The Rush's Edge Read online

  “You are salvaging on a planet that is off limits.”

  “I have a permit that says otherwise,” Ty countered. “So, give me another reason that I should trust you after you just tried to kill me and my crew.”

  “Power down your engines and allow us to board, or we will open fire again. You have one minute.”

  Then the vidfeed cut out.

  Captain Sammeal Tallin was still confident. Somehow this band of smugglers had gotten away from his ground assault team, but no matter. A J-class freighter was no match for a top-of-the-line ACAS corvette.

  He desperately wanted another prize but if they did not submit, he would bend them to his will. No one escapes the ACAS, he thought.

  “Any response on comms?” he glanced at his communication station.

  “No, sir!” a vat soldier yelled. It was obvious the adrenaline rush was affecting her.

  “Bring the plasma cannons online. Target her engines. Fire!”

  A few seconds after the feed cut out, Ty looked at his crew. “OK. Suggestions anybody?”

  “They weren’t gonna give us much of a chance before, so I don’t see how things have changed. That squad came to kill us. We fight till the last bell,” Hal said.

  Vivi and Beryl nodded as Tyce’s glance shifted to them. Ty noticed that Vivi’s hand had found its way into Hal’s. “OK. Strengthen the shields. Target them. But Hal, let them fire first.” Try as he might, he didn’t like the idea of starting this fight. “Runa – how much time do we have left?”

  Thirty seconds – Tyce, they are charging weapons.

  Ty went to touch the controls, but the Loshad reacted before he even brushed them. With a dive and slight roll, they evaded the first salvo.

  “What the hell–” They shouldn’t have been able to make such a sharp turn: the ship simply didn’t handle like that. But Ty didn’t have time to question it.

  “Fire at will, Hal!” Ty swooped to avoid the next attack but was too slow. The blast took out their dorsal shield, but Hal had managed to hit the Phobos as well.

  “Ablative shields are down to twenty-five percent,” Vivi called. She’d taken the computer station and was keying commands furiously.

  “Gotta stay moving,” Ty said to himself, trying to maneuver the ship to flank the corvette. The Phobos was faster, and they took another hit to the starboard side. Their ship shuddered with the blast and he wondered if they were losing hull integrity yet.

  “I’m losing maneuvering thrusters,” Ty called. “Get them back online, Vivi – Runa!”

  Another blast rocked them as Ty’s hands struggled to control the ship. Without the thrusters, they had no chance of getting out alive.

  Thrusters at one hundred and ten percent, Tyce. Runa’s calm voice echoed throughout the bridge.

  “What the f–”

  Ty was interrupted by another barrage from the Phobos’ plasma cannons. They missed with three of the blasts, but the fourth caught them on the belly of the ship.

  “Ty – targeting system just went down!” Hal called.

  Working, Runa replied, before they even asked.

  “Gonna put some distance between us…” Ty said, performing a roll to give them some maneuvering space.

  The corvette relentlessly pursued, firing furiously all the way. They were barely aiming anymore, and Ty flipped and ducked and dove as best he could manage. But the navigation panel suddenly went dark and they lost the capacity to evade attack. The interior lights went out and the harsh emergency floods came on.

  “That has to be a hit to the engines.” Hal’s voice was heavy with worry.

  “Engines at ten percent. Life support only,” Vivi whispered.

  Ty stood up in the sudden quiet, but there was nothing he could do.

  They watched as the Phobos ceased fire, turned, and lined up with them; their boastful mocking of their victory practically audible through the vast expanse between them. Either they would be boarded and killed or the Phobos would make good on her threat to blow them to bits.

  Ty felt Beryl’s hand on his shoulder. Then he sensed Hal and Vivi drawing near.

  “At least we didn’t go easy,” Hal said softly, placing an arm around Vivi as she leaned in.

  The continued hits on the freighter had crippled it.

  Tallin smiled a wicked grin as the Phobos closed range on the doomed ship. No prize this time, but his log would register a clean kill.

  “Target the bridge. Maybe we can salvage the cargo bay.”

  “Sir, another vessel just transitioned to real space.”

