Blackguard

Episode 4

Teriesa's charge was careful not to stir from his position next to her in the car seat. They shot over Atur's sole city and towards the poorer side of town. He stole a glance at the young woman and saw her biting her lower lip.

He was suddenly struck with a strange sense of deja vu'. He corrected himself: the same but different. Not so long ago he was jammed into a small commuter ship headed to the planet Soida. Seated directly across from him was a blonde woman with brittle cold eyes. His commander was in the front of the car with the woman's companion.

He felt he was in the presence of a deadly predator and any movement would provoke an attack. And try as he might he couldn't shake the sensation that this was all Katzamann's fault.

She was a fool to try and leave the Academy. He was a bigger one for not stopping her. He knew there was a strong likelihood that she would not graduate but be held back for further training. Doubtless, this knowledge had prompted her to action, to try her chances on the outside.

"You helped her get out, didn't you?"

The woman's words cut cold like her stare. Her first words to him and they'd been together for two days. He'd never seen her before. The Commander'd brought her in to find Katz. A specialist, they said.

She waved him to silence before he could fumble a response. "Don't bother. It's the only way she could've have made it." She fell quiet, then added: "Do as you're told and I'll not tell your Commander."

And that's how it ends for one of the top cadets, and squad leader, he thought bitterly. Brought down by a misguided sense of loyalty.

His head snapped up and he came fully awake. He shifted in his seat mildly embarrassed at dozing. If Teriesa noticed, she gave no sign.

"Why'd you leave the Academy?"

"I didn't want to."

"What?"

"Never mind."

"...Well, I'll get you to Pani--"

"You don't look like you can take care of yourself," he retorted gesturing the bruise growing on her jaw.

She shrugged. "Some things in life can't be helped."

The hover car settled down and the hatch snapped up. Teriesa stepped out only to be yanked off balance as a hand caught her and took her in tow.

"'Bout time you got here, Teri. I been waitin' all day."

"What're you doing here, Slade? Janet said you'd raised ship already."

The big captain shrugged, caught Jim by the arm and began herding them down the street. "Got delayed a bit. Decided to use it as an opportunity to chat with you. You look like shit. Still working for that nut-job, Alexi?"

"I can take care of myself."

"Why? 'Cause you're Clan and nothing gets in the way of the Clan. Sell it somewhere else, kid. This the cargo? Good. I haven't got a lot of time, and your ship's about to go."

"Wait a minute," she called out swinging clear of a Nilef Slade almost drove her into. "You're headed for the charter sector."

"Bright girl. You two're gonna do a favor for me."

Crowds of people swirled around them and gathered in knots at various queues to board charter craft. Intercoms blared the arrival of commuters, creating a roar in the air.

Teri tugged at Slade to get him to stop. The captain spoke to her soothingly and moved to offer something and then Jim attacked. The smuggler yelped in surprise and the young man slammed him against the wall. His prisoner howled obscenities.

"What're you doing? Let him go!" Teri hissed, dragging him off the captain. "Knock it off, all right?!" She kept a grip on him to keep him from wandering, afraid he'd bolt. Jim only nodded, holding his gaze on the captain. "What the hell is going on?"

She stole a glance over her shoulder. The crowds had scarcely minded them.

"Teri, Teri," the captain soothed, fighting to regain the upper hand. He set his big hands on her shoulders and smiled, lowering his voice. "I want to steal something."

"No. No way in hell. Did you tell Janet about this?"

"Of course. She didn't want to do it either. For all the flap she gives about caring about what happens to Sloan, she wouldn't lift a finger to help her. And we need this load. Believe me it took a lot of arm twisting to get her to agree."

"C'mon, Jim."

The captain stepped into her path. Jim moved forward again but the other man pointed a finger at him. "Stay. I'm ready for you, boy." He returned his attention the Clanswoman. "If you're thinking of taking a commuter, the last one left. And as it is, we've spent so much time talking about this, we're starting to interest the local enforcers."

"You dirty bastard--"

"What do we have to do?"

Teri & the captain looked to Jim, both surprised he had spoken. Jim in his turn, found he wanted to knock the smug expression of the captain's face. Slade slapped him on the back. "See the kid wants to help."

"I want to get out of here," he corrected.

"Then let me take care of this!" Teri spat.

"All you've got to do is take out a few guards and open the hold." Slade led them to the docking area where commuters waited to transport passengers to their respective cruise ships. "Now tomorrow evening, right after dinner, you two get the guards. We'll hop in, get the cargo--and I'll drop you off on Pani after a quick stop on Adal."

Slade you can't be serious about putting him on a public commuter. The enforcers'll spot him in a flash."

"I thought of that."

Teri's gaze fell away. With the last commuter gone, her cousin needing him out of Atur, she had no choices.

They stopped at the foot of a commuter which unlike the others had no crowd of passengers swarming board. "I got you a first class berth and're registered as members of the Danez Clan. Here's your confirmation chip."

At the entrance to the commuter, an attendant helped them aboard and guided them to their restraining couches.

The vessel held nine passengers and was small by standards. She dropped in her couch and fastened on the restraining mesh. Then she looked up and saw the corporate logo imbedded in the seat before her.

"Oh Lords. Slade's booked us on a Fidescad ship."

"Is that bad?"

