Chapter 4

CHAPTER FOUR

G il had worked hard for the past few months to reach the exact spot he now occupied—a stool in a dive bar on Maclaren Three, drinking cheap feelgoods, letting one of the bar girlies (as the women were known locally) hang on him and watching the action in the establishment. He'd done a number of shady jobs, a few of them outright illegal, shot his blaster on a number of occasions, managing not to kill anyone—yet—and had established his street cred with the always shifting underworld here on the border. The Hinterlands were a quick few lightyears away and criminal activity was the major element of the economy in these systems. The bigger gangs were perpetually recruiting because the life of a soldier in their ranks tended to be short and brutal. A few men and women who managed to survive and climb the ranks, reaping the spoils along the way, encouraged every would-be gangbanger to think he or she could do the same. Finding new soldiers wasn't an issue for the gangs.

Gil had an impeccable background, if such a compliment could be paid to a soldier of fortune with serious prison time and major felonies including murder on his ‘record.' He'd called in a favor from an old Academy buddy who'd opted out of the honorable life after a few too many horrendous battles and gone very very dark. His pal didn't operate in this particular area but associated with people who did and he'd been willing to claim Gil as having free lanced for him a few times. Character references were important, even in this milieu.

Just returned to the planet from a successful hijacking of a freighter, Gil had gone with his associates to this bar and partied. He kept an eye on his main reason for being here tonight—a chance to connect with Arturo Main, one of the high ranking leaders of a gang affiliated with the Jlonngi terrorists. Word was out the boss needed men for an unspecified operation and Gil figured it was his way into the circles where his brother was a prisoner.

The bar girlie was showing serious signs of wanting to free his cock for a quick blow job and Gil was fending her off as best he could when a man approached him.

"Clint Favor?"

"That's me." With an effort Gil kept his adrenaline under control. The guy worked for Arturo. He hoped this would be his opportunity. "Hold that thought, darlin'," he said to the girlie, setting her away from him. "Got business to tend to."

"Mr. Main wants to talk to you." The lackey turned without another word and headed through the boisterous crowd to the table against the far wall where the crime boss was holding court.

Gil tipped the bottle to his lips and drained the remainder of the feelgood, letting it burn down his throat, knowing the nullifier he'd taken earlier tonight was wiping away all the intoxicating effects. Setting the bottle on the bar with a click, he rose from the stool and gave the girlie a quick kiss, "Be right back, honey, don't cool off now. Order me another drink." He walked confidently in the messenger's wake. The bar patrons weren't as considerate to him as they ‘d been to Main's man, but Gil had no problem shoving people out of his way as necessary. He was deep in his Clint Favor persona and Clint took no guff from anyone, backing up his fists with his blaster.

There were empty chairs at the table but no one invited Gil to sit. Two of the musclemen spared him only a glance and kept scanning the crowded bar for any threat. The others were obviously prepared to deal with Gil if he failed to impress their boss. Arturo Main studied him for a long moment while Gil did his best to keep his face blank. "You with the Izzardi crew?"

"Nah, did a run with them for a cut of the loot, nothing more. Big ass freighter full of luxury goods. I haven't taken the mark of any gang. Don't intend to, unless it was worth my while. You recruiting?" Gil figured he could push a little, since he'd been invited to meet.

"I might be. Heard you did some work with Bull Cliftt over in Sector Thirty."

"Sector Thirty-One to be exact. Yeah, Bull and me go way back." Bull was his acquaintance from the Academy, who'd agreed to provide a good reference for him if needed.

"But you didn't join his crew permanently?"

"I like free lancing. See more of the galaxy that way," he said with an ironic smile. "Never gets boring. Bad things happen when I get bored."

"I need some men to fill out a crew going to Radihe Two to do a few special jobs for me. You in?"

"Sure." Gil had to fight to contain his exultation. Radihe Two was where the hostage trade was supposed to take place and where his brother was last known to be alive as a prisoner.

Main sat back, eyes narrowed. "You don't have any questions? You don't care what the jobs are? What the pay is?"

"You're Arturo Main, got a rep as a good guy who pays well, no bullshit. I don't care what you need done—why should I? My rap sheet is longer than your dick and I've done it all from wet work to kidnapping to grand theft." Gil looked at the crowded, noisy club. "Got no reason to stay here and no ties. I like to keep on the move, you know? Footloose and hard for the authorities to find. Just don't let me get bored."

