Laser Cannons & First Contact (a Sci-Fi Anthology)

Laser Cannons & First Contact

A Sci-Fi Anthology

Christopher D. Schmitz, Steffen Larken, Douglas Van Dyke Jr., Philip K. Dick , Poul Anderson, Angela R. Watts, Jeri Shepherd, Suzanne Jenkins, J. D. Brink, Keyla Damaer, Sarina Dorie, Jared Bartemeyer, RaShelle Workman, Debbie Mumford, Luke Mitchell

TreeShaker Books

The Goldilocks Heist Copyright © 2024 by Christopher D. Schmitz

Interruption Copyright © 2022 by Keyla Damaer

This edition of IV’s Salvation Copyright © 2024 by Angela R. Watts

This edition of The Final Eclipse Copyright © 2024 by Jeri Shepherd

This edition of Vapor Copyright © 2024 by Suzanne Jenkins

This edition of The Colonial Guards Copyright © 2024 by Douglas Van Dyke Jr

This edition of The Scythe of Kronos Copyright © 2024 by J. D. Brink

This edition of The Warbirds of Absaroka Copyright © 2024 by Debbie Mumford

This edition of The Battle of Braxia Copyright © 2024 by Alex S. Garcia

This edition of Day of the Nuptial Flight Copyright © 2024 by Sarina Dorie

This edition of Eden Skye: Awakening Copyright © 2024 by Jared Bartemeyer

This edition of Space Guardian Copyright © 2024 by RaShelle Workman

This edition of Flight of the Huntress Copyright © 2024 by Luke Mitchell

Mr. Spaceship by Philip K. Dick and The Chapter Ends by Poul Anderson are in the public domain.

All rights reserved.

No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher or author, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law.

Contents

The Goldilocks Heist

by Christopher D. Schmitz

IV’s Salvation

by Angela R. Watts

The Final Eclipse

by Jeri Shepherd

Flight of the Huntress

by Luke Mitchell

Vapor

by Suzanne Jenkins

The Colonial Guards

by Douglas Van Dyke Jr

The Chapter Ends

by Poul Anderson

The Scythe of Kronos

by J. D. Brink

The Warbirds of Absaroka

by Deborah L. Mumford

Interruption

by Keyla Damaer

The Battle of Braxia

by Steffen Larken

Mr. Spaceship

by Philip K. Dick

Eden Skye: Awakening

by Jared Bartemeyer

Space Guardian

by RaShelle Workman

Day of the Nuptial Flight

by Sarina Dorie

The Goldilocks Heist

by Christopher D. Schmitz

You’re worried about your old man? Inkari asked the young spacer.

Yes, Captain, Stellara murmured.

Inkari Thanewulf grinned. "See, that’s why I like you, kid. A bigger lot of respect than my crew ever gives me," he motioned to indicate the ship behind him and the menagerie of intergalactic delinquents that passed for his crew.

They stood adjacent Paradivitias where it rested on its landing skids in a massive crag of stone.

Inkari watched him for a moment and then slapped him on the shoulder. I’ve known Yarro since I was your age, kid. He’ll be fine.

Behind them, Rurak snorted in the rank and musty air. She was a lizzaran, a reptilian creature who looked more like an animal than the other bipeds who crewed the ship parked nearby.

Galaecki, a T-level planet, had a breathable atmosphere. But the air smelled foul, like bog mist, despite its arid climate.

Something fungal in the air? Inkari tried to remember what Yarro had said before they’d exploited a sensor window and landed on the hostile planet. I wasn’t really listening, he admitted to himself.

Yarro, Stellara’s father, had snuck into the military base an hour ago, leaving the others behind.

There was war brewing between the krazarra and humanity. The Paradivitias crew knew that stealing krazarran intel would earn the thieving crew a hefty payday… they’d just needed someone talented enough to lift it—and Yarro was the stealthiest burglar the captain knew.

Inkari turned aside and looked at the two weathered guns towering stalwart over the crevice where Paradivitias managed to hide. Right under their noses… and then he glanced at the crumbling bastion of rock where Yarro had crept inside the secret tunnels. The rogue captain sucked in his breath and held it. It’s a re-purposed base left over from the first Krazarran War.

He’d rarely spoken of it, but Inkari had served with Yarro in the first Krazarran war aboard a famous ship known as the Arbiter. Arbiter was a capital vessel credited with helping humans win that initial conflict. As far as he knew, despite the standing peace, the krazarra still had a bounty on the ship.

