|
Episode 1
Sloan could tell by the rate
her opponent was losing that her mind wasn't on the game. She
exhaled loudly, and selected a secondary move rather than finishing
the game then and there.
"Why did you stop by?"
The Mistress Janet Danez's green eyes flicked
up at her before returning her attention to the board. "I'm
sorry, I thought you'd like to see an old classmate."
"Always delighted to see you. But," she
added, leaning away from the cabin table. The pair was
alone in the small cabin aboard the Donack, a mid-size
freighter. "There's obviously something else on your mind."
"There's been a lot occupying me," Janet did
her best at disinterest. She drew a card from the deck and
consulted the board once again before finally making a move.
Sloan shrugged to herself. Her old classmate
did have a lot of responsibility. No argument there.
As as merchandise handler for the Danez, there was plenty to keep
her busy. The pirate clan operated a corporate network to dispose of its stolen booty.
Even when they'd met in school, the Danez were
a name, an untouchable name. No military could thwart them and
now they were woven into the economic fabric to such an extent that
their removal threatened some kingdoms with collapse.
The Danez was also Janet's family as the tattooed
design on her neck testified to. The Mistress rubbed at it
absently. Over the faded black design a new purple crescent had been
etched. "Did you have
some work done on your tattoo?"
"What?" Janet's hand dropped
self-consciously. "I, well, yes. The
Madam's selected me as her heir designate. The damned thing
itches terribly."
Sloan's eyebrows arched appreciatively and she
let out a low whistle. A great honor, indeed. One the
Mistress didn't seem too proud of. "Congratulations. Not
everyday you get named heir apparent."
"Yeah, well. I was quite surprised.
I didn't think she'd even noticed me. They were many for her
to choose from. All it's granted me is more work."
"What's Celio think?" she asked. The
Mistress pulled back at the mention of her fiancé then relaxed a
bit.
"Oh. Pleased." The
Mistress pushed the cards into an uneven stack. "I'm sorry he
couldn't come over with me. He enjoys chatting with you."
"He hates me. I'm abrasive and quick
tempered," Sloan retorted. "But thanks for lying."
The Mistress shrugged awkwardly. The
astrogator found herself forced to concede that she might be the
only thing resembling a friend Janet had. An absent one at best, she
reminded herself. Her freighter work kept her away from Atur
for most of the season. When she did visit it was only for
brief a day or two, just long enough to restock the ship and put out
to space again. "The
Madam did give me a new project. I thought you and Slade might like
a piece of it." She glanced back down at the board again.
They'd arrived at
the reason for the visit.
Sloan knew without asking that Slade would
definitely not be interested. Experience advised steering
clear of the Danez at all cost. He suffered the Mistress'
presence on the freighter only in deference to his lover.
This thought made Sloan
realize that the Mistress was probably her only friend too.
She was unsure which thought was more saddening.
"Slade won't be interested," said Sloan.
"It's good pay. And he does have that
loan to pay off to Nero Casdon."
Sloan flinched. Their freighter broke down
over a season ago on Pani, Casdon's carnival planet. The
huckster loaned them cred to repair it and still awaited
reimbursement. But their lives always seemed short on luck and cred.
"Go on."
"Pick up my cousin and fly her to Bolapolvo.
She'll be safe there with her father--"
"Safe? From what?" Janet didn't
reply immediately. Sloan saw her torn between friendship and
her family loyalty. And we're all we've got, she thought
bitterly.
"Janet, we're friends but
dammit, to get involved in pirate biz and not being a pirate-- Hell,
that's suicide." "Which
is why this will work. They'll be watching for the Danez--"
"Which means they'll be all over your cousin."
"No. They don't know her."
"What is she 12?"
"No."
"She'd have to be a toddler for no one to have
heard her. They put you to pirating at an early age.
Someone knows her."
"She's 17. No one knows her. Her
father kept her out of the business."
"She's Crai Reed's daughter." It was an
easy leap. She had met Crai on a visit to the
Mistress' home a few seasons back. Despite his affiliations
with the Danez, he was not shy about his opinions. Their
tradition of involving the children in their blood work was one he
was against. She recalled it brought the dinner conversation
at the table to a frigid halt on more than one occasion that night.
"And she's perfect for this
job," the Mistress insisted.
Sloan snorted. "I don't think anonymity
is the only requirement. A certain amount of stupidity is also
necessary." She scowled. "What's this cousin doing
instead of pirating?" "She
works on a freighter, the Nablao."
"The Nablao? For that lunatic,
Alexi? Well, answers the stupidity quotient."
The Mistress blanched with rage. The freighter cabin
was suddenly thick with
tension. She didn't intend it but still managed to bring it
about.
The color returned to the
Mistress' face as she marshaled her emotions. "Not that it's
your worry. She signed on before Alexi became captain. But now
that he is there, I want her off. As far as you're concerned,
I have an opportunity for you to get out of debt. Simply
transport Teriesa-Loui Reed to Bolapolvo. I'm paying top cred
and in advance. What do you say?"
