Next thing I know, Dart tackles me from behind, taking me to the ground. I feel his hand under my coat and I try to stop him, but he manages to grab my sidearm.

  It’s the last mistake he’ll ever make.

  I can’t see what happens next, but I hear it. A single gunshot echoes across the commissary, and then Dart’s dead weight is on me until I push up off the floor and he slides off. I look up, finding Rozik with his hands at his sides, having made zero effort to protect me. But if Rozik didn’t shoot Dart, then who did?

  I hear boot heels striking the deck get louder and look up to see a woman walking toward us, flanked by a pair of armed and armored guards. She’s tall and thin, with light hair like Yari’s, deep brown eyes and light skin. She’s wearing a perfectly tailored suit-dress with low boots and a sidearm in her hand, which she’s in the process of giving back to the guard on her right.

  “Mister Novari?” she says, looking at me.

  “That’s Novari,” I reply, motioning to Rozik.

  She takes a few extra steps to him. “Mister Novari, I’m Amelia Rocklin. My grandfather sent me to speak to you about your ship.”

  Chapter 14

  Amelia’s cold as ice. She doesn’t even bat an eye at the man she just shot in the back, lying dead on the deck of the commissary's second floor. One of her guards looks like he’s talking into a comm behind her, and Rozik’s shaking her hand. He’s just finishing his greeting when I see Danos and a couple of the other guards coming to clean up the mess.

  More telling is the fact that people passing by barely react to the altercation and the dead body sprawled there afterwards. A few stop to watch, but most put their blinders on and pretend nothing is happening. I’m pretty sure they did the right thing. Either way, violence seems common up here despite the checkpoint. And Dart did manage to get a knife through security.

  “Miss Rocklin, this is my associate, Grayson,” Rozik says, getting my attention. I jump back to my feet, straighten my suit jacket, and put out my hand before I realize it has blood on it. She looks down at the hand, and without missing a beat reaches into her pocket and holds out a cloth so I can wipe it off.

  “A pleasure,” she says, eyes locking onto mine. For a moment I feel like she’s looking right through me. That she knows all of my secrets. But I refuse to be the one to look away first. That would only make me seem more guilty.

  Of what, I don’t know.

  We stay fixed on each other for a few more seconds. Then she offers me a big white smile before turning to Yari. “And you are?” she says.

  Yari’s eyes are on Dart. I don’t think she liked him, but he was still the thing she knew, monster or not.

  “Yari,” Rozik says, getting her attention. “Miss Rocklin is talking to you.”

  “Yari,” she says without looking. “Yari from the docks.”

  “A pretty name,” Amelia says. “How old are you, Yari?”

  “Eleven,” she replies. “Is he dead?”

  “I’m afraid so. Was he a friend of yours?”

  “We were married.” She pauses and then looks at Amelia. “I’m glad he’s dead.”

  Amelia turns back to Rozik. “We hired her to lead us in the right direction,” Rozik explains. “He didn’t like my methods.”

  “Did you pay for the service?”

  “Of course.”

  “Then he had no case. Locke, report this one as closed. Jettison the body out of the station.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” the guard, Locke, says.

  Amelia looks at Yari. “He can’t hurt you anymore. I assume you have access to his account?”

  “Yes, ma’am. To take payments. He said if I ever spent a chrome of it he would know and I would be in trouble.”

  “It’s all yours now. Your entire life is yours now. You can do whatever you want.”

  Yari smiles at that. “Right now, I just want to be a guide. Mister Novari and Mister Grayson are nice men.”

  “I’m sure they are.” She turns to me, lowering her voice. “Except for the guns they smuggled into the commissary. That’s a serious offense here, Mister Grayson.”

  “Just a measure of caution,” I reply. “This is our first time on the station, and our ship was jumped by pirates as soon as we came in-system.”

  Amelia’s face drops. “Those were no pirates. I can’t believe the audacity.”

  “What do you mean?”