The krazarra were embroiled in one conflict after another and they were exceptional warriors; planetary systems did not want krazarran kind as an enemy. Inkari wouldn’t normally risk stealing from them, but the size of the promised payday shifted his opinion… especially since Yarro’s special abilities put the odds squarely in their favor.

Yarro was lab-engineered at birth, giving him psionic aptitude. His son had inherited the same.

Stellara winced, sensing something the others could not on that mental plane. The teen said, Something is wrong. Inside. I can tell… he’s in trouble.

Rurak snapped her leathery head towards Stellara and then at the base’s secret entrance. She had the best senses of the Paradivitias’s crew.

A communicator chirped, barely perceptible. Stellara removed it and checked the device. Incoming data packet from my father.

Sirens blared, startling them, followed by a mechanical boom as something activated. Metal groaned as the massive guns, meant for orbital defense, began slowly pivoting on their axises.

That’s our cue, people, Inkari yelled, running up the landing ramp right behind Rurak. Guns this size turned only fractionally as they aimed at capital ships orbiting worlds like Galaecki—that fact would give them seconds to spare as their mid-sized freighter attempted escape.

Rurak was the first into the ship, but Inkari paused at the ramp and yelled over the screeches of steel piercing the humid stink. "Stellara, we’ve got to go!"

The young man hadn’t moved. He looked back at the captain. I—I feel his pain. I’ve got to do something.

Inkari barked at him, "You will—just not today. Now get your ass up this ramp. He sent you that data so we could get away with it. We all knew the risks."

For a moment, the captain thought Stellara might dash inside in search of his father. And then, with the guns starting to angle into the canyon where Paradivitias hid, the teen ran up the ramp and hit the button to close it.

Before the gate had even shut, Paradivitias vibrated as its engines blazed. And then Inkari cursed as the craft bounced him through the interior corridors when the thrusters lit to their atmospheric max. They barely evaded the thunderous eruption behind them as the cannons blasted the crevice to igneous slag. He felt the steep shift in angle as Paradivitias climbed, taking evasive maneuvers to elude other dangers targeting them from the surface as they throttled for an escape vector.

Inkari picked himself up off the floor when the artificial gravity kicked in and looked back to reassure the kid, but Stellara’s face turned ashen. As much of a hard-ass as Inkari could be, he wanted to comfort the kid. If anyone can still get off that hunk of mud, it’s Yarro—he’s survived worse places than Galaecki and Yarro’s broken out of every prison to ever hold him.

But the captain didn’t get a chance to speak.

Stellara touched the side of his head, This has never happened… I—I cannot sense my father anymore.

***

Inkari bounced through his ship as it shot past the atmospheric barrier. Finally, the captain stumbled into the hallways leading to the cockpit.

He heard the howling of Tarrk and Mattoc, two crewmates who manned the gunnery pods. They worked the upper and lower cannon turrets, yelling with enthusiasm as they blasted something on their scopes. They were consummate warriors from the dvergan species, short humanoids, but bearded and strong, and best suited to run the guns. As brothers, they seemed to know what each other was thinking, making them doubly deadly.

Shit. Guns blasting means we’ve got a krazarran pursuit on our tail. They’d managed to get to Galaecki using stealth and more than a few mental tricks Yarro could pull off—but Galaecki was deep in krazarran territory, making escape difficult.

Paradivitias yawed as its pilot cranked the stick and spun. Gouts of laser blasted harmlessly past. The overtaxed life-support robbed power from the artificial gravity, sending Inkari into the air and then dropped him once the systems caught back up.

Banging his knee, Inkari shouted, Dammit, Xero! Then the door slid open.

Oh hey, Cap, apologized Xero, the pilot. He was belted in to the pilot’s seat. He grabbed the ship-wide communicator. In case you’re not currently strapped in, you might get to it. He hung the mic back in its latch as Inkari slid into a seat and snapped the straps in place.

Inkari scowled at the diminutive Xero.

Xero grinned at him and then turned his attention back to flying. A member of the impann, a species that looked almost identical to human children, Xero was fully grown, but he looked like an eight-year-old human. He was propped up in a chair modified with couch cushions, books, and whatever else the impann could find to boost him high enough to access the scopes and controls. It looked comical, but Xero had flying skill enough to leave those krazarra in his vapor wake. And Xero was more than willing to brag about that fact.

