The Pegasai Saga Part VIII
18 Aug 2016Jellicoe
We ran. Far and fast, putting as much distance between us and Tjakiri as possible before our enemies recovered from the confusion we had sown. My plan so far as I had one was to head for Ra, pick up the Resolution and get a long way from the core. We also had to get what we had found to Craddock and hope it contained something useful. I left the flight to the second watch and headed for the zero g gym three decks below, I needed time to think; I was on the run from one of the most feared pirate cartels in the Pegasai and if Craddock was even half right that may very well be the least of my problems. I was so engrossed in my thoughts that I barely noticed Spaceman Rapley, on of the deckhands as he came round a corner. I smiled, nodded, then saw the pistol he had levelled at me.
"So it's you." I said putting every ounce of self possession I had into sounding calm.
His face could not hide his shock. "How?" He sounded surprised.
"Someone on the ship tampered with the cargo pods we took to Nuen hoping to get me killed, since you're pointing a gun at me I'm guessing it was you. Darrin offer you money?"
"Lot of money." He said uncomfortably and momentarily looked down at his feet.
"You do know Darrin's dead?"
"Yeah, and being as you killed him I reckon that means the Omega'll pay even more for you now." He was right, but his tone was uncertain and I began to think I might live. It takes a lot to point a gun at a man, look him in the eye and pull the trigger, some can do it without a second thought but if Rapley was one of them I would be dead by now.
"That's probably true, but how are you going to get off this ship alive to collect it?" I asked still putting everything I had into sounding calm and in control.
"I'll get off at the next port and disappear." he answered uncertainly.
"Give your brain a chance man. As soon as my body is found Claude Marsaud will put this ship into lockdown, it won't take him long to work out who did it you're already one of four suspects." this wasn't the exact truth but I doubted it was that far from it. "and if he can't he'll just let Lieutenant Soames get the truth out of you, my guess is Marine Luby taking a metal file to your teeth but he might be more creative."
Rapley blanched and looked around like a cornered animal. "An escape pod, there are some at the end of the corridor."
"The man at the helm of this ship at the moment is Lieutenant Commander Skirving, he's an experienced and capable officer so when he sees a lifepod launching from an undamaged ship what do you think he'll do? Let me give you a clue, ignore it is not one of the possibilities; but even if you did get clear do you know what happens to people in salvaged escape pods here in the Pegasai?" I saw defeat and terror in Rapley's eyes, he was no cold blooded killer, that was clear but a desperate, cornered man could still pull the trigger if he saw no escape. If I wanted to live I had to offer him a way out. "The only chance you have of getting off this ship alive is me. How much did Darrin offer you?"
"Fifty grand to open a few of the pods and break the seals. Would've worked if Rattigan hadn't fucked up."
"I think I place a rather higher value on my life than Darrin does, I'll double it and throw in a Sidewinder as well." I looked straight into his eye. "one hundred thousand credits and your own ship just to give me the gun and walk away."
"You think I'm stupid? As soon as you're safe you'll get Soames and his gorillas to grease me."
"When I give my word I keep it, no exceptions, you know that. Here's what I'm offering, when we get to Ra I give you a chip for one hundred thousand credits and the ownership slate for a Sidewinder then I never see you again, and if I ever hear you've been boasting how you took Stannis Jellicoe for a hundred grand I'll put a price on your head so big every reaper in the bubble will go looking for you."
"I'll be a deserter." He said as though the consequences of what he had done dawned on him for the first time.
"You will, but if you think I'll let you stay in the service after what you've done you're badly mistaken. Just be grateful I don't mention you in my report, I take it I don't have to remind you what the penalty for mutiny on active service is?"
"I guess I don't have a choice." his eyes fell and he lowered the pistol.
I took a step forward and extended my hand to take the gun. "So we have a deal?" Rapley's head snapped back up his eyes blazing with fury and his jaw set in a snarl, the pistol also rose again.
"Fuck you big shot." he growled and I heard the crack of a gunshot, felt a blow to my stomach that sent me sprawling back, then everything went black.