"I'll talk to Slade."
Before the Mistress could respond a crash
resounded from outside the cabin.
Sloan slipped her blaster free
of its holster on the back of the chair. Living with Slade for
two cycles had taught her to be very cautious.
She hit the 'com panel by her cabin door.
"Ta'Rel!" No reply. She tapped the door control, careful to
stay clear of potential fire. When no attack materialized, she
entered the hall. Empty.
"Stay here, Mistress," she ordered before
dashing down the corridor.
Voices echoed from the airlock. Sloan
moved stealthily toward them, hearing the sounds of struggle.
Still no sign of the crew. They had to be off ship or dead,
she realized. They would have responded to the racket by now.
She heard movement behind her, but a quick glanced showed the
Mistress ignoring her instructions.
At the 'lock, she stole a glance in. Two
strangers and Captain Slade were there. The strangers appeared
intent on beating the captain to death.
Blaster drawn, the astrogator stepped into
view. "All right! No one move!" To her
disappointment, they too ignored her.
One man went for a weapon while the second
dropped Captain Slade and dove to the side. The captain landed
heavily on the plating, gasping for air.
Sloan blasted the gunman in the shoulder,
causing his shot to go wild. She ducked and moved to get a
second shot, intent on more effective results. Then she heard
the Mistress scream. She whipped back in time to
see the Mistress sink to the plating.
"Danez!" Slade cried
out. He clutched his arm to his side, propelling himself away
from the line of fire
with his feet, sliding on his back.
The Mistress didn't respond. And the
gunman gaped, slack jawed before turning heel and fleeing. His
partner was not far behind.
Sloan could only guess he'd seen the tattoo and with Slade's cry
realized who he'd shot. Those two suddenly had more trouble than they'd
bargained for. She
leaped over the fallen captain and bolted down the ramp. The
two thugs crossed the landing grid, heading for a waiting hovercar.
She squeezed off another shot and hit the second man in the leg.
He yelped, somersaulting to the ground.
His partner skidded to halt and though weakened from the shoulder
wound, drug the crying man to the car. The two tumbled into
the vehicle, its hatch snapped shut and quickly departed.
Sloan only wasted two more shots on the retreating 'car. She
drew in a shaky breath.
The astrogator heard someone behind her and spun about. Idiot.
She should have expected more than the two. This bastard
wouldn't fare as well as his comrades.
Her gun barrel stopped
suddenly and she found herself staring into a mass of orange fur.
Kay, one of her crew, held her weapon away until she saw him.
Ta'Rel was close behind him, a great black
shadow to the orange furred Nilef. Growling at the aliens in
their native language, she sent Kay to ensure the rest of the ship
was secure and Ta'Rel for a medic kit. The two flitted into
the growing dark without further conversation.
Sloan scanned the surrounding spaceport but
could detect no other signs of trouble. Business moved about her
undisturbed. She reentered the freighter.
Slade struggled to his feet, still holding his
arm to his side. He smiled weakly at her, a flash of white
from out of his ebony beard. Sweat stood out on his brow.
"Every day's better than the last, isn't it, darlin'?"
Sloan gently and firmly pushed him back to the
deck, saying, "I guess this means you're still alive. Stay
put. Ta'Rel's getting the kit."
"Hell, I'm fine. Nothing
a few hours --" He dropped back against the wall, his
breathing labored. Sloan
left him and darted over to the Mistress. She set her pistol down
and touched Janet's shoulder. The Danez supervisor smiled
weakly up at her friend. "There's nothing in that medic kit to
help me." She tugged a communicator loose of her necklace
and handed it to her. "Best call my people."
The astrogator accepted the communicator and
swallowed a bit seeing the blood on it. The Mistress' hand
dropped away as she lost consciousness.
"Is she--?" She heard Slade's half begun
question. She grabbed the Mistress' cloak to serve as a
compress against the bleeding wound.
"No, not yet."
Slade slid beside Sloan and
set his hand on her shoulder. His hand trembled and she looked
to him, worried he was going into shock. "Stay put."
"I'm fine."
She opened the communicator and keyed an
emergency message. She set the device aside and focused on
staunching the bleeding. "Who did it?"
"Nero's boys. They wanted to collect on
the loan." "Dammit Lex!"
She blinked back tears. Hopefully, this deal of
Janet's would get them out, if she didn't die. Sloan drew in
another breath, shaking away the tears. She had almost lost it
all. Everything that she cared about.
"It'll be all right."
"Not if she dies, it won't be. You are a
star classed idiot!" "I
know." Slade sighed. "But I'll still figure a way out."
She nodded and knew she shouldn't panic. They were always short
on cred and luck. They couldn't afford to loose their wits as
well.
Episode 2
Table of Contents
Back to the Hellcat
Lair |