Paradivitias’s guns fired again, and the brothers cheered from the gunnery pods.

Xero pulled up the gravitational computations screen. The navigation system began calculating hyper-light routes. He gulped audibly.

Inkari stared at the screen. A flurry of ID tags moved towards them in a cluster like angry bees as the friend or foe indicator pinged the transponders from dozens of krazarran crafts as they zeroed in on the rogues. An arching line showed Galaecki’s gravitational boundary, which Paradivitias had to get beyond in order to jump to hyper—but with such limited courses possible, the krazarra could easily drop gravitational caltrops in any of the nearby systems; those could mimic gravity wells and yank Paradivitias out of hyper and let the enemy blast them into space dust.

Tell me the truth, Xero. Are we gonna make it out of this one? Inkari asked.

The pilot flashed him an impish look. Probably not. But I have a plan.

"A good plan?"

Xero laughed maniacally as Paradivitias zoomed past the gravity line, allowing the ship to make the hyper-light jump. No. Not even close. He yanked on the pilot's yoke and reeled the ship into a new angle as he reached for the hyper controls.

The cockpit went brilliant for a moment as the bright light blinded them. Paradivitias faced directly into the galactic bar: a dense patch of space in the galaxy’s nearby center. There, billions of stars burned in relative proximity to each other; they made a maze of gravity wells so dense that some of them could tear ships apart just by getting to near. The viewscreen automatically darkened and a blast shield closed in response to the intense illumination, providing only instrument controls.

"Wait—you’re not going in there, are you?" Inkari shouted.

"I said the plan wasn’t very good," Xero muttered, white-knuckling the controls as he set up for a jump. On screen, the cloud of krazarran pursuers turned to follow.

But these are krazarra, Inkari insisted. They use phase-craft missile tech!

The warriors were always deadly in combat, especially since they disallowed retreat. They employed a special kind of interstellar torpedo capable of following crafts even through hyper-light.

A warning alert blared as Paradivitias rocketed towards the deadly galactic bar. Their pursuit had a lock on their vector and signal both. They would be able to follow—and so could their missiles.

Xero growled, "We’ll hafta hope the grav wells play hell as much with their systems, as it will ours," and then the impann threw the switch. Paradivitias’s hyper drive activated, enveloping it in a super-physics field, altering the laws of physics and letting it be flung into speeds greater than light-speed. The ship seemingly blipped out of realspace existence as Paradivitias surged towards the dense cluster of stars.

Sirens howled all through the ship as every on-board system screamed in protest. Crimson emergency lights overtook the regular glow as Paradivitias bucked and shuddered with the gravitational forces yanking on the hyper-fast craft.

I. Hate. Your. Plans! Inkari shouted above the din as the ship threatened to bust apart, but he understood the logic. Too strong a gravity well should knock the ship out of hyper. They could readjust and jump again. After a couple of jumps, if their drives hadn’t been fried beyond repair, they’d prove too difficult of prey to locate and have ditched their pursuit. Then, they could pick a quiet spot to chart new, safe vectors to… except little was known about the influence of so many gravity wells on hyper drives.

Something popped loudly, followed by a shrill hiss as Paradivitias jerked violently. It lurched, feeling as if the ship spun out of control.

The roar of wind rushed as the air suddenly sucked through the craft. The Hull Breach alert flashed repeatedly. A phase-craft missile hit us! We’re doomed!

And then a flash of light burst and the ship’s power blacked out, dumping them into darkness.

***

Paradivitias’s cockpit remained drenched in total darkness for several long moments.

Well, are we dead? Inkari’s voice echoed in the black.

He could hear the unbuckling of straps and the sounds of his pilot shuffling around. Everything else was silent. Too silent. No air cyclers pushed oxygen, no power coursed through the veins of the ship; Paradivitias hung lifeless in the void.

Clicks echoed in the dark as Xero toggled hard switches to connect backup battery support. Dim emergency lights came up and air moved subtly, although artificial gravity remained off; that system drained too much power.

Heads up, Cap’n, Xero said. He’d pulled a few sets of magnetic crampons from the emergency box in the cockpit and floated them across the cabin before bringing up the main systems’ status.

Inkari attached the crampons to his shoes, while the diminutive pilot mumbled curiously. What is it?

Xero pointed to the diagnostics. We’re still in hyper-light, he said incredulously. Usually phase-craft missiles knock a ship out of it. He scanned the systems. "In fact, there is no reason we should even be in hyper… our hyper is off-line."