  She fixes herself up, regaining her composure. “Forget it. It’s not your concern.”

  “Works for me,” I reply. “We stopped here to trade the freighter and get comm access through your synchronizer. That’s all.”

  “You may find the second part harder than it should be,” Amelia says. “We’ve been having some…trouble…with the synchronizer.”

  “Does that trouble have anything to do with your not-pirates?” Rozik asks.

  “Again, it’s none of your concern.”

  I glance at Rozik. He looks at me. Our primary objective is to use their damn comm equipment. If we have to waste more time jumping to another occupied planet, there’s a good chance a lot of people are going to die, including Joie. What’s more, I wanted to go to Bruxton. Rozik claims Warrick wouldn’t survive the wait, but they’re going to be waiting a lot longer now.

  I’m not happy. At all. Rozik knows it.

  “We might need to make it our concern,” he says.

  Amelia laughs at the statement. “You can’t just come to my station and tell me that my business is your business. Who do you think you are?”

  “You have a problem,” Rozik says. “We’re problem-solvers. That’s who we are.”

  “I see,” she replies. “Mercenaries, then?”

  “Not exactly.”

  “We’d be happy to talk to you about it somewhere else,” I say. “Somewhere a little more private?”

  She smiles, intrigued by our mystery. Or maybe she thinks we’re just a pair of amusing fools. Either way, she nods. “We can discuss the particulars while I take a look at your ship. Is that agreeable?”

  Rozik’s about to say yes, but Yari interrupts. “Mister Novari, I told you I can get you access. I know how to get to the core past the barricades.”

  All eyes shift to her. Amelia seems shocked by the statement. My interest is definitely piqued.

  “Barricades?” I say.

  “We definitely need to talk,” Amelia snaps. “All of us, right now. Follow me.”

  Chapter 15

  “Where are we going?” Yari asks with the innocence of a child. Or is it the manipulative curiosity of a child? There’s an edge to the question that makes me wonder.

  Not that I don’t share the same question. Amelia said something to the guard she calls Locke, and then they confiscated me and Rozik’s pistols and started directing us toward the elevators. She hasn’t said a word to us since, walking a few meters ahead and leaving us to try to keep up.

  She doesn’t answer Yari now, either. She keeps going, the other people in the area instinctively clearing a path for her. I don’t know what kind of oligarch the eldest Rocklin is or how the family treats the people who help run the place. She came right down because of what Rozik did for Danos, so that’s something. They seem cautious of her however. Maybe not downright afraid but careful not to rub her the wrong way.

  She gets to the elevator and taps a code into it. It must be an override of some kind because the cab was between the second and third deck, and now it stops and comes down. The doors open and when the passengers inside see her they hug the sides as they hurry to get out.

  Amelia steps in. Locke moves between her and us, and then the other guard brings up the rear. I glance at Rozik. He has an amused look on his face, enjoying these proceedings a little too much. Maybe he thinks we lucked into a good opportunity to expedite our mission. I have a bad feeling we fell into a crap heap.

  The elevator drops to the first floor and then keeps going down one more level. When the doors open, Amelia walks out first. Locke practically shoves me forward and out into a small corridor secreted beneath the commissary.

  Amelia still doesn’t say anything to us. She just keeps walking, obviously used to having people following her like puppies. Her boot heels click on the metal floor with every step, echoing loudly. I’m sure if there’s anyone else down here they can hear her coming and prepare accordingly.

  We reach an intersection and turn left. There are a couple of doors down the next passage. Amelia presses her hand to a biometric panel next to the first of them. It opens, and we walk down a third corridor leading us to a second door, which she also opens. We step through it into a small hangar.

  A transport waits inside, its pilot leaning against the side. He straightens up as she enters, opening the side hatch and hurrying in. A moment later, the ship’s engines begin to hum.

  She goes up and in. I put my hand on Rozik’s shoulder. I don’t want to follow her. I don’t know where she’s taking us, but if it’s further away from the synchronizer or a jump-capable ship it’s a bad place to be. We still have no idea how long it’ll take before the banshees show up. It could be another day. It could be in the next five seconds or a week from now.