"Not for you. You have exactly what you need. Anonymity and slower than a Alternian sloth. It's services are fully automated. No one will notice us."

Jim returned his attention to the video screen beside him. They glided toward a massive ship which was smoother in appearance than any military ship he traveled on. The craft consisted of three wheel-shaped sections which touched and connected to a hub by several spoke-like tubes. The center section appeared to be the control center.

Jim stared at the approaching ship. In a few more days, he could focus on getting Kat out. He owed that much to her. As many time he had considered it in the past weeks, the only way to help her was from beyond the Empire.

Why was he doing this? He honestly didn't know. His thoughts chased each other's tails until he was more confused than before. He needed a plan. He knew that. This one would serve until he could sort himself out.

The vid screen darkened as the commuter banked around and jarred back into its docking tube. The passengers departed out the back with the attendants bidding them a pleasant journey and freeing stragglers from their restraints.

A row of valets waited on the other side of the narrow boarding shaft. The servo-bots hovered a meter off the ground and had a slight Human appearance.

Terri selected one and dropped her confirmation chip in the appropriate slot. It analyzed the data then rose another meter. "THis WAY, MisTress," it intoned.

Jim took her arm, trailed the machine into a waiting lift. The servo-bot locked into the controls, programmed their course, and shot them through one of the spokes to the other side of the ship.

"THe FideSCAD SHips ARE PRoud--"

"We don't need the tour," she cut it. The 'bots were notorious for slowing the lifts to compensate for their two hour speech.

"Yes, MisTRESS," it droned. "SHould you decide you require information either myself or one of my counter parts will be more than happy to oblige."

The lift door opened onto a well lit hallway with soft white and blue paneling. The hall seemed endless, and twisted from view in a gentle curve with small circular doors set every few meters into the walls. The ship felt cold, empty. Jim wondered how they afforded any passengers and realized it was the anonymity. People would pay any price for that at times.

"Jim?" Teri's voice emanated from their open berth, not far from the lift. The servo-bot hummed through the chamber, pointing out all the niceties. When it finally left, it indicated that dinner began promptly at eight.

Teri spun around on her heel, taking in the room before she fell back onto the bed. "Not bad." She stretched cat-like driving the tension that had bound in her back. "They've improved the berth."

"Do you travel a lot?"

"Dad used to take me on his business trips. He uses this line most of the time."

Anonymity. The word rang in Jim's head, making him painfully ware of where he was. And the devils he had been forced to bargain with to escape.

He remained in the entranceway, studying the room. He needed a suit to fit in with the passengers, Teri reflected. Fidescad catered exclusively to the wealthy.

Jim finally stepped into the berth, allowing the door to close behind him. He passed the single, circular brown-green bed and sat down at the desk.

"Jim would you find out where this boat is taking us?"

"What? Oh sure." He activated the console and set about his newly assigned task, feeling at once more at ease.

Teri put her hands behind her head and watched the curtains sway gently under the force of the air circulator. Great green curtains which encircled the room, and hid the dull metal hull from its occupants. A doorway on the other side of the room lead into a bath and the air was sweetly perfumed.

"It's headed for Pani."

"Good. Sorry I snarled at you earlier. But at least we won't have to pull that job for Slade."

"But you said--"

"Hold it, Harris. You were the one who offered to do it. He's playing us for chumps. We won't have a chance."

"We can't abandon him then. He'll get killed."

"We're not that lucky. Slade's got enough fire power to wiggle out of any situation. And to be quite honest, the easiest way in is shooting. I'll admit it's messy, noisy and lacking in finesse but it will get the job done."

"I suppose you know best."

"Not really, no. I overhead it at a dinner party." She thought he was on the verge of crying but to her relief the young man broke out laughing. "Slade's a back-biting bastard but he'll always land on his feet."

"So we just sit here."

"For three days. The way it should be."

The buzzer on the intercom sounded. Teri rose from the bed while he answered the call. The Mistress Janet Danez's image appeared. "Where's Mistress Reed?" she snarled at the cadet.

"Right here, Janet. What's the problem?" Jim abandoned the chair at her gesture. Teri seated herself at the desk.

"You shouldn't have him--"

"I know, I know. I'm sure you didn't call to tell me that." Her cousin had never seen Janet Danez out of sorts and it bothered her.

"I forgot to tell you about Captain Slade. He's planning to --"

"Hit the ship. I know. We're not doing it."

"I gave my word."

"I didn't give mine. I'm not even supposed to be working for the Clan right now. You know what Dad would do if he knew?" She sensed Jim standing behind her.

"Your obligation is to the Clan and this deal I've arranged!" The Mistress' face shifted into a dark shade of red.

"You shouldn't have made the promise."

The Mistress' image abruptly vanished from the screen.

"Are you in trouble with your Clan now??"

"No." She motioned to the chair opposite of her. "Do you play pheta?"

"I was the best in my regiment."

"Well, let's see if that means anything." She withdrew a card deck from the desk and slid them to him. He began shuffling and sorting out the cards. Teri tucked a lock of stray raven hair behind her ear. "What're you going to do when you get out of this?"

"Try and get Kat out."

"Friend of yours?"

"Yeah, comrade in arms, I guess."

"I don't think two enforcers'll make it out in one cycle."

"I have to try."

Episode 5

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