He and Inkari traded amazed glances. But the super-physics field is still up?

The pilot nodded. That bubble was the only thing keeping them from being smashed to atoms at this speed—but without engines to drive them, there was no explanation for why they remained moving. A three-dimensional hologram of Paradivitias displayed its status and angle in relation to the galactic center. It was spinning—Paradivitias wasn’t flying: it was hurtling through the void at impossible speeds.

And then another flash of light erupted and Paradivitias tumbled back into realspace; data flooded the sensors as the super-physics field disengaged. Did—did we just pass through a wormhole? Inkari asked?

Xero nodded solemnly. Many known wormholes existed, however, none had ever been successfully traversed. Ships and sensor units that entered them never returned. We’re away from the krazarra, he said.

"Yeah, but where are we?" Inkari asked.

The impann pulled up star charts and searched positional data. His eyebrows raised. "Good news and bad news. We’re still in the galaxy… but roughly two months' flight time at max speed from where we started. Way out past Dartanyn Gate."

Inkari furrowed his brow. They’d traveled almost to the furthest reaches of explored space—but at least there were safe hyper lanes they could use to travel back to human controlled regions by. And the bad news?

We’re dead in the water. If any krazarra followed us through, we’re spaced.

Repairs?

Xero shrugged. Ask your mechanic.

***

What do I even pay you for, Bakudeget? Inkari spoke into the comm.

Bakudeget’s voice crackled. The gromma, a kind of cousin race to the impann, looked like ganglier, wild versions of impanns despite originating halfway across the galaxy from them. Both species believed in a common ancestry, according to both races’ legends and religious lore, but it had never been proven.

Presently, the mechanic clung to the hull with magnetic pitons as he tried to effect repairs. I’m telling you, this would only take a half day if I had a dock to work in. But out here? I just can’t fix this.

We just need to limp into Dartanyn Gate or Rosonov's Landing. Inkari checked over their supplies. If they couldn’t get moving soon, they’d all starve to death. All but Rurak. She was a pure carnivore. Eventually, she’d go feral and would wind up eating her crewmates.

I already told you—

Before he could finish, Xero announced, "I just got a transponder ping… just came into range: a pleasure yacht named Goldilocks."

Inkari raised an eyebrow. Can we hail it?

We can only receive, not send, he said.

Bakudeget’s signal crackled. "That, I can fix, he reported. Give me ten minutes to solder some connections and you’ll have something a little better than a short-range laser-comm."

True to his word, after only minutes of waiting, short ranged communications came back online and Inkari hailed Goldilocks on emergency channels. It took several attempts before the ship’s captain finally answered.

His holo displayed, showing a perturbed face. Likely, he’d been annoyed by the repeated hails until he’d answered. He was a thin man with a beard and an overly-pompous uniform typical of captains aboard ships owned by wealthy elites.

Pardon our intrusion, Captain, but we could really use some help, Inkari explained that their ship had sustained damage that marooned them. He left off any mention of krazarra. So far out from the galactic center, it would have been an unbelievable tale.

The opposite captain sighed apathetically. None of that is my problem. This vessel is not a rescue ship. We are a pleasure craft and my hackles are up, already.

Inkari frowned. But he understood. If he carried a complement of wealthy intergalactic residents, he’d be reluctant to stop, too. Posing as a stranded ship was the perfect setup to rob Goldilocks’ passengers. Please, he tried to put on his most sympathetic face. We’re going to starve out here without an assist. Or worse, the lizzaran on my crew will eat us before we get close to that point.

Again, that’s not my— the captain was pulled back by another man who stepped into the holo field. He was bald and wore a half-halo visor around his head that wrapped around the rear of his skull and flashed with status lights. The device was an AI tool that kept him in constant sensory connection with some another person.

"Did you say you have a lizzaran aboard?" he asked.

Inkari nodded. They were an extremely rare species and his eyes lit up, realizing that the wealthy might think of Rurak as an interesting curiosity. Yes. She’s young, still an adolescent, but she’s been on my crew a few years.

The bald man nodded and stepped back. He conversed momentarily with the captain, who clearly did not enjoy being ordered about. Finally, the captain returned. Prepare for docking, he groused. We’ve room to stow you in our loading bay. Make preparations. And then he severed the line abruptly.

Nice guy, Xero quipped sarcastically. A real humanitarian.