"No problem there." The crime boss's grin was thin but genuine. He tossed a data chit at Gil who snatched the tiny item from the air. "The information and access code for where to meet up in the morning is there. Standard pay scale. Chance to move up in the organization if you do a good job and don't piss anyone off. Got me?"

"Again, no problem. Appreciate the opportunity. Your gang has a top notch reputation and I like to work for the best. Reduces the chances of unintended consequences like getting busted." Gil pocketed the chit and retreated from the table as Arturo switched his attention to the woman seated next to him, sliding her top off her shoulders, revealing her ample breasts.

Having accomplished his goal for the night, Gil returned to his spot at the bar, where the girlie he'd been fondling quickly rejoined him. He bought her a drink and toasted his new assignment with her. "Come to my room with me, darlin'?" he asked when their bottles were empty.

"I thought you'd never ask." A bit unsteady, she slid off her stool and looped her hand through his arm.

Without appearing to do so, Gil watched the bouncers, who were keeping an eye on him. One was a cyborg and the other was a four-armed green alien standing seven feet high and he didn't want to tangle with either. Putting his arm around the woman, Gil steered her out of the bar and onto the street. They headed for his hotel, which was a dump close to the spaceport. Once Gil ushered her into a robo groundcar and provided the address, she settled against the cushions with a sigh. "I don't get this kind of treatment often, big spender. Most guys wanna do it out behind the bar or maybe in the rooms upstairs. This is gonna cost you extra, taking me offsite."

"No problem. I booked a solid job tonight and I want to party in private," Gil said. "I don't like to share."

Once they got to the hotel, he helped her out of the vehicle and hugged her close as they took the antiquated elevator to his floor. Once he let her into his room, she began shedding her cheap, barely there top and he hastily brought her a drink from the minibar. "No rush, sweetheart, we've got all night." Anticipating her question, he added, "I'm paying for the whole evening, don't worry. Now drink up and then we'll go take a shower."

She emptied the glass, set it on the table and tugged at her skirt, revealing a black thong underneath. Raising one hand to her forehead, she staggered. "I must have drunk too much before we left the bar because now I'm all kinds of dizzy."

Gil caught her as the knockout drug in the drink she'd consumed rendered her unconscious. As gently as he could, he removed the short skirt, leaving her in her underwear and carried her to the bed, tucking her in like a kid. In repose the hard lines of her face relaxed and she looked younger, if not innocent. "Sleep tight, have good dreams and I'll be gone in the morning," he said, even though she couldn't hear him. Going into the bathroom he stripped and took a fast shower before bedding down on the ratty couch. The girlie was part of his cover story but he had no desire to touch her. A vision of Maeve crossed his mind briefly and he pushed it away. No room for those emotions right now.

The girlie would wake up confused, with no trace of the drug in her system. She'd pocket the huge tip Gil planned to leave and report to her pimp the spacer had occupied her all night and paid for it. If anyone checked up on what Gil had done after being invited to join Arturo's crew, they'd be satisfied he was a hard drinking, hard partying mercenary and nothing more.

Three days later, after a flurry of hasty communications to obtain unpaid leave for the six crew members who'd all agreed to join her team, and several in depth meetings on Level 10 to discuss plans and share intel, Maeve's group took a public shuttle from the Nebula Zephyr to the surface of the planet. Once they reached the spaceport, they withdrew to a practically deserted portion of the facility and stood in a circle, surrounded by gear. The rucksack next to Owen rocked in place and the cargo master leaned over to release Midorri, the ship's alien pet. She climbed up his huge frame was if he was a tree and sat on his broad shoulder, tail curled around his neck like a muffler. Making soft chirrups, she gazed at Maeve with her huge eyes.

Owen had insisted on bringing Midorri, who had assisted him in a previous combat situation. The extent of her abilities was unknown, as was her species or home planet but she certainly seemed ready for anything right now. Maeve had no idea how the creature would be helpful but she took a somewhat fatalistic view that it might be good luck to have the animal with them. She hadn't planned to bring Owen's wife Tyrelle but the alien empath had insisted Owen wasn't going without her. She'd argued her presence would be value added since most of the team had serious PTSD issues from their previous military service, which was bound to get stirred up by the demands of this mission. Tyrelle could help each person handle their memories and emotions with her power and ensure there were no meltdowns at critical moments. Owen had resisted her accompanying them even more strongly than Maeve had but eventually a compromise was brokered whereby Tyrelle would remain aboard the ship with Theo Knox and not be involved in the dangerous operations on the planet.

