Star Raiders (4 page)

“Then why haven’t they tried to shut us down?”

“As long as you bribed the right officials and hurt no one, I guess they didn’t care about the things you smuggled.” He didn’t mention he’d buried many of the reports he’d seen. “But during one of the recent attacks, slavers abducted a shipload of schoolchildren.”

Shyanne stopped walking and stood with her fists clenched at her sides. “I don’t kidnap children or run slaves.” Her physical reaction told him more than her words.

“One of those children is the six-year-old daughter of a Regalus senator.” An older member of C.O.I.L., Regalus held a seat in the Senate and wielded considerable power. With their home planet situated in a barren region of space surrounded by other longtime C.O.I.L. worlds, Regalus had few colonies and little opportunity to expand. They coveted Earth’s rich mineral resources. If Earth were expel ed from C.O.I.L., Regalus was reputedly prepared and eager to stake a claim. “His screaming was what attracted the Consortium’s attention.” Shyanne started to say something but paused, shrugged, then suggested,

“And like the good little puppet it is, when the Consortium talks, ASP listens and acts.”

Greyson didn’t respond.

She sighed and moved forward. “Two levels of
Independence
are cargo holds. The lower level—where you were—houses the engines, weapons systems and a transport bay. We have four smal er ships for moving cargo on and off planets.
Independence
never goes planet-side.” She stopped in front of an armored door. “This is the bridge.”

He watched as she placed her palm against the ID screen and peered into an eye scanner. The door gave a sharp click but didn’t open. As he stepped forward to give it a push, she stopped him before he could. “There are three levels of security.

Hand.” She held up her palm. “Retinal scan…and voice.” She spoke a phrase in a language he didn’t recognize and his translator chip couldn’t interpret. “Miss the third and try to open the door and you’re incinerated by lasers from six different angles.” She pointed to the front and back, above and below and to either side of the door. “There won’t even be enough left of you to sweep up.” Greyson shivered. “Thanks for the warning. I forgot Kedar wasn’t the trusting sort.”

“He had his reasons,” Shyanne replied, eyeing Greyson coldly. “But this goes far beyond what you think. Even if enemies boarded this craft, once he was on the bridge he could escape. The bridge is a self-contained ship of its own.”

“Did he ever use it?” Greyson asked.

“I don’t know. He never shared that part of his life with me, and Eldin and the others don’t know.”

“Have you used it?”

“No.”

Curiosity made him ask: “How do you know it works?”

“I don’t.”

“Shouldn’t you test it?”

Shyanne smiled and shook her head. “It’s not an easy in-and-out. To launch the bridge as an escape shuttle would tear a hole in
Independence
that would disable her and set off a self-destruct sequence.”

“Oh,” Greyson said. “Wel , that’s one way of defeating would-be boarders.”

“If we need to run, we have four other ships available, remember. Not that we plan on ever doing so.
Independence
is ours, and we’d never give her up without a fight. Now…ready to meet my crew?”

Shy watched with interest as she introduced Greyson to the members of her bridge crew: Eldin, Bear and Terle. Each of the three responded according to his personality.

For the last ten years Eldin had been her mentor, friend and substitute father figure. He’d guided her through those first rough years when she struggled to find a way to survive. Though he’d advised against her smuggling, when she’d insisted he’d taught her everything he knew, which was considerable.

Eldin rarely met a man he didn’t like. Dempster was one exception, and so he smiled and nodded a greeting to Greyson while monitoring for any other ships in the area. After Greyson’s craft slipped up on them without their knowledge, he’d become a bit paranoid. She’d have to let him know about C.O.I.L.’s new stealth technology.

Though Bear’s name fit his hulking form, it didn’t reflect his nature, which was gentle and quiet. He was an island, rarely interacting with anyone. He was born Theodore Berski, and her father had nicknamed him Teddy Bear. As he’d grown in size, only Bear stuck. He grunted now but didn’t look up, lying as he was on the floor beneath a console, busy repairing some ancient wiring. Unless Greyson posed a threat to Shy, the crew or the ship, the man likely wouldn’t even acknowledge him. If Greyson became dangerous…wel , the result would be ugly.

Terle glared at Greyson and then snarled at Shy for bringing him on the bridge.