That’s a funny word, Inkari said as he crossed his arms. "There are only two humans aboard Paradivitias."

They needed the assistance, but something felt off about the whole situation.

***

Paradivitias came to a rest inside of Goldilocks’ transport bay as the larger yacht’s crew tractored it inside. It set down adjacent a line of six identical speeder craft that were painted bright colors. Their sleek design was all engine and little else; they were racing ships.

Racing ship, Inkari corrected himself as he descended the landing ramp and glanced at them, careful not to let his gaze linger. A whole crowd of elites clustered nearby as the rogues disembarked from the derelict. They felt keenly aware they were a novelty for the interests of the ultra-wealthy, but that had been the necessary card played to secure their help.

Xero walked next to Inkari as they descended. He, too, glanced at the racer. "The Firespit? That’s supposed to be the fastest ship in the galaxy. He kept his voice low, but then spat a raspberry. If you believe in its records, anyway. I still say I’m a better pilot than Caileta Jazzynorov. I raced against her back in the day, you know. I still can’t work out the math on how she always beat me."

Inkari grinned. Delusions of cheating conspiracies during his racing days were the impann’s most recurring stories. Maybe you want to ask her that yourself. He nodded to the crowd that awaited them. A slender, beautiful woman stood among them: the unmistakable image of the woman who’d made Firespit shatter every galactic speed record for piloted crafts.

Xero glanced at the collection of identical ships and then spotted Caileta… and her five identical companions. She’s a Bucanofsky, the impann muttered, realizing she was a genetically engineered human clone; their creation was outlawed in all human controlled territories, but every territory had one thing in common: wealthy people lived above laws. No wonder.

Inkari shrugged while his diminutive friend bristled. It all made sudden sense once seeing them: Jazzynorov and her clones likely beat the records by cheating. One would jump to hyper and another would time a reversion to realspace near the racing waypoints at impossibly close intervals. Jazzynorov had always refused to reveal her secrets.

She stared at Inkari with a predatory gaze, as if she wanted to devour him. Taste him.

Inkari grinned. Looks like I picked the right ship for help.

The heavy-footed Tarrk and Mattoc tromped down the landing grate after their captain, followed by Bakudeget and Stellara. Their hosts took little notice of the latter crew, but the crowd gasped with delight when Rurak arrived.

Inkari nodded to the opposite captain. I’m Captain Thanewulf. He pointed to the impann, followed by the rest. Pilot, engineer, and the rest of my crew.

Caileta, or the lead Caileta, anyway, sneered when Inkari identified the pilot.

The diminutive Xero furrowed his brow, but kept comments to himself.

Rurak had never been big on public appearances. Humans, especially, reacted strangely to her, but Inkari had insisted she show off a little. Placating wealthy patrons had been the price of accessing the cruise ship and staying alive.

Greetings. I am Valarius Yottoran, said the bald man with the sensory halo. The captain stood next to Yottoran, looking grumpy. "I represent your host, the owner of Goldilocks."

And that would be? Inkari asked.

She wishes to remain anonymous, for now.

Inkari bowed. We thank her all the same.

I am Captain Hakken, said the uniformed officer in the group. He did not extend a hand. I’m going to confine your stay to the docking area, he said. This is a luxury liner and we are here to—

Nonsense, insisted a voice in the crowd.

"Yes, let him, I mean them, come and join us on the pleasure decks," said one of the Jazzynorovs.

A dark-skinned woman with braided hair and a nearly sheer dress looked over each of the rogues in turn. Her body language seemed oppositional to Jazzynorov, but she cooed, Agreed. They look delightful.

All eyes fixed on Valarius Yottoran who announced, They may join us. Captain, issue them clearance badges the same as any of our elite passengers. Captain Thanewulf and his crew are our guests. Besides, if this is some kind of space-way banditry scheme, your security detail is more than ready."

Inkari could feel greedy eyes searching him: both the Jazzynorovs’ and the dark-skinned woman’s. He didn’t mind being treated like a piece of meat… so long as the lady chasing him wasn’t a sharp-toothed lizzaran. He flashed his most winsome smile. Please, just call me Inkari.

***

Several minutes’ worth of small talk and white lies passed before the clustered elites became distracted from the novelty of the newcomers and began shifting on their feet. Rurak had not said a word, not that she was prone to linguistic overtures, but her discomfort became noticeable.

