“What about your things?” Soren asked.

  “Don’t have any.” He gestured toward the door. “Shall we?”

  “After you.” They crossed the shop floor together, the door behind them slamming open. Soren stopped and turned, eying a musclebound brute with a pair of high-end cybernetic hands.

  “You poaching my talent?” The man roared. “I’m gonna break you, and then I’m gonna wring your neck, Tashi.”

  “See you around, Malthus,” Tashi replied, grabbing Soren’s sleeve and dragging him toward the door.

  Malthus lumbered toward them. Rather than run, Soren jerked his arm out of Tashi’s grip and stood his ground. “Touch me, and you’ll regret it,” he said, staring Malthus down.

  “Oh, you think you can hurt me, old man?”

  “No. I know I can hurt you.” He remained at the door. Malthus faltered in response to his lack of fear. By the time he had taken three more steps, he slowed to a stop.

  “Ah…” He gave them a dismissive wave. "...you can have him. He’s a shit mechanic anyway.”

  Malthus turned and headed back the way he had come. Soren and Tashi stepped out into the street.

  “That was incredible,” Tashi said. “You have nerves of steel. Weren’t you afraid he would pulverize you?”

  “The best way to win a fight is not to get in one,” Soren replied. “Mission accomplished.”

  “Yeah, I guess so. My name’s Sato, by the way. Takashi Sato, but people usually call me Tashi.”

  “Good to have you on board, Tashi. You can call me Captain.”

  “Oh. Aye, Captain,” Tashi replied, rounding into form. “I have to warn you, I’ve never been on a starship before. Do the engines come with manuals?”

  Soren glanced at Tashi. He’d probably made a mistake, but Jane had been so sure he would come up with another crew member. He could only hope this one would work out.

  “Honestly, I don’t know. But you won’t be the only engineer on board.”

  Tashi exhaled sharply. “That’s a relief. Less pressure that way. So, where are we headed?”

  “First stop, Mars.”

  CHAPTER 8

  Soren and Tashi made their way out of the Dregs, heading back toward the spaceport. Tashi never stopped talking as they walked, his words tumbling out in an excited rush, as if he'd been waiting his entire life for someone to listen.

  "I grew up in these slums," he said, gesturing to the grimy buildings around them. "Never knew my parents, not really. They were big Jet addicts, like a lot of folks here. So when they were here, you know, in person, they weren’t really here. Know what I mean?”

  “I do,” Soren replied.

  “Mom OD’d first,” he continued matter-of-factly. “Dad found her in the tub the next morning. Choked on her own vomit. It was sad but, I don’t know, how do you feel that much sadness for someone you barely knew, right? Dad, he just lost his mind. Left one day and never came back. I was eight at the time. I lived in our little place for a month before the landlord evicted us. Well, me. That's when Mal took me in."

  “You’ve had a hard life, Tashi. I’m sorry.”

  “I appreciate that, Captain. The way I see it, it’s all just a lottery. Some folks win, some lose. I lost.” He shrugged before perking up. “Or maybe I didn’t. My life isn’t over yet, and look at me now, headed to the spaceport for an adventure in the stars. Maybe I had to pay my dues to get here.”

  “Maybe,” Soren agreed. “What about Malthus? He seemed ready to rip your head off, not like an adoptive parent or brother.”

  Tashi laughed. "Yeah. He's not a bad guy, not really. Just got a temper, you know? But I learned to work around it. I used to scavenge datapads from the recycling center. Read all the manuals I could find. At first, I thought I wanted to be a hacker, but staring at screens all day? Not for me. I wanted to do something with my hands, something real. After my parents were gone, I went to him looking for a job. He said he could find dogs with better manual dexterity, but he let me sleep in the corner of the shop and eventually started teaching me about shuttle engines. He said I was a shit mechanic but he was lying. I’m one of his best, which is why he didn’t want me to leave.”

  “Why did you want to leave? It sounds like you had it pretty good there.”

  “Are you kidding? Nothing in the Dregs is good. I appreciate all Mal did for me, but the only end in the slums is a dead one. I want more than that. Working on a starship? It's a dream come true, Captain. I won't let you down."

