Scattered Suns - Kevin J. Anderson [225]
BeBob’s eyes were closed, and Rlinda assumed he was deep in his own gloom. “I was just trying to do an honest day’s work, that’s all,” he groaned. “Where did I go wrong? I didn’t want any attention, didn’t even demand decent pay. I rescued a man and that poor girl from Corribus, and for doing such a good deed, what did I get? Arrested and court-martialed! On top of that, my ship was destroyed, Davlin Lotze may have gotten killed, and we’re on the run.”
“Everyone has it tough these days.” Someone named Caleb Tamblyn, a scruffy old man who looked like he had vinegar for blood, stood next to Peroni in the Curiosity ’s pilot deck. Other Roamers had gone down into the engine compartment, trying to get enough thrust to land the ship on the ice moon.
Peroni said, “We’re appropriating this vessel as a spoil of war in partial repayment for all the Hansa thievery against the Roamers.”
“Fine. Make my day,” Rlinda fumed.
“Maybe you haven’t heard,” Caleb blustered. “Eddy battleships wiped out our facilities, including Rendezvous! The material damage and casualties are astronomical. Taking this ship is just a little bit of payback.”
“Maybe you haven’t heard,” BeBob said, “but the EDF is after us, too. You’re collecting on the wrong account.”
“So consider this sanctuary, then. We’re happy to help.” Caleb needed a shave. “We’ll take you down to Plumas—a safe haven, if the Eddies really are after you.”
Rlinda knew the damaged Curiosity wasn’t going anywhere. “She’s all yours, provided you know how to take care of her. But you boys better hurry up. The EDF is hot on our tail, and I guarantee you those fighter craft have enough weaponry to wipe your asses across this solar system.”
The news of nearby EDF ships intimidated the would-be pirates. The Roamers went about their activities with an almost panicked haste.
When Peroni shooed Rlinda out of her pilot’s chair, which was much too large for him, she reluctantly stepped aside to let him study the controls. “Be gentle with her. The Curiosity ’s been to hell and back.”
Peroni poked at various buttons, activating the systems, but it was clear he didn’t know what he was doing. “What kind of equipment does the Big Goose make you put in your ships? Malfunctions everywhere—I’ve never seen such a mess!”
“It comes as-is,” Rlinda said sarcastically. “Don’t complain to me if you end up having to do a lot of repair work.”
When Peroni continued to fiddle with the ignition controls, she finally bent forward and showed him how to activate their forward propulsion drive. “I thought Roamers had given up the pirate life. How many times did we hear that Rand Sorengaard was just an anomaly and that the rest of you had all disowned him?”
Peroni was engrossed in the Curiosity ’s controls. “That was back when we thought Rand was doing something wrong. Now it looks like he was just the first to see how treacherous the Big Goose really is. So we recently decided he was ahead of his time.”
Caleb glared at the two captives. “Those charges against him were trumped up. They executed him for purely political reasons.”
Now Rlinda unleashed real anger. “Bullshit! I don’t care if you’ve made him out to be some kind of a hero, but Sorengaard really did destroy a cargo ship. You want to know how I know? It was one of my own ships, and I was there. He killed one of my captains. Gabriel Mesta.”
“Yeah, and Sorengaard tried to kill me, too,” BeBob said in a small voice.
Caleb worked his jaw, but couldn’t seem to think of anything to say. Peroni, who had been occupied with the unfamiliar controls, turned with a bright smile. “I think I’ve got it now.”
She looked at the two Roamers. “Gentlemen, when all is said and done, I sympathize with what’s happening to your clans. You don’t have to convince us of EDF treachery.”
“Yeah, we’ve had some firsthand experience with it ourselves,” BeBob said.
Peroni glanced up as the ship started moving. “Then I guess you two were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Sorry.”
Caleb shooed them from the cockpit back to where his own ship was docked.