  “What?” Tallin glared over at the sensor station. Sure enough, there was another vessel – this one much larger than his initial prey.

  The sensor officer reported, “Looks like a heavily modified Al-Kimian commerce raider.”

  “Target plasma cannons–”

  “They are firing!”

  An explosion rocked the Phobos. The hunter, now the hunted.

  Tallin gave up his bounty. He had a real fight now.

  The crew of the Loshad took a collective breath and braced for impact as the Phobos began firing. Hal had wrapped his arms fully around Vivi and buried his face against her hair. “I got you, Veevs,” he murmured. But after a moment, when they didn’t end up dead, he lifted his head and was as surprised as she was that they were still alive.

  “The salvos didn’t hit us,” Tyce said. “Why didn’t they hit us?”

  There is another ship approaching, Runa replied. The Phobos is firing at them.

  “Well, we’re not finished yet then. See what you can do about navigation, Vivi,” Ty said, falling back into his chair. Hal could see his captain was fading. “Hal, check… check weapons. Let’s try and help our new… new best friends out.”

  Beryl brought over the medkit. “Comms aren’t essential, but you are,” she said, pulling out a medjet and some gauze and getting to work on his arm.

  “I’m fine,” Ty said.

  “Gotta call you out on that one, Cap. You’re looking kinda pale,” Hal said over his shoulder.

  “I agree. Pale and shivering is not fine. It’s the very opposite of fine,” Beryl said, wrapping his wound firmly.

  With their leader temporarily out of action, the crew watched the battle between the Phobos and the new ship. It looked strange – not quite as big as a corvette, but larger than the Loshad and far better armed. The more Hal saw of it, the more he felt sure that the ship had been cobbled together using parts from at least two other vessels. Bits of it looked like an H-class freighter, others resembled the bow section of a war-era ACAS destroyer.

  Phobos scored a direct hit on the new ship. It looked bad; the sensors told Hal it had lost starboard shields with the last salvo. In frustration, he brought his fist down on the firing controls.

  And the lights on his panel came back on.

  The raider kept coming. It took several hits from the Phobos’ batteries but its ablative shielding seemed to shrug off most of them. Tallin knew full well what his corvette was and was not capable of. The Phobos carried some heavy armament, but sacrificed shields for speed. It was designed to catch smugglers, not fight open space battles with heavily armored opponents.

  “Time to warn the fleet; we’ve got a big situation out here,” he said to no one in particular. “Helmsman, prepare to withdraw. Comms, open a channel.”

  “We’re back in business, Cap,” Hal said as he focused the targeting system.

  “Do it,” Ty said.

  The Loshad’s lasers fired and raked furrows in the Phobos as she attempted to bear down on the new ship. Obviously, it had lost some of its shields already.

  The forward momentum of the Phobos stopped. The unnamed ship used the pause to turn and protect its starboard side.

  And they saw for the first time, the unknown ship had a rail cannon.

  * * *

  “Captain, they are arming a rail cannon.”

  “Oh, Lords,” Tallin said quietly. How did they get a rail cannon? It was his
last coherent thought.

  The Phobos was completely unprepared for the blasts from its rival’s rail cannon. Tallin was still in shock as the mass driver projectile tore through the Phobos’ hull, cracking it like an egg. The wreckage of Tallin’s hopes floated away with his corpse – lost among the stars.

  “Oh my gods,” Vivi’s hand went to her mouth as tiny bits of the Phobos pelted their ship.

  Beryl’s station beeped with an incoming comms signal. She glanced at Ty, who nodded.

  “Go ahead,” Ty said.

  It was an audio only transmission. The speaker was a man with a pronounced Edger accent. “Remain where you are. We will dock with your ship. You will allow us to board or face the alternative.”

  “This is Tyce Bernon, captain of the Loshad. Can I ask what the alternative is?” He raised an eyebrow at Hal as they waited.

  There was a pause. “The alternative is annihilation, unless you think you have something to top a rail cannon?” The grin in the voice was evident. “If you want to go, we are perfectly willing to blow you to hell too.”

  “No worries, I was just asking for a friend,” Ty joked.

  The voice lost its brief mirth. “No weapons.” Then the transmission cut out.