  Soren was about to respond when his DA buzzed. He pulled it out, Jane's face appearing over the screen.

  "Soren, your ride to Mars is taken care of,” she said without preamble. “Twelve seats, but it wasn’t cheap, so I hope you found another crew member?"

  He smiled. “You knew I would.” He turned the DA toward Tashi. “Tashi, this is my wife, Jane. Honey, meet Takashi Sato, our new junior engineer."

  Jane's eyes widened. "Another engineer? Soren, that's fantastic! Hello, Takashi. Welcome aboard."

  Tashi grinned, waving at the screen. "Thanks, ma'am. I'm excited to be here."

  "I'm sending the tickets to your DA now," Jane said. "The transport leaves in less than an hour, so you'd better hurry."

  "We're on our way," Soren assured her. "I'll check in when we get to Mars."

  "Be safe," Jane said softly. "I love you."

  "I love you, too," Soren replied, ending the call. He turned to Tashi. "Let's go. We've got a ship to catch."

  They reached the spaceport ten minutes later, joining the arrivals line and rapidly moving through the security checkpoints. Trailing behind a pair of Navy spacers in charcoal service uniforms, he hoped they wouldn’t turn around and recognize him. Not likely. He’d been out of the system long enough that the younger spacers rarely knew who he was.

  The spacers were too involved in their conversation to notice him anyway. They passed beneath the security scanner without even a single glance back. The machine's sensor arrays checked everything at once, from their identification to the contents of their bags, allowing them through without any problem.

  Soren winced slightly as Sato passed through, worried the younger man didn’t have identification. He should have thought to ask sooner, but he wasn’t accustomed to recruiting from the Dregs. Thankfully, Tashi passed the security scan without incident. Soren followed through without issue, reaching the other side before realizing that while Tashi had ID, Wilf probably didn’t.

  “We need to hurry to the security office,” Soren said, checking the time on his DA. They were cutting it closer than he liked, and if he didn’t make it to the terminal with the boarding passes, none of his crew would catch the flight, and the whole mission would end before it even started.

  “What’s wrong?” Tashi asked, suddenly nervous, as if Sore were going to hand him over to security.

  “Hopefully, nothing,” Soren replied.

  They pushed through the throng together, cutting horizontally through the people spilling through the checkpoints toward a marked door on the side of the massive room.

  “You can wait out here if you’d like,” Soren told Tashi to help ease his nerves.

  “Sure. I’ll be right out here.” His posture relaxed considerably as he leaned against the wall.

  Soren entered the small security office. An attendant bot stood in the corner, its screen-face activating at their presence.

  “May I help you?” it asked.

  “I’m looking for someone. Wilf Delaney. He probably tried to pass through security without ID.”

  “Are you a relative of Mr. Delaney?” the bot asked.

  “Yes. I’m his uncle. I’m responsible for him. We got separated on the way in.”

  “I understand. Please wait a moment.” Lights on the bot’s screen-face flashed to provide feedback that it was doing something, stopping when it completed the task. “A guard is bringing Mr. Delaney up now.”

  Soren exhaled in relief, thankful he had remembered Wilf before it was too late. The door behind the bot opened. A security guard guided Wilf into the room.

  "Uncle!" Wilf exclaimed. "Thank goodness you found me.” His fingers stiffened before waving excitedly.

  “You’re lucky I did,” Soren replied. “You shouldn’t have wandered off like that.”

  “I know, I’m sorry.” His fingers curled dejectedly.

  “Sir,” the security guard said. “I’ll need to see some identification to allow the traveler to continue to the terminal.”

  “Of course,” Soren replied, holding out his DA. The guard scanned it, his eyes widening as he read the display.

  "Captain Strickland?" he said, his tone suddenly gaining another level of respect. "Sir, I’m sorry for the trouble. You're both free to go. Have a safe journey.”

  “Thank you. It’s no trouble. You’re just doing your job.”

  He steered Wilf back to where Tashi waited. Before he could introduce them, Wilf charged the other man.

