March grins and offers an infinitesimal nod. I guess he doesn’t trust Vel completely yet, for all the guy saved my ass a few weeks ago. I can’t blame March; he takes a while to warm up to people.
“I’ll go,” Vel says quietly.
I’m not entirely sure that’s a good idea. We might need him on the ship to help Dina, if our passengers get any bold ideas. That is, until Jael adds, “Me, too.”
I relax a little. Dina can handle herself against Surge. Kora should be too busy looking after Sirina to start anything. Plus if Dina is really her baby’s godmother, there should be some Rodeisian rule against attacking her.
“Let’s gear up then.”
What gear? I’ve been a galactic vagabond since the Sargasso , owning little more than a change of clothes. I’m not sure what he means, unless the Luck has a hidden cache. Over the last two weeks I’ve been over this junk-bucket starboard to stern and didn’t find anything. Then again, maybe I just didn’t know where to look.
March heads for the maintenance closet. I watch as he keys open a smuggler’s cupboard, where they’ve hidden a supply of shocksticks and a disruptor. He takes the latter and shoves it through his belt. With a shudder I remember how the thing mangled his arm, how I used it on other human beings. I’ll never be able to use one again: Sometimes in my sleep I still hear their screams. Before DuPont Station, I’d never killed anyone.
I don’t know how much use I’ll be in a fight, but I take a baton nonetheless. Jael follows suit, but Vel just shakes his head and turns toward the exit.
Since I’ve seen him fight bare-handed, I know he doesn’t need a weapon. He’ll have to slip his human skin, though. Jael will probably piss himself if that happens.
“Leave the light on for us,” I call to Dina.
She grins. “Try not to get yourself killed, dumb-ass.”
“It’s a tough job, but someone’s got to do it.”
March pauses and then says to Surge, “See if you can get the fueling system to engage, but do not leave the docking bay.”
I’m not sure if the guy’s dumb enough to venture out alone. I tend to say no—he was smart enough to get off planet when he didn’t have enough creds to provision his ship. I think they’ll be okay. Plus he’s got a wife and kid to think about, so Surge won’t do anything stupid. He’s not the one we need to worry about cowboying all over the place. I glance at Jael and sigh.
March is the first one out. He skins down the ladder with a grace I can’t help but admire. Or maybe it’s his ass. Anyway, I go next, hitting the ground with an extra bounce that tells me we’re in light G. The station’s crew probably take supplements to prevent suffering long-term physiological damage.
Vel lands lightly beside me, and Jael doesn’t bother with the ladder, just leaps. Despite my best intentions, his recklessness appeals to me on a visceral level. In another time, before the Sargasso , I suspect I would’ve found him irresistible.
March cuts me a look, but thankfully he doesn’t say anything, at least not about that. I’m glad he has some common sense. From the look of the docking bay, we might be the last humans left in this sector. Sputtering lights hint at some unknown electrical problem, and my sense of foreboding doubles.
“You think it’s safe to go on?” I hesitate, looking at the far doors, which lead into the station proper.
“Probably not.” March flashes me a smile. “You still in?”
“Yeah.” It goes unspoken that I was ready to die at his side weeks ago. That hasn’t changed.
“We work in pairs then. Vel, you’re with Jax. Jael, you come with me.”
Falling in with Vel, I can’t help but raise my brows. I didn’t expect we’d split up. “You sure this is a good idea?”
“We’re sticking together, Jax. I’m not stupid. But you never know what might happen inside, so it’s best if you have someone designated to watch your back.”
That
“I’ll go,” Vel says quietly.
I’m not entirely sure that’s a good idea. We might need him on the ship to help Dina, if our passengers get any bold ideas. That is, until Jael adds, “Me, too.”
I relax a little. Dina can handle herself against Surge. Kora should be too busy looking after Sirina to start anything. Plus if Dina is really her baby’s godmother, there should be some Rodeisian rule against attacking her.
“Let’s gear up then.”
What gear? I’ve been a galactic vagabond since the Sargasso , owning little more than a change of clothes. I’m not sure what he means, unless the Luck has a hidden cache. Over the last two weeks I’ve been over this junk-bucket starboard to stern and didn’t find anything. Then again, maybe I just didn’t know where to look.
March heads for the maintenance closet. I watch as he keys open a smuggler’s cupboard, where they’ve hidden a supply of shocksticks and a disruptor. He takes the latter and shoves it through his belt. With a shudder I remember how the thing mangled his arm, how I used it on other human beings. I’ll never be able to use one again: Sometimes in my sleep I still hear their screams. Before DuPont Station, I’d never killed anyone.
I don’t know how much use I’ll be in a fight, but I take a baton nonetheless. Jael follows suit, but Vel just shakes his head and turns toward the exit.
Since I’ve seen him fight bare-handed, I know he doesn’t need a weapon. He’ll have to slip his human skin, though. Jael will probably piss himself if that happens.
“Leave the light on for us,” I call to Dina.
She grins. “Try not to get yourself killed, dumb-ass.”
“It’s a tough job, but someone’s got to do it.”
March pauses and then says to Surge, “See if you can get the fueling system to engage, but do not leave the docking bay.”
I’m not sure if the guy’s dumb enough to venture out alone. I tend to say no—he was smart enough to get off planet when he didn’t have enough creds to provision his ship. I think they’ll be okay. Plus he’s got a wife and kid to think about, so Surge won’t do anything stupid. He’s not the one we need to worry about cowboying all over the place. I glance at Jael and sigh.
March is the first one out. He skins down the ladder with a grace I can’t help but admire. Or maybe it’s his ass. Anyway, I go next, hitting the ground with an extra bounce that tells me we’re in light G. The station’s crew probably take supplements to prevent suffering long-term physiological damage.
Vel lands lightly beside me, and Jael doesn’t bother with the ladder, just leaps. Despite my best intentions, his recklessness appeals to me on a visceral level. In another time, before the Sargasso , I suspect I would’ve found him irresistible.
March cuts me a look, but thankfully he doesn’t say anything, at least not about that. I’m glad he has some common sense. From the look of the docking bay, we might be the last humans left in this sector. Sputtering lights hint at some unknown electrical problem, and my sense of foreboding doubles.
“You think it’s safe to go on?” I hesitate, looking at the far doors, which lead into the station proper.
“Probably not.” March flashes me a smile. “You still in?”
“Yeah.” It goes unspoken that I was ready to die at his side weeks ago. That hasn’t changed.
“We work in pairs then. Vel, you’re with Jax. Jael, you come with me.”
Falling in with Vel, I can’t help but raise my brows. I didn’t expect we’d split up. “You sure this is a good idea?”
“We’re sticking together, Jax. I’m not stupid. But you never know what might happen inside, so it’s best if you have someone designated to watch your back.”
That
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