Starship Renegades: Betrayal: Starship Renegades, #3

CHAPTER 1

Wren stood frozen, her boots rooted to the floor and her hand clamped around her communicator. Kari's hard eyes looked back at her from the grainy image.

Why? Why did the Guild have a job on Kari? And why had they given it to Wren?

Wren's skin was cold and clammy, clinging to her muscles like an uncomfortable layer of wet clothes that she couldn't take off. The chattering voices of the others filtered through the ship from the dining room but she barely heard it; her whole being focused on the communicator and the latest job.

How long had she been with Kari now? So long. And she'd promised that if she ever got a hit on Kari that she'd give Kari first option. She'd never counted on the job coming from the Guild and therefore being non-negotiable. She had to see it through… even though it made her stomach crawl and bile rise to the back of her throat.

Why? Why did it matter if she finished a job on Kari? Everyone died eventually and their atoms returned to the Universe. So why should she care? But as much as Wren repeated the Guild's teachings, she couldn't completely silence the uncomfortable voice in the back of her head that said 'no.'

Better to get it over and done with. She didn't want to think about the damn thing a second longer than she had to, and the Guild had said it was an urgent job. The sooner she finished it, the sooner she could put it out of her head and move on to the next kill, a fresh kill, a kill of her choosing with a fat reward attached to it.

Wren collected her communicator from the floor and returned it to her belt. She straightened her shoulders and stalked out of her room, down the corridor to the dining room.

The strong smell of cinnamon filled the corridors, overpowering, almost hiding the scent of the others but not quite. The smell of antiseptic and hospital beds still clung to Piper, mixed with the scent of blood from the prisoners she'd tried to help. Atticus smelled of sugar cubes, engine oil and far off places—evidence that he'd traveled in his life. Ryker carried a familiar, sweaty smell that Wren would recognize from the other side of a crowded room. And Kari… Kari smelled of steel, of the plasma pistol she'd been firing and the brandy she was drinking.

Wren hovered in the darkness outside the dining room, closed her eyes, and flared her nostrils, drawing in their smells. She could have said so much about them just from those smells, even if she'd never met them before.

Her eyes flicked open. Why was she thinking about that now? What did their smells matter? All that mattered was the job and she was delaying it. If the Guild ever found out…

Wren shivered and pulled her thin knife from the sheath at her belt. The cool metal sent a calming wave up through her palm. Her blood rushed through her veins in time with her heartbeat. She focused on that—an old trick to calm the nerves—and her breathing slowed.

This was just a job—like the hundreds of others she'd done. She'd go in, make the kill, and leave. Done.

She tensed, ready to lunge into the dining room and bury her knife in Kari's throat. But then paused. Leave… leave how? If she made the kill now, all the others would see. Ryker would probably shoot her before she had a chance to get out of the dining room, and even if she did make it out, where would she go? She couldn't exactly leave the ship—they were hours from any planet with no escape pods.

Her only option would be to kill them all, but that wasn't part of the job description… If that's what it took to get the job done then she'd do it, but it wasn't necessary. They'd make planetfall before too long and Wren would get her chance then. She'd make some excuse to be alone with Kari, finish the job, and then leave before anyone else realized.

It would be a shame to leave Ghost behind, it had been a good ship, and a good cover for Wren, but all things ended.

That was settled then.

Wren slid the cool knife back into its sheath and tried to return her face to an expressionless mask. She'd do the job, and quickly—just like the Guild said—but she'd wait until she had an escape route.

She straightened her shoulders and strode into the dining room, glad that none of them had the same powers of observation as she did. If she'd been watching herself, she would have read the tension and threat of betrayal all over her face, right down to the way she walked.

The others continued talking—oblivious.

CHAPTER 2

With the katium we took from the stealth ship, we could make it to the next system in a couple of days, Kari said. She tried to sound confident, that she knew exactly what she was doing, but in reality, she had no idea.