"All right, the clock's ticking," Jake said, pulling Maeve's wandering attention away from her consideration of the extra team member. "Where's this ship of yours, Maeve?"

She'd tapped into the spaceport's infrastructure, pleased to find she could carry it off almost as easily as she entered the Nebula Zephyr's systems. Now she projected a holo in the middle of their tight circle, showing their current location and a blinking red X where her newly purchased ship the Valkyrie Revenge was berthed. "She's provisioned and ready to go."

"Looks like a long walk." Owen sounded philosophical. He hoisted his rucksack. "The sooner we get started, the better."

"I've arranged ground transportation for us," Maeve said as a pair of large robo carts came up and stopped neatly. "Room for all the gear and seats for us to ride."

Muttering their approval, the others piled everything onto the two carts and climbed into the seats. Jake took Maeve's elbow and drew her slightly aside. "You hacked the spaceport?"

"It wasn't very hard. I didn't go into the deepest layers, or anything classified. Problem?" She was proud of her accomplishment.

"We don't want to call unnecessary attention to ourselves," he said.

"The authorities won't find a trace of my presence and I've erased the commands I used to get us the carts. I'm not a novice at this kind of thing, Jake." He might be the team leader but he didn't get to tell her what to do when it came to her own unique capabilities. Prickles of annoyance drifted through her mind like tiny red sparks but she was grateful for the distraction from the difficulty she was having over his light grip on her elbow. Maeve wasn't used to being touched and the stimulus made her anxious. Physical contact with Gil was a different matter to her still unfolding psyche—she loved him and craved the feel of his hands. "Can you please not touch me if at all possible?"

"This isn't the Nebula Zephyr where you're the supreme authority with override powers and visibility into everything," he said, releasing his grip as he walked to the nearest cart with her. Obviously preoccupied with the subject at hand, he added, "We're out in the big wide world of the Sectors and we have no idea what kind of security traps there might be. The Sectors might frown on our little foray and especially if anyone figures out we have a self aware AI with us, Mellurean citizenship or not."

"I'm careful." Grumpily she hopped onto the cart and took a seat. Guess I'd better not mention I erased all records of us arriving and our movements through the building. Jake means well but he has no idea what I can do. And the Mellureans can do so much more than I'll ever master. All she'd ever wanted after meeting Gil long ago on their battleship was to be human so she could be with him. Now she also dreamed about becoming a Mellurean herself, not that it was remotely possible. Even with her vast intellect and abilities, she was like a young child compared to what the ancient aliens could do. Maeve was determined to learn all she could from them, however and luckily she interested them enough to share a limited number of simple (for them) things with her.

The carts rolled through a door to the outside and trundled across the huge landing fields. Maeve made sure the carts were linked to the traffic control AI. She had no desire to find herself underneath a ship trying to land or in the path of one taking off. As rapidly as they progressed she was erasing their backtrail. The closer the carts came to the ship sitting by itself on a remote section of the pad, the more excited she got.

Red gave a whistle of admiration. "This is some beauty you bought, Maeve. You must have a sky high salary to afford a ship of this caliber."

Hastily she answered to blunt any suspicion. "I invest. I have excess mental capacity most of the time and I can't simply watch soap operas all day and night. Investing is like a different kind of entertainment for me."

"I'm going to start asking you for financial tips," Owen said. "Since you've got enough squirreled away to fund this expedition in style."

"When we get back from this trip, I'd be happy to advise," she said. The realization struck her that if the team survived and succeeded in retrieving Gil, relations between herself and this group of humans would never revert to the way they'd been previously. For better or worse she now had humans in her life instead of at a distance as mere work colleagues. Friends might be too strong a word to use at this point in their changed relationship but she could actually see herself giving Owen stock tips and discussing investments with him. The line which had separated her from the crew before was irretrievably broken now by her actions assembling the team. These elite crew members had known she was more than the usual type of AI but spending time with them in her human form and going into battle with them would forge new bonds. I hope there aren't going to be any more unintended consequences of my actions to save Gil.

The carts stopped side by side and her team wasted no time emptying the cargo area of their belongings. Maeve and Theo Knox walked to the sealed portal of the ship.

"She's a beauty," Theo said, running an appreciative hand over the ship's gleaming outer hull. "I was ready to go full pirate mode, in some ancient, creaking tub, but this is going to be a pleasure. Thanks for including Jayna and me in your private army. I owe Fleming more than I can ever repay, for taking me on after I was cashiered out of the Space Navy on bogus charges. He's a good guy."

