Chapter 150

They descended toward Mara’s starport with a mayday message on loop and the pilot console lit red and amber. Metal screeched and groaned as the ship dropped through thick, cottony clouds.

Connor wondered if he would ever have the chance to fly on a ship that wasn’t on the verge of failure.

Sweat streamed down Yemi’s face. “Yemi walks away from landing, and Yemi rents a room with a bathtub. Yemi fills ice into the bathtub.”

It sounded like a wonderful idea after two days slowly cooking.

The only part of life support still working was the atmosphere recycler, and that couldn’t scrub out the smell of sweat and backed up human waste.

And that stench was all that kept the crew from dreaming about food and water.

“Just remember that we’re lucky to be alive.”

Those had been Connor’s message as they approached Mara. He’d spoken them just before walking onto the bridge to find most of the systems alarms flashing.

Now, with everyone strapped in and the archaeologists’ black market ship coming apart, he wondered if they’d finally run out of luck.

Yemi reached up to the panel over his head and flipped switches.

The lights didn’t turn on.

He screamed at the panel in an unfamiliar language, then swatted the frame.

Lights kicked on, and the pilot returned to his console as if nothing had happened. “Yemi burns the last fuel to slow descent.”

“Is that going to be enough?”

“Yemi burns the last fuel to prevent ship exploding on impact.”

“Oh.” Connor understood that the situation was bad. He hadn’t caught on to just how bad.

From his station, there wasn’t much to be done. He and Elise had kept the ship alive through constant shift rotations and long hours of overlap when things became too much for one person to handle.

With more time, they could have salvaged more parts from the other ships, but the reality was there had been five ships on the planet, and not a one was truly space worthy.

If they walked away from the landing alive, no one would complain.

The hard burn came abruptly, pushing Connor hard against the worn and uncomfortable seat. It pushed against his ribs hard, making it hard to breathe.

Seconds passed, where it seemed the ship would finally give out.

Then they hit the ground with a force that made the thrust seem gentle.

Alarms shrieked and lights flashed, but it was the groaning of metal that convinced Connor that they were dead.

But fire didn’t rise up through the floor, and the force of the impact was past.

He sat up as much as his harness allowed. “Yemi?”

The pilot cackled and popped free of his harness. “Yemi pilots!”

When he was in the middle of the bridge, the older man slapped his hands together and danced to music only he could hear.

Connor unbuckled and climbed out of his seat. He hugged the pilot. “Thank you.”

Once the bridge hatch opened, Connor heard the hoots and hollers.

There was a time where those raucous shouts would have been louder and fuller, and he would have known each voice.

He made his way unsteadily to his cabin and gathered his goods. His swords were in a crate with other supplies labeled for shipment to an address in Coil Sector.

There were a few people Connor still trusted, and no matter what happened to him, the things that mattered most would be cared for.

Kalpana and Vicente were in the cargo hold, as was Lem.

They saluted Connor sharply, then Vicente extended a huge hand. “Dr. Kang, what a pleasure working alongside you. Y’know, anytime you want, you’re welcome back.”

Connor looked down at the coveralls he’d printed out a few days before. His hair was shorter, and with the glasses Lem had provided and the longer sideburns, the effect was pretty surprising.

Now it was time to test out the effectiveness of Elise’s forgery.

She whistled from farther back in the bay. “Walter?”

Connor turned. “Waiting for you.”

“Remember your posture.”

“Right.” Connor hunched a little bit.

Vicente bent close. “You blow this, Boss, we still got Plan B.”

Kalpana jerked her head toward the personal bag that held her belongings. Her sniper rifle was strapped to the top. She smirked.

Too many people would die if Connor screwed up.

The airlock hatches opened, and he stepped onto the ramp, one arm wrapped around Elise’s hip.

In the distance, flashing lights approached: emergency vehicles.

And it was obvious they’d be needed, what with the damage done by the ship’s impact. The landing gear was a disaster—twisted and buckled.

But the tarmac was worse. The gear had punched at least half a meter through.

Still, it was the flashing lights of vehicles parked not twenty meters from the edge of the ramp that made Connor pause.

Easily fifty Directorate Security people crouched behind a semicircle of ground craft, weapons drawn.

Connor waved to the nearest of them. “Are any of you medical professionals? My partner can barely walk.”

A woman rose up from one of the farther cars. “This your ship, sir?”

“No. I mean, maybe? We were part of the Chong expedition. Dr. Harry Chong oversaw the ship and everything, but he died. We’re the only expedition survivors. This team of mercenaries saved our lives.” Connor pointed through the airlock hatch.

Vicente waved down. “Selen’s Devils.”

The woman strode forward. Closer up, she was short and under her armor a little pudgy.

Someone with rank, he realized—unused to actually responding to a crisis.

Connor smiled up at the heavy weapons expert. “Their captain was seriously injured saving us.”

The security officer looked past Connor as she pulled out a pocket computer. “Were you aware this ship has an illegal registry, Mr.…”

“Dr. Kang. Like I said, Harry put the expedition together. That’s Harry Chong. Dr. Harry Chong. We’re from Northstar University.”

The security officer glanced down at the pocket computer display, then back at Connor. She squinted. “How’d he die, this Dr. Chong?”

“Most of the expedition…” Connor did his best to sniffle, something Elise had coached him through, like his hunched posture. “No one told us there were wild creatures on the planet. Our colleagues were torn to shreds.”

The woman’s neck craned her head closer, and her eyes shrank to slits.

Connor patted Elise’s hip. “Elise really does need to see a physician.” Sirens grew in volume to the point he had to raise his voice.

But the security officer focused her attention on Vicente. “Selen’s Devils, you said?”

“That’s us. Captain Erbaykent’s still in a medical coma. She’s the boss.”

“You happen to have someone by the name of Connor Rattakul aboard?”

The big man sighed. “We lost most of our team on that planet.”

A siren grew loud and insistent, and the security officer turned.

She waved the vehicle in. “Okay, Dr. Kang. I’m sorry about your colleagues.” She turned back to him and tilted her head. “You might want to update your security file when you get a chance. Your picture…”

Connor chuckled. “Oh. It’s amazing what a month of running for your life can do to you.”

He escorted Elise to the ambulance, then shook her hand. “I guess I owe you my life.”

She let one of the medical technicians help her onto a gurney. “Maybe we can call our accounts even.”

“Maybe.”

“Don’t linger.”

“I won’t.” But Connor didn’t know where to go or how. He didn’t have any money.

When she’d been helped into the back of the vehicle she waved. “I suppose we might meet at the university again.”

“Maybe we will.”

The vehicle’s doors closed, and it sped away as the other emergency vehicles finally arrived.

Connor hurried out of the way, sure to keep his shoulders stooped like Dr. Kang.

When the last of the emergency vehicles passed, he glanced around, hoping he might spot an easy way to slip out of the area unseen.

He froze at the sight of a stylish air car—black with a dangerously sloped hood. Toshiko leaned over the driver’s side door, staring at him.

His heart skipped a beat. He swallowed and made his way over.

She slipped inside, closed her door, and opened the passenger door.

When he poked his head inside the open door, she started the motor, kicking up dust with the fans.

With the glasses on and the goofy coveralls, he felt so different. He wasn’t even sure she would still care for him. “Could I catch a ride?”

Toshiko’s cool demeanor evaporated, and her brow wrinkled while a sad smile twisted her lips. “I’ve waited my whole life for you. Get in.”

He buckled in, still struggling to breathe. “What now?”

She pushed the air car straight up at full blast, and the sadness left her expression. “Now? Our real work begins, and it’s the work of a lifetime.”