At that moment Wren emerged out of the shadows by the door and strode into the room. Kari thought she saw a strange expression on Wren's face, but it was gone as soon as she entered the lighted dining room—probably just a trick of the shadows. Either way, she didn't have time to worry about whatever Wren was thinking.

So? Kari said. Do you still want to come to the next system? What's it called again?

Semiramis, Atticus said. It's the Semiramis system.

Kari raised an eyebrow and Ryker, Piper, and Wren all turned to stare at him.

I've been there a couple of times, Atticus said.

Ryker gave a low whistle. You've been to other systems? You're better traveled than I thought.

Atticus shrugged. I've been around.

What do you know about it? Kari said.

There's not much to know. It's less populated than Raxis, less technology. They don't have strong katium reserves, so their main trade is food.

They can trade in food? Kari said. They must be rich.

A sad smile passed over Atticus' face as he shook his head. No. Only in the Raxis system does food equate with riches, and that's only because of the choke that Albion keeps on it.

Ryker leaned forward on the table, the muscles of his shoulders bulging. Hang on. That almost sounded anti-Imperium.

When you've seen as much as I have… you start to notice holes in the propaganda.

But for weeks, ever since you joined, I've been telling you that the Imperium isn't to blame. Didn't you consider speaking up?

I considered it, Atticus said. But there didn't seem much point. You held those beliefs close. I knew you'd have to see it with your own eyes to believe.

So, you've been quietly laughing at me behind my back?

Ryker, Kari said. That's not fair. I might have been laughing at you, Atticus was just being polite.

Ryker scowled. You should have said something.

I'm sorry, Atticus said. In the future I'll tell you what's on my mind.

Good.

If we can get off Ryker's feelings, Kari said. What more can you tell us about Semiramis?

What's to tell? There are several planets in the livable zone with terraformed atmospheres, plant life and such. I think the original colonists planned for it to be some kind of resort or nature reserve or something. But the business never came, so there's one major urban center on the biggest planet—Ryevo—but otherwise there aren't many people.

That might be just what we need, Kari said. The fewer people, the less chance of someone recognizing us. That's where we'll head, Ryevo. But again, none of you have to come with us. You'll probably be alright so long as Piper and I aren't with you.

I told you, you're not getting rid of me that easily, Ryker said. Do you think I hauled your ass out of the Pektush Uprising, just to give up on you now?

"Um, I think you'll find that I hauled your ass out of there," Kari said.

Ha! No one would believe that.

Kari patted Ryker's shoulder. Neither of them needed to say what they both already knew; they had each other's backs. They might have been on opposite ends of the political spectrum since the end of the rebellion, but that didn't change anything; they were platoon mates first. Alright, and you, Atticus?

I'm beginning to remember why I left Zenith and the Raxis system in the first place, Atticus said. It will be good to go back to Semiramis… it's a simpler place.

Wren? Kari didn't expect Wren to come along. She and Kari might have formed some kind of relationship that wasn't quite friendship, but Wren put the Guild first and if they'd just called with a job then she'd want to run off and finish it.

The shadows in the corner hid Wren's face, and not for the first time Kari considered that she needed to install better lighting. It was unnerving enough to know that an assassin sat in her dining room, let alone not being able to see her face.

I'll come, Wren said.

What? Kari couldn't help her mouth dropping.

What? You think I don't want to see the Universe?

No… I know you do…

Then why wouldn't I come with you?

I just thought you might have a job…

Wren waved her hand. No, it was something else.

Then it's settled. Kari hurried through the ship to the pilot's pod and brought up the coordinates for Semiramis. It was so far away, further than she'd ever dreamed of traveling. Sometimes when she'd traveled to the outer asteroids she'd looked back at the sun and been amazed at how dull and distant it had looked. In those moments she'd felt a special kind of peace, like finally there was room in the Universe for her. But traveling all the way out of the Raxis system? That was something she'd never considered.

