Read The Catalyst (Targon Tales) Online

Authors: Chris Reher

Tags: #rebels, #interplanetary, #space opera, #military sci-fi, #romance, #science fiction, #sci-fi

The Catalyst (Targon Tales) (9 page)

BOOK: The Catalyst (Targon Tales)
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She moved toward the voices and soon entered a brightly-lit commons room where a half dozen pilots lounged around a game board, sipping contraband liquor, shouting over each other in their endless teasing and quips at each others' expense. A few others shared a meal at a nearby table. Two Delphians, bent over a computer screen, ignored everyone else. She approached the diners.

"At ease, soldiers," she joked. Although she outranked two of them, her lack of insignia was terribly inconvenient at this point.

They looked up when she spoke. "Where do you belong?" a young Centauri said when he did not recognize her.  He smirked. "You can stay, though, if you’re nice."

"The girl thinks she’s a Caspian," a Human beside him said. "Where are your shoes?"

"Long story.” Nova said. "And not very interesting. I'm looking for someone. Sethran. Tall Centauri. Scar over one eye. Longish hair."

"Oh, the Dutchman. Not seen him in a while. Was here earlier."

"Probably in the baths," another Lieutenant said. "Those Centauri are part fish."

The Centauri Corporal flapped his hands around her head. "Feel the slap of my fins, Human!"

Nova smiled and left them to go back out into the hall. She passed a few empty equipment rooms and the showers before turning around again. She was not eager to comb through the dorms for Seth and decided to wait by the Dutchman for his return.

"Hey!" she cried out when a strong hand clasped her arm and yanked her into one of the rooms lining the hallway. She found herself in a uniform locker, looking up at Seth.

"What are you doing down here?" He did not seem especially pleased to see her. He, like the others here, wore combat trousers, boots and a grey sleeveless shirt in spite of the cool air. And, unlike her, he seemed to fit well into this environment. Proving the pilot in the lounge correct, his hair was wet from a recent shower and a towel was slung around his neck. "Why did you leave the hospital?"

"They didn’t want me there any more, believe me."

"You're shivering. That better just be because of the cold, not because you’re sick." He motioned her to sit down to get her feet off the chilly floor. He straddled the bench beside her. "What did they find?"

"More than squid spit! There’s a dead wanna-be nurse in my room who made it pretty clear that some folks want me gone."

"What happened!” he exclaimed, alarmed.

She told him in broad strokes about the diagnosis and the subsequent attack.

He listened with a furrowed brow. "Was the guy military?"

"Don’t know. Had some physical training. Talked too much, though."

"Kada!" someone called from the hall.

Seth stood up when a pilot poked his head into the room. "There you are. Some to-do going on above," the Sergeant said, regarding Nova curiously. "Some pilot’s gone AWOL and they think she'll try to stow away and why am I not surprised to see you with her?"

Seth winked at Nova. "What else are they saying?"

"Not a thing, but Francis is monitoring. Sounds like they’re awfully interested in finding her. They’ll be all over us here before too long."

"I’m sure they’re looking for someone else," Seth said. "This is my cousin."

Nova grimaced. "Funny guy." She stood up and followed Seth into the parking hall along rows of shuttles, cruisers and a few private planes to the Dutchman. He let her into the ship and locked the door behind her.

Not much later the Sergeant arrived with two other pilots and a few boxes. One of them opened a portside access panel on the ship parked beside the Dutchman and quickly withdrew one of the outboard gun assemblies. He and one of the others began to tinker with it while the third pilot stood nearby with the sort of sage advice usually offered by those not actually involved in the repair. Seth slouched on one of the boxes and sorted through some tools.

By the time the heavily-armed search detail appeared parts of the gun assembly lay scattered over a tarp at Seth's feet. The pilots maintained the arrogance usually displayed by airmen when in the company of ground crew and barely acknowledged the new arrivals.

"Evening," Seth said finally, busy with a caliper.

"Up a little late?" the guardsman asked.

"Is it?" one of Seth’s companions asked. "I'm still on Feyd time. Could be next week for all I know."

"You flyboys haven't seen a female in hospital clothes hanging around, have you?" The group leader was directing his inquiry directly at Seth. "For example, the one you brought onto the base yesterday?"