As Caileta, the sultry racer, walked closer and surveyed the Paradivitias, the dark-skinned woman through of the crowd and linked her arm through Inkari’s before her rival could snag the captain. Come with me Captain Thane—

Inkari, he said.

She smiled warmly. Let me show you around. The pleasure decks have many distractions… unless you are needed here for the repairs?

Inkari gulped and made a visible effort not to stare at the woman’s breasts, which threatened to fall out of her dress where they bulged against the seams. Yes. Uh, no. I mean no. I can come.

She grinned and glanced at the crew. My name is Illuna Tuain.

Xero glanced aside at Bakudeget, who was ogling her voluptuous figure. He elbowed the mechanic. Bakudeget shrugged with a sheepish grin at being caught.

I’ll join you in a few moments, Inkari said.

Meet me at the door, Illuna said. Behind her, the wealthy crowd trickled back towards the passageways and lifts that would return them to Goldilocks’ posh accoutrements. Valarius Yottoran glanced at Rurak one last time; his AI interface lit up and his gaze lingered as he studied the lizzaran.

Inkari nodded at Illuna, then turned to his crew. Caileta sniffed as she walked past, returning to her cluster of duplicates. She muttered, Crappy looking ship anyway.

Xero furrowed his brow, taking obvious personal offense. Then the group of identical ladies departed, glaring daggers at Illuna as they filed past.

Alright folks. Here’s the game-plan, said Inkari. "Something about these people gives me the creeps. But they did rescue us, so play nice if you go above decks. I’m sure they’ve got a massive buffet and all sorts of other convenient distractions. He looked at each one in turn and stressed the word, Behave."

Buffet? asked Xero.

Inkari shook his head. "Not for you. I need you and Baku getting Paradivitias fixed as fast as possible. Tarrk and Mattoc will bring you back plenty of food."

The brothers chuckled. We’ll try to save you some.

Rurak, Inkari turned to her. "Stay aboard Paradivitias. Something about their interest in you feels… wrong. The guys will get you some food, too."

The lizzaran bobbed her head measuredly as if she’d arrived at similar conclusions.

Mattoc offered, We’ll make sure we only pull stuff off trays we see the others eat from. Don’t want anybody messing with our ggrrawgrhrrhrahwkk.

Rurak shook her head and spoke with her deep, guttural hissing voice. Not quite right. But she flashed him what passed for smiling in her species, grateful that someone tried to learn Rurak’s name in her native tongue. There was a reason for her moniker.

Stellara. Psychic stuff? Inkari asked. He’d instructed the youth to use what abilities he could to sift their hosts’ motives.

He paled, looking every bit like an orphan in that moment. But he smoothed his clothes and reported. "Captain Hakken and the bald guy are shielded. Illuna’s thoughts come through as fuzzy, but some folk are naturally difficult to read. And Caileta hates Illuna. The rest were more curious than anything else… their thoughts felt like children at a zoo."

Inkari asked, The Bucanofsky siblings, you could read them? Do the clones all read at once, or the same?

I didn’t need to read their minds, Captain… their hate for Illuna was plain.

Inkari nodded. Alright. You all have your assignments. Let’s enjoy this momentary distraction, but let’s get out of here as soon as possible. He glanced at Stellara who looked glum.

The captain didn’t need psionic abilities to read him. He had just lost his father. The youth, and the crew by extension, had been given a mission: to deliver whatever data Yarro discovered on Galaecki. Their promised payday was less important than delivering potential war-time intel and honoring Yarro’s memory.

Rurak retreated up the landing ramp as the others dispersed, leaving behind only the two shortest members.

Xero muttered, ‘Crappy looking ship…’ I’ll show her. He glared across the bay at the six ships each labeled Firespit. Xero crept towards the wall and picked up a pole, using it to angle the camera just enough that he could sneak unseen to one of the Firespits.

Inkari said to behave, Bakudeget reminded him.

Xero grinned, but shook his head. "Actually, he told those leaving the docking bay to behave. He shrugged. As long as I stay here, I’ve technically got free rein."

***

Illuna giggled as she sipped an amber hued drink from a glass flute at the bar in Goldilocks’s pleasure cab. She put a hand on Inkari’s forearm as he finished telling an amusing anecdote.

I don’t remember my stories being quite that funny, he thought, and then sipped the remnants of whiskey from his tumbler.

Did you know they’ve got elden ambrosia here? she told him. "Goldilocks keeps quite the variety of drinks."