  “Play along,” Rozik says softly, reminding me of why we’re here. It doesn’t help to be close to the synchronizer if we can’t reach it. I take my hand away, following Locke into the transport.

  He turns and points at three seats in the back of the ship. “Sit there.” Amelia apparently wants to keeps us segregated from her for the trip, choosing the seat behind the pilot while Locke and the other guy sit in the middle row.

  “Where are we going?” Yari asks again, trying exasperation this time.

  Amelia surprises me by turning her head around and smiling at Yari. “Be patient. It will all make sense when we get there.”

  It’s a cryptic answer, but it’s clearly the best we’re going to get. I let myself sink into my seat, enjoying the feel of it. Each one is made of synthetic leather, big enough to get lost in and soft as butter. It’s the plushest seat I’ve ever encountered

  The inner door to the hangar seals, and I can hear the air being sucked out of the space. Once the hissing stops, the outer door begins sliding open, exposing us to space.

  The transport pushes forward, sliding across the deck until its free of obstruction and out into the black. We accelerate gently, moving out and away from the station. My view through the forward window is limited, but I can tell when we suddenly change vectors and circle back toward the station.

  Surprisingly, Amelia turns in her seat and starts explaining herself to us.

  “I know this must seem strange to you, but there aren’t a lot of places I can go that I can trust completely. This is one of them.” She pauses, looking at Locke, who nods. Then she speaks again. “I don’t want to go into a lot of details, and you don’t need them anyway. The short version of the story is that my grandfather is dying and leaving a power struggle for control of Naraka station. He refuses to name a successor to the family business, which I at first thought wouldn’t be a problem, but then my brother Amelin decided he wanted the entire thing for himself.”

  “What about your parents?” Rozik asks. “They should be next in line, all things being equal.”

  “They would be, but they left the station ten years ago. We haven’t heard a word from them since.”

  “Which one of you is older, you of your brother?”

  “Technically, I am. But Amelin doesn’t think it counts because it was the luck of the womb, as he puts it.”

  “Twins, then?”

  She nods. “I beat him by three minutes. It’s sad really, we were close growing up. Best friends until this. He hired former soldiers from both sides of the war to form his own retinue. They came in as traders and asylum seekers. Then they attacked. They claimed the station’s core, where the synchronizer, the reactors and the life support systems are all located, and barricaded the doors so no one can get in or out.” She looks at Yari. “At least, it was my belief that no one can get in or out.”

  “I can tell you how,” Yari says. “But it’ll cost you.”

  Amelia smiles. “How much?”

  “Eight hundred chrome.”

  She motions to Locke, who takes off his glove and shows the back of his hand. Yari touches her augment to his and smiles widely at the infusion to her growing bank account. “There’s a linkage shaft in the lower docks. It’s big enough for adults. You can go through it to get to the core.”

  Amelia looks at Locke. “I thought our people studied the schematics?”

  “It isn’t on the maps,” Yari says. “It was added later. Like it was made to be used in the event of an emergency.”

  Who knows. Maybe it was. “So your brother’s holding the station’s critical systems hostage?” I ask. “No offense, but I would think the power struggle is already over. Sorry, but he wins.”

  Her face darkens at the statement, and I shrink back slightly as I meet her angry glare. This is a woman who isn’t used to being told she can’t have what she wants. “I won’t surrender my rights that easily. Amelin overestimated the value of holding the core. He might have access to the most critical components, but he can’t afford to use any of that leverage without hurting his own interests.”

  “So as long as you’re alive, you’re locked in a stalemate,” Rozik says.

  “He’s already tried to kill me twice. I escaped both attempts, thanks to taking precautions.”