  “You son of a bitch!” he growled, grabbing Tashi by the shoulders. “What the hell are you doing here?”

  “Me? What is this, Captain?” Tashi replied, his panicked eyes finding Soren.

  Soren leaped into action, getting between the two and pushing them apart. “What is this about?” he demanded in his most commanding tone. “Obviously, you two know one another. Explain. Now.”

  The two men stared daggers at one another. Tashi spoke first. “The Dregs are big, but not really that big,” he said. “We all know each other in one capacity or another. Wilf and I had the same interest a couple of years back.”

  “Her name was Nancy,” Wilf said. “She was my girlfriend.”

  “Until she wasn’t,” Tashi replied. “Maybe if you hadn’t been such a Jet-head, she would have stayed with you. But we both know I’m the better man.”

  “You? Please. You’re a grease-monkey who can barely tighten a bolt.”

  “And you’re a⁠—“

  “Enough,” Soren snapped. “You’re both with me now, and Nancy is clearly no longer part of either of your lives. You’ll treat one another with respect, or I’ll leave you both behind. Is that understood?”

  Tashi relaxed immediately, not wanting to be left on Earth. Wilf did the same. “Aye, Captain,” they both replied.

  “Good. We don’t have time for drama. We’ve got a transport to catch. The shuttle pods are that way.” He pointed to an escalator angling down to the pod tunnels.

  They resumed walking, Wilf on one side and Tashi on Soren’s other side.

  “Hey, Captain,” Wilf said. “That guard back there, he seemed like he knew you. Are you famous or something?”

  “I had my fifteen minutes of fame a long time ago,” Soren replied. “Most people don’t remember me now.”

  “What were you famous for?” Tashi asked.

  “I’ll tell you sometime,” Soren answered.

  They took a pod to the terminal, the sleek capsule whisking them through a network of tunnels. When they emerged, Soren spotted the rest of his crew gathered near the departure gate, Asha among them, already making conversation.

  As they approached, a tall, broad-shouldered man with graying brown hair and a full beard stepped forward. "Captain Strickland," he said, snapping a crisp salute. "Commander Ethan Kaine, reporting for duty."

  Soren returned the salute before both men grinned at one another. "At ease, Ethan. We’ll worry about decorum when everything is official. Right now we’re just a group of friends, old and new, traveling to Mars.”

  “In that case,” Ethan replied, lunging forward to wrap Soren in a bear hug. “It’s damn good to see you again, you old Space Dog!”

  Ethan’s greeting drew the attention of the other gathered crew members. They all turned toward Soren, happy to see him but saddened by the reason they had come together. He had only vaguely explained the situation to them over the comms to maintain deniability while asking for their help. These nine had dropped everything to aid the Captain they had all served under at one time or another, come to respect, and later befriended.

  “Thank you all for being here,” he said. “I owe you more than I can ever repay.”

  “Are you going to tell us what this is about now, sir?” one asked. Keira Akimoto, his tactical officer during the war, had aged since then. All of them had. However, she remained stunning, her black, shoulder-length hair lined with streaks of gray, but her skin as smooth and flawless as ever.

  “No, Keira,” he replied. “It’s better for everyone if we wait until we’re underway.”

  “Understood.” She stepped up to him, offering a more gentle hug, which he accepted. “How’s Jane?”

  “She’s holding down the fort with strength and calm. Always a rock.”

  “I’m glad to hear that.”

  Soren turned his attention back to the entire group. He was sure the others would offer their personal greetings in due time. But for now, they had to board the transport.

  “It looks like you’ve all met Asha already,” he said, his eyes picking her out of the group and nodding. She nodded back to him. “These are Wilf and Tashi, our other new recruits.”

  “Welcome aboard,” Ethan said to them, quickly noticing Tashi’s stained and rough hands. “Are you an engineer, son?”

  “Shuttle mechanic,” he replied. “But I’m excited to work on a starship.”

  Ethan nodded before glancing at Soren, who knew what his Chief Engineer was thinking. The same warning the others in the Dregs had given him about revos.