Seth shrugged. "Haven't seen her." He held a supply tube up for the guard's inspection. "What would you make of this, Sarge? Replace or repair?"

"You don't wonder why I'm looking for her?"

"If you need to find women in hospitals, then that's hardly my concern. I've had luck in the pilot ready room, personally." He smirked at the others. "Always someone ready in there."

The guard glowered and raised his voice over the rude laughter that followed Seth's remark. "So you don't mind if we had a look around your ship, then?"

"Yes, I mind, but I don’t suppose I have a choice, do I?" Seth stood up and walked to the Dutchman where he placed his hand on its key plate. He returned to his seat without waiting for the gate to lower. "I'm so glad I tidied up in there," he said to the pilots. "Never know when company is coming."

The others laughed and returned to their tinkering.

 

* * *

 Nova huddled in the airless plenum above the Dutchman's cargo hold, listening to the sound of footsteps below. She heard the ship's bay door lift and then thump into place. After a moment a crack of light appeared on the floor as one of the tiles was lifted from below and pushed aside.

"Would you like to come down now?"

She slid to the opening and peered down at Seth. He held his arms up. She dangled her feet and let herself drop the short distance. He caught her, not without a smirk as she slid along his body before he lowered her to the floor. He held her for a moment longer than was absolutely necessary before releasing her.

He followed her into the cabin. "I think you still have some clothes here," he said. "The stuff from Aikhor."

Nova went into the crew cabin to remove the stolen flight suit. When she returned she was wearing one of his shirts. He raised an eyebrow. She shivered and pulled the sleeves over her hands even though the temperature in the Dutchman was at a comfortable level.

"Are you all right?"

She dropped into one of the low, comfortable chairs and drew her legs up onto it. "I don't know. Been one hell of a day."

"At the very least. Want some tea? Something a little stronger?"

"No, thanks. That was frightening up there." She pointed toward the ceiling. “Why did their scanners not see me?"

"Dusted with an interesting mix of ordium and phenol. Confuses most measurements. Let me know if you get a rash."

"So you smuggle people, too?"

"Sometimes."

"Wonderful.” She wrapped her arms around her knees. "I wish I knew what the hell is going on! Nothing is making any sense."

"Are you sure that nurse you killed was a rebel?"

She lifted her head. "He wasn't there to take my temperature! Said something about someone named Pe Khoja sending him. From Magra. And a Colonel."

He smiled grimly. "You are in terrible trouble."

"I kind of noticed that, Seth!" she exclaimed. "What's going on? What does that Pe Khoja want from me? And if you say 'classified' I am going to kick you in the shin next time I have boots on!"

He hesitated a moment. "Pe Khoja hired us to take the box and get rid of your squad. He's obviously trying to finish the job. He is one of Tharron’s people."

"I had assumed that Shri-Lan were involved in this. One of your friends?"

"I wouldn’t say so. That medic mentioned a Colonel?"

"Didn’t say which one. Just said that the Colonel made sure that no one would help me here. Something like that.”

He nodded. "I was wondering why Carras was so interested in you."

"What do you mean?” she said. “You’re not suggesting that he was talking about Colonel Carras!"

"I am. He’s the only Colonel stationed on Targon right now, mostly because of the Vanguard. The General runs the show here."

She jumped out of her chair. "That is absurd! Carras? That’s just crazy. From what I’ve heard of him, he is a top-notch officer. Someone like that would rather chew glass than deal with rebels."

He grasped her arm and whipped her around to face him before she had time to react. His fingers dug into her skin. "Flyboys turn into rebels and Colonels into traitors. Stop pretending that it isn’t so! Take your uniform off once in a while and see the world, Nova! Those people tried to murder you today!"

She looked up into eyes that seemed to reflect every bit of light to burn into hers. There was none of his careless humor left in his expression. His patience had ended and there was no room for insolence and mockery. What she saw was a man who was desperately afraid for her life.

"I think I’ve been bruised up enough for one day," she said quietly.

He drew back and released her arms. "Sorry." He sighed. "Sorry. I just don't understand why you're so damn stubborn. You’re acting like a first-year greenie. You know what goes on where people aren’t looking. Why not here on Targon?"