His wild red hair and green eyes only hinted at the temper she knew the man held in check—most of the time. On occasion rumors of his planet-side drinking, whoring and fighting drifted back to her, but never once in al the years she’d known him had he acted out aboard ship or made a pass at her. He was trustworthy.

Swearing one more time, he swung back to his console.

“Ignore him,” Shy told Greyson. “Terle’s our pilot, but he doesn’t work or play wel with others.”

Eldin let out a bark of laughter.

“Where’s the rest of your crew?” Greyson asked, moving about the bridge.

“Checking us out, jerking viper?” Terle snapped.

ASP personal were both proud and sensitive about snake references. Shy caught her breath at the insult and awaited Greyson’s reaction. Even Eldin went stil and Bear peered out from under the console.

Greyson’s lips thinned but he ignored the slur.

To defuse the tension, Shy said, “The rest of the crew—Damon, Able and Silky—are out on deliveries.”

Greyson continued. “ASP has a proposal to put forth, but it’s for the whole crew, so they should hear it before you al agree.”

“You can wipe your ASP with your fujerk proposal.” Terle gathered his saliva and prepared to spit until Shy caught his eye. He swal owed, shot a crude hand sign at Greyson and hunched once more over his console.

Eldin leaned back, crossed his arms over his thin chest and gave Greyson an appraising look. “Now, just what kind of proposal would ASP have for the likes of us?”

Greyson met the older man’s eyes. “A ful pardon for al crimes past and present against ASP, ELF and C.O.I.L.”

Eldin straightened in surprise, his arms dropping to his sides. “And who do we have to kil for this boon?”

Greyson shook his head and grinned at Eldin’s response. “No one.”

“What makes those jack-offs think we want their slimy pardon?” Terle snarled.

“They can take it and—”

“Speak for yourself, ass-wipe,” Eldin snapped. “Some of us are getting on in years, are tired of running and always having to watch our backsides. Let the man talk.”

Bear crawled out from under the console and crouched near Shy’s feet to listen as Greyson explained the proposition. Eldin stroked his chin and regarded Greyson thoughtful y.

“Sounds fair for as far as it goes,” the old man admitted. “But if we stop our smuggling operation, what does ASP suggest we live on? Despite what they believe, our profits are smal . The thought of giving up the criminal life is attractive, but I for one don’t relish the idea of living in poverty. Even without ASP’s gracious offer, if we had the means we long ago would have found a place to retire and live out our lives.”

Eldin was right. Though they had a place to go, that place relied on them for supplies to survive and none of them had enough put aside to provide those supplies; they needed to continue smuggling. It cost a lot of credits to maintain
Independence
, its shuttles and the home she kept for Rian, not to mention the more charitable activities she and her crew undertook. While she and Damon were stil young enough to start new lives, what would happen to Eldin, Bear, Terle, Able and Silky? Their ages and criminal pasts, as wel as some of their physical peculiarities, would make it difficult for them to fit into any normal law-abiding, human community or lifestyle.

Perhaps she could sel
Independence
. No. Sel ing the ship was out of the question. It was her home and her last tie to Kedar. She knew every inch of the old girl. Losing her just wasn’t an option.

Greyson turned as Terle faced him. A shrewd gleam had replaced the anger in his eyes, and the man said, “Even if we agree to help ASP bring Dempster down—

which I’m not saying isn’t a good idea; the man’s scum—we’l be risking everything we have. A pardon isn’t enough to make it worth our while. We’d be agreeing to give up our livelihood.”

Greyson nodded. “There’s a substantial reward for the capture of the pirate responsible for the attacks in Consortium space. I imagine that wil help you al resettle in more…legitimate careers.” The reward was real; he just didn’t add it was posted for Shyanne rather than Dempster. They probably already knew about the price on her head.

Eldin asked, “What do you think, Shy?”

Greyson saw the respect in the old man’s eyes, and the other two men also as they looked to Shyanne for guidance. Even Terle, despite his macho attitude, waited before saying anything else.

“It’s something to consider, but as Greyson suggested, we need to discuss it with the others before we come to a decision. That’s only fair. When are they due back?”

“Able and Silky should be coming in anytime. Da-mon’s scheduled to rendezvous with us tomorrow,” Eldin answered.

“Good. We’l convene then and decide. In the meantime, I’l get our guest settled.” She faced Greyson. “Come on. I’l show you to your quarters.”