  “Desperate times,” Soren replied simply, “and I’ve got a good feeling about him.” Ethan knew better than to question him further.

  “I’m sure we’ll be spending a lot of time together, Tashi,” Ethan said. “I’ll be your Chief on this mission. I’ll try to teach you as much as I can.”

  Tashi beamed. “I’m looking forward to it, sir.”

  A tone sounded from the gate, and a woman announced the last call for boarding.

  “We’d better get on board,” Samira, his communications officer, said, her hazel eyes reflecting the calm she always projected, even in the heat of battle. She had been the first to volunteer to join Soren, leaving her husband behind to be here.

  “All aboard!” Ethan announced. “Last one in is on bilge duty.”

  Soren moved to the front of the line to scan the boarding passes for each crew member, greeting them in turn as they passed. Besides Ethan, Keira, and Samira, there was Mark, who would be his operations officer; Alejandro and Sang, his two helmsmen; Bobby, his navigator; Harold, his quartermaster; and Lina, his maintenance chief. They were all fine spacers, and solid additions to his crew.

  “Hey, Soren,” Ethan called back once they were all through the gate. “You’re last. Guess you’re cleaning the bilge.”

  “Careful Ethan,” Alejandro said. “Push too far, he’ll make you do it.”

  “Nah, you wouldn’t do that to me, would you? We’re old friends.”

  “We’re all old friends,” Sang replied.

  “Yeah, but…” Ethan eyed Soren, who remained straight-faced to keep the man squirming. “Forget I said anything.”

  “I’ll do it,” Wilf volunteered. “Never had a problem getting my hands dirty.”

  “Good man,” Ethan said, backing him up. “I like you already.”

  Soren ushered them down the docking arm to the waiting starship, his spirits lifted by the assembly of his crew. Everyone was a friend, whether new or old, and he either knew or had a feeling each one would follow him through the literal Gates of Hell if he asked them to do so.

  He could only hope it wouldn’t come to that.

  CHAPTER 9

  Soren and his crew settled into their seats on the transport ship, a sense of nervous anticipation swirling around their section of the cabin. Attendants moved through the aisles, helping passengers stow their luggage and ensuring everyone was securely fastened in.

  Soren found himself seated next to Harry. The stocky man with short brown hair and serious hazel eyes had served with Soren for years, and he knew Harry would manage their resources better than anyone, ensuring they could spend an extended period of time in deep space without resupply.

  As the shuttle began to vibrate, signaling its imminent takeoff, Soren turned to his old friend. "How's the family, Harry?" he asked.

  Harold smiled wryly. “Holly is…well, I’m not sure how she is. We split up two years ago. She got bored with me. Said she wanted more…” He sighed. “...adventure.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that,” Soren replied. “I should have checked in with you more.”

  “Are you kidding? You probably have three hundred names in your contact list, and I bet you went through all of them to assemble this skeleton crew. I should have checked in with you more.” He shrugged. “Anyway, I’m fifty years old. I had all my adventures back in the service, going toe-to-toe against the CIP. My adventuring days are done.” He paused before laughing. “Well, I thought they were done anyway. I can’t deny a request for help from the Wraith, now can I?”

  “Plenty of others did,” Soren answered. “Not that I can blame them. They have their own lives, families they don’t want to leave for an old dog like me.”

  “Well, I had nothing better to do for the next few months, and I’ve missed being out there. My kids are doing well. Jake's in the Navy now, following in his old man's footsteps. And Lily, she's a lawyer in New York."

  Soren chuckled. "One out of two isn't bad, right?"

  “Lily always liked to argue,” Harry laughed back. “I’m proud of them both.” He lowered his voice and winked. “But more proud of Jake.”

  The shuttle lurched as it lifted off, pressing them back into their seats as it rapidly gained altitude. Earth fell away beneath them, the blue and green globe shrinking as they pushed through the atmosphere and into the inky black of space.

  "Never gets old, does it?" Soren murmured. There were no windows on the transport, but cameras projected the view of space to displays that ran the length of the fuselage, giving them an incredible view.