Maeve was in total agreement with Theo but decided not to say anything. Her emotions were running high now she was actually about to go after Gil and her control was slipping. She couldn't afford to lose her corporeal form in front of Jake Dilon right now. He was the key to this entire mission and if he lost confidence in her, the others would follow him and back out of the trip. She ordered the ramp to open and the group hustled to carry their gear and supplies, including armaments, inside. Once the ramp closed, she gathered the others around her and projected a holo of the ship's interior for them. She pointed out the cargo hold, the control deck, the engines, the medbay and the cabins she'd assigned. There was an empty one for Gil, which she'd use, and several others.

"I'd like to lift off as soon as possible," she said to Jake. "Sitting on the ground is making me twitchy." Raising her eyebrows at the glance he and Red exchanged, she added, "Not for any reason other than the possibility of a last minute monkey wrench in our plans. Once we're in space we're free and clear to go about our task."

"Theo, we'll get the gear stowed," Jake said with a nod to her acknowledging her concern. "You go ahead and get us off the planet."

"I'll need to walk the ship," Theo said, frowning. "No responsible captain takes off for the first time in a vessel he hasn't inspected." He gave Maeve a charming smile. "I'm sure this is a top notch rebuild, but I'm responsible."

"I understand," she said, reining in her impatience with difficulty. She'd order the ship to lift off herself if he didn't hurry up. "No offense taken." She needed these humans to get Gil and his brother out of trouble and it wouldn't do to allow her impatience to cause her to erupt at them. Theo was only trying to do the job she'd asked him to carry out.

Theo saluted and hastened deeper into the ship, heading for the engine room most likely.

"Em, why don't you and Tyrelle go ahead and get the sickbay set up?" Jake said. "Red, Jayna, Owen and I can get the rest of this gear stowed."

Dr. Shane kissed him on the cheek and tugged at the antigrav container floating behind her. "Sounds good. Meet you in our cabin later." She and Tyrelle studied the diagram for another moment and walked away in the direction of the corridor leading to the medical facility, Midorri scampering at their feet.

Maeve helped with moving their supplies into the hold and the armory respectively. While they were in the middle of laying out and checking over the weapons she'd already ordered, which had been waiting inside the hold in crates, and getting the items Jake and Red had acquired, Theo's voice came over the com.

"Lifting off in five minutes, everyone take their positions. Acknowledge the order, please."

Jake responded for their group as the five of them stepped to acceleration pads and activated the restraints. Maeve heard Dr. Shane answer for herself and Tyrelle and then there was a lull as the engines could be heard spooling up for the effort to escape the planet's gravity.

Owen turned his head to Maeve. "You got the hydroponics setup I asked for, for my wife?"

"She'll have to set it all up but the ship came with a small vegetable garden, so there shouldn't be any issue with Tyrelle adding her own plants with the framework I ordered. It's top of the line for small ships like this." Maeve wasn't entirely happy to have the alien empath included in the group, not because she wasn't fond of Tyrelle, but because her presence was yet another wrinkle and Maeve was wary of things becoming too complicated. This had to be a clean rescue, quick and fast, to have any chance of succeeding. She was concerned too many people would become unwieldy. Jake hadn't raised any objections, however, and she reminded herself she'd deferred to his judgment when it came to the actual operation.

And she had definitely wanted the big Cargo Master on the team. He wasn't a Tier One operator like Jake and Red had been, but he'd seen combat and was tough and efficient. He was also personally loyal to Gil Fleming which she regarded as another critical success factor. This job would probably get dicey and men and women who were devoted to Gil would go the extra mile to get him out of the trouble he was in. She'd seen enough in her years as a battleship AI and then on the Nebula Zephyr to understand how humans worked when it came to loyalty and extra efforts. Maeve was willing to use every advantage she could get to save Gil. She hoped to rescue his brother as well but the captain was her priority.

Once the ship had left the planet's atmosphere and was headed out of the system, Theo asked permission to go to lightspeed. "The sooner we jump, the sooner we get there to help the captain," he said.

"Go for it," Jake answered without hesitation.

The ship made the transition smoothly, with only a small deviation in the underlying harmonics, which let experienced spacers know they'd gone into the FTL drive. Maeve was relieved her purchase of this vessel had proven to be a good one.