Kari drew a deep breath and engaged the faster-than-light engines. Ghost made a grinding, clunking noise, and the whole ship vibrated so hard that Kari thought it might fall apart. She'd never used the FTL engines in the whole time she'd owned Ghost—katium was too expensive. It meant that she took longer to do jobs, but then not many transport ships could afford katium anyway.

The grinding noise grew louder until it sounded like some monstrous beast was about to tear the ship in half.

Kari's heart quickened. Perhaps she should have tested the FTL engine first? What if she'd sentenced them all to a quick and messy death?

A final wheezing squeal and then Kari's stomach dropped as they shot forward. The force shoved her against the hard frame of her chair. She gritted her teeth and clutched the armrests as the ship picked up speed, getting faster and faster, until the stars became a blur through the window and the normal scanners across her dashboard went dead.

She spent the next five minutes pinned to her seat as Ghost accelerated. What if she'd miscalculated their course and they ended up in the middle of outer space with no katium reserves? What if Ghost's sensors weren't working and they collided with some other ship or planet? At faster-than-light speed they'd be torn into a million pieces and their atoms strewn across both systems.

After five minutes her racing heart eased and she managed to release her death grip on the armrests. She let out a long breath and stood, legs shaking. She should definitely have tested the engines on a small jump, before aiming all the way to the next system. But she'd been so worried about the Imperium that she'd just gone for it. Next time, she'd be more careful.

She staggered through the ship to the dining room where she found Piper clinging to her seat, eyes wide. Ryker was bent over on the floor, retching his guts into a bucket while Atticus patted his back.

It's alright, Atticus said. FTL can have that effect on some people.

Ryker spat into the bucket. That was the most godawful thing I've ever felt. He rounded on Kari. Are you trying to kill us?

Whoa, Kari said. The engines were just a bit choked up.

It's not that, Ryker said. Can't you feel it? Can't you feel the speed of it. It's too fast. I'm spinning…

He wobbled and fell forward onto his hands and knees.

Atticus held the bucket out and looked at Kari over the top of Ryker's head. It's not that uncommon. It used to affect about ten percent of the crew. Something to do with the inner ear or something. He'll hopefully have adjusted in a day or so.

I can't feel a thing, Kari said. Other than the engine rattling.

Atticus shrugged. Like I said, it only affects about ten percent, but it hits them hard.

The engine struggled to process the first load of katium, Piper said.

What? Kari said.

That's what the grinding noise was. There were probably impurities clogged in the feeding shoot.

So, you know about FTL engines as well?

Piper shrugged. I know lots of things.

As I'm coming to learn. Kari squeezed Piper's shoulder. Maybe you can give Atticus a hand looking at those engines once we get to Semiramis?

Piper nodded and some of the seriousness left her face. I'd like that.

You'll be more help than him, Atticus said, waving at Rusty with his free hand while the other still held the bucket for Ryker.

Rusty lifted his middle finger in the direction of Atticus' head.

Rusty, watch it, Kari said. You're already on thin ice.

Rusty drank his coolant. Yes, Captain.

Good. Is everyone okay? Wren?

Wren remained sitting on her stool and looked unaffected by the sudden jump to FTL. She shrugged.

Good. According to the predictions, we've got two and a half standard days before we get to Semiramis, so make yourselves comfortable. I know I need a shower after the mess we've just come from.

Sure, go, Ryker said. Just leave me dying here.

You seem to be in good hands, Kari said. Besides, a little bit of flight sickness never killed anyone.

That you know of, Ryker muttered.

Kari chuckled and wandered off down the passage to the shower room. She sealed the door shut behind her and peeled her sweat and blood-soaked clothes off. Usually she didn't approve of throwing away clothes, but in this case she'd make an exception. She doubted any amount of scrubbing would get rid of the blood stains, and she'd always know; she'd always picture those dead patients, would remember the panic she'd felt. Better to burn the clothes and be done with it.

She pressed the button for the shower and a single jet of warm water shot out of the ceiling onto the top of her head, accompanied by soft humming. The first