“The brig is nice and comfy,” Terle muttered.

Greyson fol owed Shyanne off the bridge. The door slid shut behind them with a solid thunk, cutting off Eldin’s chuckle, and the pair walked silently down the corridor and into the lift. The door closed and they were sealed inside.

What happened next came as a surprise. With a muffled thump, the lift jolted, dropped, then jerked to a halt. Thrown off balance, Greyson staggered. His right shoulder rammed painful y into the wal and Shyanne fel against him. Instinctively he wrapped his arms around her, to keep her from fal ing, as a series of what sounded and felt like explosions rocked the ship. The lights flickered and went out, leaving them in complete darkness.

For a few seconds Shyanne didn’t react. Her back pressed against Greyson from shoulder to hip. He could feel the rapid thud of her heart beneath his palm.

When the emergency lights kicked in, washing the smal lift in a ghostly reddish hue, she straightened away from him and touched her fingertip to her left temple, where a communication chip was embedded. A moment later she said, “Damn.

Com system is down.”

Greyson’s arms felt empty without her. “What happened?” Busy with the lift control panel, she didn’t look at him. “I don’t know.

Independence
is old. Sometimes bits of her electrical system short out, but…I don’t think that’s what happened this time. Those felt like explosions. We’re under attack.” She turned to him, calm as could be, and pointed toward an access panel at the top of the lift. “The controls are fried. Give me a boost up.”

“Let me go first. I don’t think you’l be able to lift me out.”

“Maybe that was the plan.” In the glow of the red light, her grin was wicked.

Then she put her hands together, and he put his foot into her cupped palms.

“Not much of a plan,” he muttered. “Even without your help I could get out of this box.”

The access panel slid aside in a shower of rust. Coughing, Greyson pul ed himself through the narrow opening and up into the dark shaft beyond; the dim emergency lights from the lift barely penetrated. Fortunately the ship was only four decks high, and the lift seemed to be stuck halfway down, so they didn’t have far to climb.

“Not if I blocked the access panel from the outside,” she cal ed up, continuing the joke.

“Good thing I went first, then.” He lay across the roof of the lift, leaned his head through the opening and reached down. “Give me your hand.” Her fingers felt cool and slim, her grip firm. His injured shoulder protested as he hauled her up.

“Where to?” he asked.

“Fol ow me.” Without hesitation she scrambled up a flimsy-looking ladder almost invisible against the wal of the shaft. Greyson eyed the thin space between the lift and the shaft wal and hoped the power didn’t decide to kick in. If it did, they’d end up a lot thinner.

Decades of dust and grease coated the wal s of the shaft and the rungs of the ladder. Where in the vacuum of space had it al come from? His heavy gravity boots gripped the metal, but he could see Shyanne struggling to maintain her hold and balance with her soft-soled ship boots.

Twenty feet above the lift they reached the end of the ladder. Standing on the top rung, she reached up to pry open the outer lift doors. Her feet slipped. One foot slammed into Greyson’s cheek. The other hit his injured shoulder. The impact knocked his hand loose and jarred his feet off the ladder. He dangled by his left arm.

At the same time, Shyanne scrambled to regain her balance. Trying to grab the ladder, she couldn’t get a solid hold on the slick rungs. With a strangled scream, she fel . Greyson’s heart lurched as she went past. In a moment of terror, his arm flashed out and grabbed the back of her shirt. She jolted to a stop. Pain shot up his arm. He gritted his teeth and swung her toward the wal .

“You can let go. I’ve got the ladder again,” she said. “Thanks.” Her head pressed against the side of his hip, she guided his feet back to the ladder. He unclenched his fingers from the back of her shirt, but when he tried to raise his arm to grip the ladder again, his vision started to go black. He leaned his head against the top rung and fought to remain conscious.

“Are you al right?” Shyanne asked.

“I think I dislocated my shoulder. You need to climb back up around me and try again to open the doors.”

She didn’t argue. Slipping up past him, she brushed against his injured arm. He bit his lip to keep from groaning.

Though he could only grip the ladder with his left hand, he moved up behind her so his chest pressed against her hips; maybe that would keep her more secure as she pried at the doors. Her tremors echoed his own. His heart raced at the thought of what had almost happened. The fal might not have kil ed her, but landing across the lift support beams would have broken her body.