The rest of the day tried her patience, having to remain corporeal and participate in a weapons briefing from Jake and Red with everyone else, even Tyrelle and Theo, who were to remain in the ship at all times. Then there was dinner in the common room. She knew the others were watching to see if she ate, which she did. This body the Mellureans had created for her was biological in all respects and required the same sustenance as humans did. The fact she had additional capabilities of her own was comforting.

"All right, everyone rest up tonight," Jake said as dinner ended. "Tomorrow we'll start going over the information Maeve has for us about the planet, the Jlonngi and their main base, and making our plans." He raised his glass. "To a successful mission and seeing Captain Fleming in his rightful place again."

Everyone echoed his sentiment, clinking their glasses together and then drinking whatever fluids they'd chosen to wash down the preprepared meal from the ship's stores.

Finally Maeve was free to slip away to her cabin and she barely waited until the portal closed before she released her hold on her body and dove into the Valkyrie Revenge's AI system. Re-entering the Nebula Zephyr's system was like stepping into a vast calm ocean. Joining this much smaller, more limited network was like diving into a chilly lake but it was restorative nonetheless. As she expanded her consciousness into all aspects of the new ship, she relaxed and regained her usual good mood. When she'd purchased the ship one of her primary concerns had been to find a vessel with a standard, non-conscious AI. Maeve had no desire to override and squabble with a resident AI endowed with personality, even if it wasn't truly self aware.

Now she roamed the network, focusing on various aspects of the ship, identifying improvements she wanted to make and prioritizing them. Engines first. A lot of potential to increase the capability there. Narrowing her concentration, she began making adjustments to the setup.

"Dinner was interesting," Owen said to his wife once the couple reached their own cabin.

"Watching Maeve eat like the rest of us, you mean?" Tyrelle asked with a smile. She slid her hand over Midorri's soft fur as the pet sat in her lap, purring.

"Yeah for one thing. I'm still grappling with the idea that she's Maeve , you know?" His grin was self-conscious. "After all these years of dealing with her and now she's a woman, not a ship. Not a disembodied voice." He shrugged. "I guess stranger things happen when the Mellureans are involved. How's our crew doing?"

"Remembering I don't read minds—I read emotions and auras," Tyrelle said, "Overall quite well. Theo is happy to have his own ship again, even briefly. Jayna is pleased he's happy and gratified to have been included on this mission. She's hoping there's going to be real action." The empath made a tsking sound. "She's something of a hothead. But good people, as you say on occasion."

"And the doc?"

"Emily is grimly determined right now. She's not keenly anticipating any kind of ground battle but she's sublimating her fears—mostly of disappointing Jake—in the activity of preparing a combat medic's kit and making sure the sickbay here is top notch. It's good I'm here to help smooth out her PTSD. Jake is Jake—tough as always, thinking ahead, making plans for every contingency. No worries about him. Maeve was smart to ask him to lead the team. He is worried about his wife and the effect this may all have on her. I'll have to try and speak with him privately and give him reassurance. Emily will be fine." Scratching Midorri's chin while the pet slitted her big eyes in pleasure, Tyrelle said, "Red is a duplicate of Jake right now, except for missing his wife."

"Jake and Red are a tight team," Owen said. "I only know a fraction of the things those two pulled off while on active duty but if anyone can make this rescue op a success, it'll be them."

Leaning over to plant a kiss on the top of Midorri's head, Tyrelle addressed the pet with a laugh. "And you just want to be with us and have fun."

"Luckily she thinks planting bombs in hidden spots in an enemy fortress is fun." Owen joined them on the bed. "What do you get from Maeve?"

Brow wrinkled in a frown, Tyrelle shook her head. "Nothing."

Eyes wide in surprise Owen repeated her comment. "Nothing?"

"I do get her love for the captain. The emotion and commitment are written all over her thoughts and aura," Tyrelle said slowly. "But there's nothing else. My sister was able to read things from a Mawreg, a being as dissimilar from us as can be, but whatever Maeve is, she's not human and she has incredible shields. Like a Mellurean maybe. I can read only what she lets me see and that's how she feels about Fleming."

Owen mulled the information over for a minute or two before giving Tyrelle a sideways glance, mirth lifting his lips. "And me? Can you read what I'm thinking?"

She moved closer, dislodging Midorri from her lap. "Oh you're an open book to me, Owen Embersson." Arms around his neck, she shifted onto his lap. "You're wondering how well this double bunk lends itself to vigorous activities of the intimate nature."

"I vote we find out," he said.