"I'm AWOL, someone is trying to kill me and you just accused a high-ranking Union officer of treason. Probably the most important special ops officer in all of Trans-Targon. Can I please be upset about all that?"

"Think about it! Who knew you were coming here?"

Nova sank back into her chair, her eyes focused on nothing while she tried to make sense of his accusation. "I sent a message to my CO when we were on Aikhor that I was going to try to get to Targon. She would have let them know that I was coming here. And probably what assignment I was on."

"And why would Carras care about a pilot that got stung by some xeno? That’s what the doctors are for. And why would he be interested in some bit of piracy going on way past Zera? Happens every day out there. But alarm bells ring when the
Dyona
gets mentioned and he’s practically sitting in your lap when you get here."

"But why?"

"That tank you were guarding seems to be worth an awful lot to someone," he said. "And now you are, too."

"And preferably dead."

"You have more to be upset about, while you're counting."

"Do tell."

"The nurse. You took his gun. And his key. And left him in your room. Dead."

"Wasn't going to ask him to dance."

"You're not just AWOL. You're a murderer. They’ll have more urgent reasons than desertion to launch a manhunt. Womanhunt."

"You're not funny. He was trying to kill me!"

"Yes, but only you know that."

"Don't be absurd. Clearly..."

He waited.

"Well, they must know that... They'd know he doesn't belong there. Probably not even on the duty roster."

"It's a military hospital. Of course he would be."

"I'd have no reason to kill anyone in that place. I didn’t even mean to kill him. He should have stayed down." She rubbed both of her hands over her face in a tired gesture. "I have to get to the General."

"And how would you to that? Knock on his bedroom door? You don’t know who you can trust now. I think you should try to get a message to your father. Old Colonel Ironballs isn’t going to let them play rough with this only begotten."

"No."

"What? Nova, there isn’t anyone else right now that you can turn to."

"This matter is classified,” she said. "I am not prepared to accept that Carras is compromised. I know you think I’m naive, but it just doesn’t sit right with me. There is obviously far more to this than he would tell some Lieutenant he doesn’t know. Who am I to question his orders?"

"You’d risk your life over that? You’d rather play soldier?"

"I am a soldier!" she snapped. After a moment her expression shifted to one of embarrassment. "Well, and we had a fight."

"What about?"

"He said I had no regard for the chain of command." She slapped his arm when she saw the expression on his face. "Don’t you laugh at me, Kada! I kinda went over someone’s head on Bellac. It didn’t go well. If I went to him now he would just order me to turn myself in to Carras. Not because he’s my father but because he’s a superior officer."

He sighed and looked around the cabin as if to find inspiration written on the bulkheads. "You have to leave this place, then. Get away until you can sort this out."

"How? I’ll never get on a commuter now. Not with them looking for me. I don’t know anybody here. There is no one I can trust." She suddenly felt tears burn in the back of her throat and bit them back. The tension of this past hour was turning into fatigue. "Except you."

"Yes, about as far as you can throw me if I recall your current opinion of me." He ran his hands through his hair. "I need to know if
I
can trust
you
."

"Me?"

"Yes, Lieutenant," he said pointedly. "You know what I am. What I do. If I help you, can you leave the insignia behind?"

"I'm going AWOL, am I not?"

"True. We'll leave in the morning."

"Let's go now! I don't want to be here."

"That'll raise a flag. Technically, you’re not AWOL for a few more hours." He took her hands to pull her to her feet and nudged her toward the lounger cubby tucked among the storage compartment and access panels in side of the cabin. "Come, lie down. You're exhausted."

She stiffened when he sat down on the daybed with her.

"You can trust me a little more," he said. "It’s late. Just sleep a while. We're out of here in the morning."

Nova had to admit to herself, if not to him, that she so very much needed what he offered. Did he really know her so well? She put up only a token resistance when he pulled her down to lie beside him and wrapped her into a loose embrace. Basking in the warm comfort and sure safety of his presence, she sighed deeply. "Where are we going to go?"

"To see some rebels about a squid."

Chapter Six

BOOK: The Catalyst (Targon Tales)
6.52Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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