Inkari winked and then looked around. Surrounding the bar on this deck sat a great variety of gaming tables. It had a casino feel, but one that catered to high rollers. Several players gathered in knots to roll dice or place bets. "It seems like Goldilocks caters to just every vice that exists."

She flashed him a sultry smile. You have no idea exactly how many appetites will be sated because of this ship.

That’s an odd way to put it, he thought. Below the high top table, Inkari felt Illuna’s foot tap the inside of his knee.

He smiled politely and stood, suddenly hot under his collar. She’s playing with me… my stories aren’t that funny. Inkari weighed the pros and cons of letting this rich debutante—a gorgeous, rich debutante—have her way with him. No way that can end poorly, right? He frowned momentarily. Don’t be a fool, Thanewulf.

Inkari looked over the deck and motioned to the game tables. Do you play?

After a moment of silence, he turned back, but Illuna was gone. He looked around but couldn’t spot her. Inkari looked down at the table. His tumbler had disappeared as well. Shit. That can’t be good.

A sour feeling burned in his gut. He didn’t know what kind of game Illuna was playing, but… hello there.

Inkari’s eyes locked on the lithe figure stalking gracefully towards him. Caileta Jazzynorov. She’d changed into a sheer outfit that left little to the imagination.

Jazzynorov moved with the sway of hips and focused eyes that marked Inkari as prey. Inkari gulped.

She raised her hand and signaled the bartender as she slid into the chair at the high top, and motioned for Inkari to sit. He sat.

The mixologist promptly brought two glasses for Caileta and a fresh glass of the same whiskey Inkari had been drinking. He deposited them before slipping away.

Caileta drained her first glass rapidly and then switched to the fresh one, which she sipped, grinning over the rim with a rapacious gaze. Where did Illuna go?

Inkari narrowed his eyes. Did you…

She put up her hands defensively. No foul play. I saw her storm off, abandoning you. I thought you could use some company.

The captain frowned and realized he knew nothing about the folks aboard except that they were all filthy rich. And in his experience, most wealthy elites were extreme eccentrics, fickle, or both. He exhaled through his nose and then drank a gulp of the top shelf hooch.

Inkari shrugged. I guess she got bored?

Or maybe she realized she was out of her league, Caileta smirked and sipped again. "I’m not sure she even knows what men want. She only made a play for you because she saw a chance to take something I want."

So you know what men want? Inkari chuckled. He sat up stiffly when Caileta’s foot kicked off a shoe and slithered below the table, sliding between his legs. All the way up. He exhaled slowly and tried to mask his surprise while Caileta chuckled.

"More or less. And I’m not used to being denied or beaten. Bring your drink if you want. She took him by the hand and grinned lasciviously. Caileta spoke with breathy words that made no attempt to mask her intention. You’re coming to my suite with me. The other Jazzynorovs are waiting. You may have all eight of us. In fact, we insist." She slid out of her seat, dropped the other shoe, and dragged him away from the bar.

Inkari’s brain argued with him. Danger signals fired across all synapses and protested any involvement with this woman. His body, encouraged by the parts slightly south of his waist, mutinied and insisted he allowed himself to be led away like a lamb to the slaughter. His brain never stood a chance.

Somebody save me, Inkari’s brain begged as he scanned the room again for Illuna, but she was nowhere to be seen. He knew that whatever the tension was between Illuna and Caileta, it was unwise to get caught in its middle—no matter how much fun that might be.

Inkari had a knack for stumbling into trouble and he’d spotted all the warning signs of epic level problems. Another thing I know about people with money: they hold grudges.

Caileta’s door slid open, and Inkari stiffened. In every way possible. The other seven girls were there, all in states of undress, and all wearing smiles. I told you I would win him, Caileta told her alternates.

They stood, all giggles and desire, and swarmed around Inkari, grabbing at his clothes and each trying to take a piece of the man when someone pounded on the door. The women ignored it at first, but the visitor kept banging urgently.

It sounds important. Really, ladies, Inkari said.

Nude, one of the Cailetas went to the door and opened it. It yawned open to Stellara. The young psychic looked both mortified and intrigued. Then he shook himself back to his purpose. "Captain—urgent news. It’s terrible… terrible. You’ve got to get back to the ship right away. It’s, uh, Xero. He’s had an accident."

Inkari pried the women off of him and wrested his clothes back before following. Sorry ladies. This sounds important. Next time, though. I promise.