  Hal stood up. “No weapons? Cap, you’re not seriously thinking of–”

  “There’s no choice, Hal. Unless you’ve figured out how pull a rail cannon out of your ass?”

  Hal paused, considering. “Fuck.”

  “Yeah, I know.” Ty pushed himself to his feet. “We’ll go. Beryl, stay on the bridge and facilitate the dock. Vivi–”

  “I’m coming with you.” Vivi took the blast pistol out of the small of her back and left it on the console in front of her.

  “OK. Let’s go,” Tyce said.

  TWELVE

  They arrived at the docking rings and waited. Ty was still swaying a little, but Hal put an arm out to steady him.

  “It’s OK; I’m good,” he said, seeing Hal’s worried expression. “Look, at least these guys aren’t shooting at us. That’s gotta be a good sign, right?”

  Ty could see that Hal was not convinced. There was a low beeping, and they watched through the portal as the larger ship lined up with their docking ring. When the airlock sealed, Hal moved himself between the portal and them. Ever the vat, trying to put himself between his nats and danger, Ty thought.

  “If it goes bad, get straight back to the bridge, Veevs,” Hal said in a low voice.

  Three figures stepped onto their ship, then the inner door of the airlock slid open. There were two men and a woman, dressed in identical olive brown fatigue pants and black shirts: a makeshift uniform. The female soldier had a blasrifle in her hands, but it was the foremost figure who caught Ty’s attention.

  He was lean, with dark hair and a permanent smirk on his angular face, his eyes blackened with the rush.

  Ty stepped forward. “I’m Captain Bernon.”

  “I guess you had nothing to top my rail cannon?”

  “Guess not. I’d shake hands, but–” He shrugged, holding out both of his bloodstained palms. “Surviving’s a bloody business.”

  “What does ACAS want with you?” The angular man’s face flicked over him, moved to Vivi and then Hal. Then his face broke into a smile seeing the tattoo on Hal’s wrist. “Brother,” he said, in greeting. “You ship with nats.” His words were a statement rather than a question.

  “I ship with my friends,” Hal returned.

  “Fair enough, brother,” the man nodded. The dark-skinned crewman next to him tapped the woman on the shoulder and made a series of signs that Ty recognized as visual signal code. She replied, friend not enemy, plus a few signs Ty didn’t recognize. It was then that he noticed the jagged scar across the man’s face, pulling the outside edge of his eye taut before ending at the corner of his mouth.

  The angular-faced man approached Tyce. “Who else is on your ship?”

  “We have a medic. That’s all. It’s a small crew. We salvage tech beyond the Border.”

  “So, that’s why the ACAS is after you?”

  “I don’t know why they attacked us, but they put an assault team on the ground. We escaped into orbit, but they tried to shoot us down. That’s when you showed up, thankfully.”

  “Yes. We saw. You weren’t going to go down easy,” the man said, impressed. “Facing a corvette like that with this ship was the act of a brave man. Or a crazy one.”

  Tyce had the idea that it was as close as he would get to a compliment. Then the man’s face turned thoughtful. “Would your medic consider looking at our wounded?”

  “I’ll have to ask her,” Tyce said.

  “Why don’t you just command it? She is under your orders, is she not?”

  “She’s free to make her own decisions. I don’t run my ship like the ACAS.”

  The vat glanced over his shoulder at his friends, before turning back. “Maybe we will be glad that we came to your rescue, Tyce Bernon.”

  “You know my name, so what’s yours?”

  “Ahh! Nat Tyce Bernon deigns to know our names,” he chuckled humorlessly, glancing back briefly at his compatriots.

  Hal stepped in, blue eyes glaring in a challenge. The stranger held up a hand. “OK, relax, brother. I am known as Patrin Kerlani. The big man here is Orin Neen. And this is Lane Tyner.”

  “This is Halvor Cullen and Vivi Valjean. You’re the captain?” Tyce asked.

  Patrin shook his head. “No. Our captain is on the ship. He would like to meet you. But first, we need to leave this place. The ACAS are like roaches; if you see one, there will be a hundred on the way. If your medic will come with me, I’ll leave these two, as exchange. It’s better for us to disengage the dock, then meet back up at coordinates I’ll send you.”

