that moment Chang drove up with Maude, drowning out Ty’s attempt at a fatherly explanation on sex to their youngest crew member. Reilly rolled her eyes as he cut the engine and stepped behind Seth towards Chang, making the “cut it out” sign across her throat. Ty’s eyes went wide with mock understanding, then he gave her the thumbs-up and nodded. Chang, never one to miss anything, noticed the signing and looked suspiciously at all of them.

“What’s going on?”

“Ty was just telling me how he wanted to help you offload some of those supplies so he could go back into town and see how Duv was doing with his recruiting,” Reilly said pointedly. “And how he would enjoy doing it in silence as he contemplated the very real possibility of my fist connecting with his face if he speaks again before Seth and I leave to go look at some new ships.” Ty, after opening his mouth briefly, decided to shut it at once. But he continued to wear a wicked grin.

Chang nodded sagely. “We will both go to see how Duv’s, um,
recruiting
is going, and we will have him report back to you on his, uh, status, Captain.”

Reilly tugged on Seth’s arm, leading him out of the bay. Her ploy to distract him had worked, and he was excitedly chattering on about different types of gunships, the new crew member forgotten, as they walked towards the ship yards.

Once they were certain the Captain and Skeeter were well out of range, Chang and Ty began to laugh raucously as Ty started to recount the discussion. “So then the kid asks me what her specialty is!”—and the two men roared again with laughter. At that moment, a well-rested and somewhat smug-looking Duv sauntered into the cargo bay.

“Well! Look what the cat dragged in!” said Ty.

“Or maybe the cat threw him out!” said Chang, straight-faced, before they both cracked up again.

“So? How was your evening with Hannah?” Ty asked, still grinning wickedly as he began to load his crates on Maude with Duv and Chang.

“It’s Holly, and it was…very nice,” Duv managed with an awkward grin.

“Very nice? That’s not how I would describe it, based on the noise coming through my ceiling. You’d better watch out. After a night like that, I’ll bet she starts showing up here all the time and stalking you at the Iron BAR, around the town, interfering with work. Then she’ll start doing that girl thing with the crying and the sulking when you tell her to bug off. The Captain hates it when personal business interferes with work, especially whiny women!” Ty finished up with a wink, slinging another crate over the side.

Duv paused for a moment, gave them both a pitying look, then leaned in and with a grin told them, “No strings. She told me herself.” Then he hefted another crate up and walked to the TORR while the two of them stared at each other in amazement.

“Does she have any friends?” Ty called out after him.

—————

Reilly and Skeeter arrived at the shipyard gates and began to look for Cirrus Ship Sellers. Halfway down the multiple-football-fields-long walkway, they found a sign pointing them back towards a dubious-looking building that was supposed to be Cirrus Sales Headquarters. Reilly pushed open the door with Skeeter on her heels and looked around. Stale coffee and old papers dominated the desk, along with a cigarette-filled ashtray. A small sign said “Ring Bell for Service,” so she did. Finally, after a few more jangles, a wiry old man in coveralls poked his head in from the side hallway.

“Can I help you?” he asked, waving a greasy wrench.

Reilly looked at him skeptically, then figured
what the heck
. “Yeah, I’m looking for Leeroy. Marek sent me over to take a look at some ships—”

The man disappeared without a sound. Reilly, baffled, looked at Skeeter, who shrugged. She rang the bell a few more times with no result. They had just turned for the door when the same man walked back out, now wearing black pants and a white shirt while pulling on a pair of black loafers.

“It’s Lee Roy. Lee-Roy, first name, last name, not all together. You can just call me Lee.” He handed Reilly a card and extended his hand, waiting.

She ignored it, looked at the card, and then flipped it back on the desk. “Reilly Campbell. And I’m not sure you are going to be able to help us, since all I’m seeing out back is a bunch of milk runners.” She waved towards the window where the transports sat complacently on their concrete pads like cattle in a field.

“The Reilly Campbell? Captain Reilly Campbell? In my shipyard? Incredible! I am such a huge fan—you are like a living legend—well, I mean, you are a legend and you are living so living legend fits…” Lee Roy continued on his rampaging monologue a few moments more until Reilly lost patience and pushed Skeeter towards the door.

“No! Wait, wait, wait! I have some of the best gunships in this solar system or any of the nearest three, and I am betting I have something that will work for what you need. Just follow me out back here… …Right back around here…” he waved them both out into the yard, Reilly following reluctantly only after Seth enthusiastically tugged her out the door. Lee Roy began to thread his way through the huge transports towards the back pads while hopping on one foot and messing with the heel of his loafer. “I keep ’em locked down back here ’cause the damn kids are always getting around them and trying to break in to play pilot…no offense, kid,” Lee remarked to Skeeter, who was lost in his own world as he gazed up at all of the ships. “But I have the best stock around, just you look!” He pointed to the area in front of them.

“Cool!” Skeeter breathed in awe. Reilly, initially skeptical, also took a breath. Marek was right. Lee Roy might be slightly off, but he sure knew his ships. She walked forward towards the first two gunships, looking at them with a critical eye as Lee Roy began to rattle off the specifics on each one. As she moved through them, the prices went up, but so did the capabilities. Some of the gear was the latest stuff, found only on actual ISU gunships. Reilly didn’t comment on this or ask how Lee Roy came to acquire them, but she was impressed. Her opinion of Marek also increased. As they were rounding the last gunship, the most capable one yet and a sleek, fast ship that Reilly liked, Lee Roy’s sales pitch was interrupted by an exuberant Skeeter, who skidded around the front end of the ship waving like a madman at Reilly.

“No way! It’s your gunship, Captain—you gotta see it!” he gasped and then tore off again.

Reilly raised an eyebrow curiously and looked at Lee Roy, who smiled sheepishly. “What can I say? Your kid’s got good taste.”

“My gunship, huh? Well, let’s see it, then.” She walked towards the back of the ship she had been looking at. Reilly turned the corner. An all-black gunship sat parked on the pad by itself.

“There is no way…” Reilly walked slowly towards it, not believing her eyes. It was a Dark Angel-model gunship with rotating Bofors laser turrets, stealth armor plating, and twin rail guns with high-speed accumulators.

“Where…how…did you get this?” she asked in amazement as she walked up to the ship and touched the side to make sure it was real, and then again like she was meeting an old friend she hadn’t seen in a long time. “It does look just like my old ship from my time in the ISUs…but there’s no way. I lost her years ago.”

Lee Roy stood back, smiling, taking it all in. “Oh, it’s her all right. Let’s just say she turned up a few solar systems away in rough shape, so I bought her cheap and then got her tuned up a bit. She’ll blast past all of the latest ISU Dark Angels out there. Marek helped me put her together, and once we got her squared away, I was planning on keeping her. I wasn’t figuring on actually ever meeting you, so this was a sort of family project for us and a way to keep some of the old ISU history alive. I served myself back in the day, on one just like her. I was the mechanic and a gunner’s mate. That was quite a while ago.”

Reilly still looked skeptical. This gunship was in beautiful condition. The last time she had seen her old ship was when they were being evacuated off the planet after they had been shot down by an X93 battery. A gaping hole had been torn in the side, the protective stealth armor scattered around the crash site where they had held off a rebel group until reinforcements had arrived. She had placed the charges herself to blow up any sensitive electronics on board and had watched the detonations from the air as they left.