  I lean back in the seat, suddenly realizing why she brought us out here. It isn’t solely because she’s worried about spies. Her brother is the one with all the clout, at least with regard to the station. He could kill the entire thing with the push of a button if he wanted to. She’s the exiled queen, left on the outside, with only her faithful servants to help her. Considering our motives, Amelin’s the one we really want to cut a deal with. She knows it, and by bringing us out here she’s made it impossible for that to happen. We either side with her in this little turf war or we’re going to make a mess of these fine seats.

  “You said you’re problem solvers,” she says. “I’ve got a problem that needs solving.”

  Chapter 16

  “We’ve got problems of our own,” I say. Rozik’s head whips in my direction, his eyes harsh. He doesn’t want me to tell her about the aliens. Why not? I freeze for a second before changing direction. “We made a few bets that didn’t pan out. Selling our ship is one thing. Overthrowing a rebellion? That’s not going to come cheap.”

  “Of course not,” Amelia says. “I wouldn’t expect it to. But if you’re as qualified as you appear, there could be quite a bit of profit involved for you.”

  “What makes you think we’re qualified?” Rozik asks.

  “Naraka is a ghost station, Mister Novari. We’re familiar and comfortable with the sorts of people who process through our doors on a regular basis. Traders, certainly, of all manner of repute carrying all manner of goods. Soldiers fleeing the war. Refugees seeking somewhere to hide beyond the violence that engulfs the AOP and the Commune. Pirates, grifters, thieves. We’ve seen it all. I don’t know how you two came together. You’re clearly Commune. The capitol, if I have to guess.” She looks at me. “And you’re obviously from Vilsy. You’re also both military, either AWOL or former. You have a Direct Cortical Interface hiding under that skull cap. Judging by the protrusion, your Lucier needle is still connected. Easier to carry that way?”

  “It’s a long story,” I reply, not bothering to try to deny it. She can just have Locke yank the cap off if she really wants to see.

  “Your suits also don’t fit very well. One too small. One too big. Not enough that most of the people on the station would notice, but I’ve been around tailored suits my entire life. If they belonged to you, they would be a lot cleaner cut. Don’t you agree, Locke?”

  “Yes, ma’am,” the guard says, eyeing our clothes.

  We should have bought new suits when we bought Yari’s.

  “So, my guess is you murdered the rightful owners of the freighter you brought to my station, and you’re either planning to trade it for a smaller ship you can take somewhere else to repeat your criminal activity, or you’re planning to kill someone else for their ship while you’re here. Believe me, it isn’t a new tactic. But with the abundance of former military wandering around the ghost worlds and illegal trade markets, it certainly is a dangerous one. Any ship owner with anything of value on board is going to have protection.”

  “It’s an interesting theory,” Rozik says calmly.

  “Relax,” Amelia says. “I’m not going to arrest you or have you killed. What Naraka offers is immunity from crimes committed anywhere else. So long as you don’t murder and steal your way off my station, I don’t care what you’ve done before or what you do after. What I do care about is getting Amelin out of the picture and recovering the station’s core. Any pair of former military that can overcome a guarded freighter is worth giving the opportunity to. There is chrome in it for you. A lot of chrome.”

  Rozik smiles. I follow his lead. She thinks we fought our way onto Valhalla and killed the crew. Neither one of us is about to correct her, especially with the truth. I’m not sure how far the story that the ship’s owner and crew were all killed in an alien invasion would fly. It certainly doesn’t make us look all that good on the surface.

  “How much chrome?” Yari asks.

  “Enough that you’ll never have to con people at the docks again,” Amelia replies. “Enough that you can live however you choose for the rest of your life.”

  Yari’s eyes light up. In the span of an hour she’s gone from being someone’s slave to a potential life of comfort. The sight of her joy is hardly comforting. There’s every possibility that in another hour she’ll be dead along with everyone else on Naraka station.

  “If that’s how it is, we want to keep the freighter,” Rozik says. “And we want another ship. Something with a Mandelbrot. Small and fast.”

  “Two ships?” Amelia replies. “There are only two of you.”