  Ty eyed Hal, reading his expression. It was obvious neither one of them liked this set up, but there was no other course of action. Ty was fading fast, and the pain was starting to wear on him. He knew that Hal would be edgy after the physical combat and the mental strain of ship-to-ship battle. It was a good idea to get out of here.

  Hal spoke up. “Their weapons go back with you.”

  Patrin turned more fully to Hal and shook his head. “You may trust me, brother. I give you my word my people will only use their weapons if attacked.”

  Hal glared at Patrin, unconvinced, but said nothing in return.

  Tyce keyed his comm. “Beryl. Let Runa take over. Get your medkit and meet us by the docking port.”

  “On my way.”

  “So. Do you salvage beyond the Border as well?” Tyce asked.

  Patrin and Lane laughed, then Lane signed to Orin and the big man smiled. “In a manner of speaking, Bernon,” Patrin replied. “We appropriate things, so you could say – creatively speaking – that we salvage.”

  “Oh. So, you’re pirates,” Vivi piped up.

  Patrin grinned, turning himself towards Vivi. Hal moved swiftly in front of her. “Back up,” he warned.

  The pirate continued to smirk as he eyed Hal once more with a grudging respect. “So. The nat girl belongs to you, huh? My mistake, brother.” He lifted his hands in mock surrender.

  The tension between them built as Hal continued to glare. Tyce was about to step in when Beryl came down the hallway.

  “Ah, this is my medic, Beryl McCabe. Beryl, these are a few of our benefactors. Patrin, Lane, and Orin. They are… salvagers. Of a sort.”

  “Thanks for saving our asses back there,” Beryl said.

  “You could repay us by helping our wounded. We have medical supplies, but no medic on this trip,” Patrin said. “Some were hurt in the attack. Some have other problems. Difficulties that arise from… aging.”

  “I need to check my captain’s vitals first, but then I’ll look at anyone you have,” Beryl said. “Medbay is this way.”

  Once in the Medbay, Beryl scanned Ty, then, despite his complaints, hooked him to an IV. “Shut up, Ty. You need the fluids and the blood stim,” was all she said.
<
br />   “Hal,” Ty said, as she began to administer something else through the IV. Immediately his eyelids became heavy. “Wait – what did you…” Tyce’s voice became thick as the medication took effect.

  “Just sleep, OK? We’ve got this,” Beryl said.

  “You’re… demoted…” he said, with a faint frown, as he fell unconscious.

  “Wouldn’t be the first time,” Beryl replied, smiling down at him. She pulled a blanket from a cabinet and draped it over him before she turned to Hal.

  “Right. Now he’s sorted, I think you should stay on the ship with Vivi, Hal.” She glanced at the three vats who stood in the doorway watching. “I’ll be OK with our new friends.”

  Hal didn’t like the idea of anyone going to Patrin’s ship, but there wasn’t much he could do. “Take your blaspistol with you.”

  Patrin began to protest, but Hal shook his head. “I give you my word she won’t use it unless attacked by your people. Same deal with your men, right?” His cool gaze shut down the pirate’s objections.

  “Very well. I see we will both have to trust each other’s word,” Patrin nodded, pleased. “Vats should not be enemies, brother.” He held out a hand to Hal.

  Hal reached out slowly and took it but stared the newcomer down. “If anyone is harmed, we will be enemies.”

  The grinning arrogance wiped from his face, Patrin nodded solemnly. “Understood, Hal Cullen.”

  Hal turned back to Beryl. “Pack everything you’ll need and meet us at the airlock in five minutes.”

  When they had all reassembled, Beryl drew Hal and Vivi close. “Remember, remove Ty’s IV in about two hours. He’ll wake up around the time we rendezvous tomorrow,” Beryl said.

  “I will.” Hal had gotten the coordinates and was ready to see this done. “Be careful.”

  “You do the same, kids,” she said, then turned to enter the airlock, medbag in hand and Patrin following after.

  “I’m holding you to your word, Patrin,” Hal called out to him.