fear.
“Maicee, listen carefully.”
He looked up, but no one else had heard the voice. It was in his head. But it was familiar. It sounded an awful lot like Kabi.
“This is a trap. There was an ambush waiting for us here. You need to get the Freedom to safety fast. Save yourself. You are in danger.”
“It's a trap,” Maicee blurted out.
Niku stared at him, and he grabbed Falorni by the arms, turning her towards him.
“It's a trap. We need to get out of here. Now.”
Falorni looked at the young doctor, his face white with shock, his eyes darting around the bridge. “Are you sure?” she asked uncertainly, not knowing quite what had changed in the last second or so to make Maicee look so panicked.
“Certain.”
Falorni shook her head. “I can't do that. I can't move the ship without an order from the captain or from the first mate. The decision isn't mine to make, Maicee.”
His hands gripped her more tightly. “We don't have time. We can't wait. We need to leave now. Right now.”
“Without Lucia or Bettie, I can't...”
But even as she spoke, the bridge door slid open, emitting a short, stocky woman.
“Bettie, thank the Gods you're back,” said Falorni, obviously relieved.
The short woman gave a cheeky grin. “Glad to know you missed me so much.” She walked over to Maicee, who had let go of the ship's medic. “Bettie, first officer of the Freedom . Sorry I wasn't here to greet you when you came aboard,” she said, offering her hand.
“There's no time for introductions,” Maicee said, though he took her hand out of habit before realising what he'd done and letting it drop. “We need to get out of here. We have to move the Freedom .”
Bettie frowned. “Why, what's the matter?” she asked, her suspicions heightened by the nervous young man in front of her.
“It's a trap. The captain and the others have been ambushed. We need to move out in case someone reveals our position.”
The first officer reached into her robe and pulled out a dagger, pointing its lethal sharpness at Maicee's throat, though she noticed that the man didn't flinch. “Are you a spy?” she said sharply. “How do you know all this?”
“Kabi told me,” Maicee said, trying not to swallow in case the point of the knife hit him as he did so.
“Did you hear this communication?” Bettie asked, keeping the dagger level but turning to Falorni.
“No, ma'am,” the young medic said, quietly but definitely.
“I don't know how to convince you, but it's true,” said Maicee, getting desperate.
Bettie saw the true fear in his eyes and began lowering the dagger.
“I heard it too,” squeaked Niku from the control console. “I did, and it was Kabi. He can, he knows, he can talk into my head if he needs to,” the Chamonkey stuttered.
The first officer shook her head and sank into the captain's chair, dagger hanging from her hand. “A talking Chamonkey and a psychic message,” she said slowly. “And just what, pray tell, makes you think that I'm going to believe either one of you?”
“Because your captain's in danger. As are we if we don't get this ship moved,” Maicee said, more confident now that there wasn't a knife at his throat.
“And because moving the ship wouldn't do any harm,” Falorni added quietly. “If he's right, we avoid the trap. If he's wrong...” She shrugged. “We have lost nothing.”
Bettie bit her lip, thinking, then nodded sharply. Getting up, she studied the tactical overlay column and pointed to a place on the map.
“Bear sharp to starboard. Leave green marker nine, twenty to fifty yards to port,” she ordered. “We'll hide the ship here.”
Kate, the quiet navigator on the far side of the bridge, keyed in an authorisation code. “Prepare for launch,” she announced over the ship's com.
But the Freedom simply shuddered, then stalled. A high-pitched beeping sound began.
“Ship reports engine error,” said Kate, not turning from her screen. She keyed something into the
“Maicee, listen carefully.”
He looked up, but no one else had heard the voice. It was in his head. But it was familiar. It sounded an awful lot like Kabi.
“This is a trap. There was an ambush waiting for us here. You need to get the Freedom to safety fast. Save yourself. You are in danger.”
“It's a trap,” Maicee blurted out.
Niku stared at him, and he grabbed Falorni by the arms, turning her towards him.
“It's a trap. We need to get out of here. Now.”
Falorni looked at the young doctor, his face white with shock, his eyes darting around the bridge. “Are you sure?” she asked uncertainly, not knowing quite what had changed in the last second or so to make Maicee look so panicked.
“Certain.”
Falorni shook her head. “I can't do that. I can't move the ship without an order from the captain or from the first mate. The decision isn't mine to make, Maicee.”
His hands gripped her more tightly. “We don't have time. We can't wait. We need to leave now. Right now.”
“Without Lucia or Bettie, I can't...”
But even as she spoke, the bridge door slid open, emitting a short, stocky woman.
“Bettie, thank the Gods you're back,” said Falorni, obviously relieved.
The short woman gave a cheeky grin. “Glad to know you missed me so much.” She walked over to Maicee, who had let go of the ship's medic. “Bettie, first officer of the Freedom . Sorry I wasn't here to greet you when you came aboard,” she said, offering her hand.
“There's no time for introductions,” Maicee said, though he took her hand out of habit before realising what he'd done and letting it drop. “We need to get out of here. We have to move the Freedom .”
Bettie frowned. “Why, what's the matter?” she asked, her suspicions heightened by the nervous young man in front of her.
“It's a trap. The captain and the others have been ambushed. We need to move out in case someone reveals our position.”
The first officer reached into her robe and pulled out a dagger, pointing its lethal sharpness at Maicee's throat, though she noticed that the man didn't flinch. “Are you a spy?” she said sharply. “How do you know all this?”
“Kabi told me,” Maicee said, trying not to swallow in case the point of the knife hit him as he did so.
“Did you hear this communication?” Bettie asked, keeping the dagger level but turning to Falorni.
“No, ma'am,” the young medic said, quietly but definitely.
“I don't know how to convince you, but it's true,” said Maicee, getting desperate.
Bettie saw the true fear in his eyes and began lowering the dagger.
“I heard it too,” squeaked Niku from the control console. “I did, and it was Kabi. He can, he knows, he can talk into my head if he needs to,” the Chamonkey stuttered.
The first officer shook her head and sank into the captain's chair, dagger hanging from her hand. “A talking Chamonkey and a psychic message,” she said slowly. “And just what, pray tell, makes you think that I'm going to believe either one of you?”
“Because your captain's in danger. As are we if we don't get this ship moved,” Maicee said, more confident now that there wasn't a knife at his throat.
“And because moving the ship wouldn't do any harm,” Falorni added quietly. “If he's right, we avoid the trap. If he's wrong...” She shrugged. “We have lost nothing.”
Bettie bit her lip, thinking, then nodded sharply. Getting up, she studied the tactical overlay column and pointed to a place on the map.
“Bear sharp to starboard. Leave green marker nine, twenty to fifty yards to port,” she ordered. “We'll hide the ship here.”
Kate, the quiet navigator on the far side of the bridge, keyed in an authorisation code. “Prepare for launch,” she announced over the ship's com.
But the Freedom simply shuddered, then stalled. A high-pitched beeping sound began.
“Ship reports engine error,” said Kate, not turning from her screen. She keyed something into the
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