They growled, pouted, and wailed as he followed Stellara into the hall and out from the harlot’s den. Inkari felt much like a fly who’d escaped a web.

Thanks for the assist, he said once they were out of earshot.

No problem, Captain.

I’m just glad you heard my mental cries for help. I wasn’t sure you could.

I am my father’s son, Stellara simply said.

You did some recon before all this?

Stellara nodded. I scanned whoever I could. I caught some surface thoughts. The guests suspect that at least one of us is a psychic, so they are all on high guard.

Leave it to the rich to be irrationally suspicious.

Except they’re right about the psychic thing. However, the elites think we might be ISPA Patrollers from Confederation space.

Inkari spat and hissed, Those guys are bastards, every one of them. Little more than thugs disguised as intergalactic peacekeepers.

"Regardless, Captain, Goldilocks hides a secret. Most aboard already know it, but all wish to hide it. I could pry it out by invading their thoughts… but they would become aware of psychic intrusion if I did so. The procedure is not subtle."

Inkari rubbed his chin. They can keep their secrets. I really don’t care.

Stellara nodded. And Captain, you’re right.

Inkari raised an eyebrow.

It’s unwise to get mixed up with whatever strangeness is happening aboard this vessel.

Inkari nodded. Then let’s concentrate on making as little noise as possible. Hopefully, Baku fixes the ship so we can escape right away.

Stellara nodded solemnly, and they hastened towards Paradivitias.

***

Inkari and Stellara returned to the docking bay. Somewhere just out of sight, Bakudeget’s welder crackled against the hull.

At the foot of the landing ramp, the remainder of Paradivitias’s crew sat on collapsible chairs like beach goers on holiday. Paradivitias was not overly spacious, and Inkari understood that being outside its confines gave some illusion of freedom.

The brothers Tarrk and Mattoc had commandeered a rolling table from the buffet and pushed it here, where they feasted with Rurak.

Hey! Inkari shouted to get their attention. What’s the ETA on those repairs?

Bakudeget’s head popped up over the top of Paradivitias and he shook beads of slag out of his wild hair. Ten hours, give or take.

Inkari rummaged a hand through his mane. Every hour we stay here, I get more nervous.

You look like you just stared down Death ‘an made ‘im blink, Mattoc noted.

I might have. But Stellara rescued me.

It was a girl, the youth said.

Rurak and the dvergans chortled.

Hey, defended Inkari. "It was multiple girls. He turned back to the tiny mechanic. Is ten hours the minimum? I thought you said half a day? It’s been almost a full cycle."

Baku shrugged. That was before we found an amazing score. I just got done installing the new components your pilot found.

Inkari whirled, grumbling about impish little thieves. Xero! What did you do?

The impann grinned and motioned for him to follow up the ramp. New cables lay strewn across a floor leading to a closet where a piece of cobbled-together machinery had been bolted into place and hooked into all the ship’s major systems.

I finally found out how Caileta Jazzynorov dropped off sensors every time, disappearing before resurfacing to zoom in and steal a victory. I did a little poking around that cheater’s ships.

Inkari stared blankly at the shiny new tech. Shiny illegal tech. What am I looking at… is that—

Yes, Xero interrupted. "I ripped em straight out from the Firespits."

Inkari groaned, thinking about the last time a wealthy enemy’s grudge blew up in their face. I can’t take you anywhere. I told you guys to behave.

The diminutive pilot threw his hands up. Well, you weren’t specific enough.

Before Inkari could answer, his communicator chirped with a secure T-net signal requiring a retinal scan. His eyebrows furrowed. Who could be calling at a time like this? Only a handful of people even have this comm’s call-code… He held the device to his eyes and opened the message. It displayed a room number and then Illuna’s face appeared.

Gone was the giggly debutante. She looked serious and her voice was steel. "If you want to leave Goldilocks alive, you need me. Come alone."

***

I hope you’re reading me, Stellara. Inkari directed his thoughts at the psychic as Illuna’s door slid open. The lights were low, but a table sat in the room’s center with a lamp revealing the glass she’d taken from the bar. A biological sample kit lay near it.

That explains how she was able to find my identity and send me a comm. We’re not in hyper, so anyone with access to the T-net relay could do a deep search.

Another light switched on. Illuna held a blaster leveled at Inkari’s chest and beckoned him to enter. The door shut behind him.

"You seem less friendly than