The Reaper Diaries # 17: Redemption, Part 8
20 Nov 2015Michael Wolfe
They say that misery loves company. Well, Kyndi and I had plenty of company for our little escape attempt. There were a few dozen of us, Kyndi with her pistol pistol, me carrying Katie, and everybody else wielding their pickaxes. Kyndi had offed two more guards, and we had made it to the main entrance, where I had been backstabbed several days prior. It had taken a little time to get there, but there was no way that I was going to just disappear with Katie and leave the rest of them out to dry. Now we had three dead guards and a mob ready to start swinging pickaxes at heads instead of rock.
Hey, what’s a slave riot to start out your morning?
I placed my hand over the door control. Beyond was freedom, danger- and hopefully still my ship.
“You ready to do this?”
I set Katie down and told her to wait behind the door with the other two children. Unslinging the rifle I had stolen from the guard, I checked the clip. Needle rounds, high velocity. They would slice through anything less than dedicated battle armor.
“Ready.”
Outside, we could hear sounds of ships coming and going, and a few voices in the distance. So we aren’t alone. Great.
Kyndi was crouched in front of the opening, guns drawn. I nodded to Kyndi from behind cover. She nodded back.
I hit the door release, spun around, and-
Ships.
Beautiful, white, Imperial ships. Landed, hovering, flying in atmo- there must have been at least a dozen.
What the fu-
“What the fu-“ Kyndi lowered her pistols and stared, mouth agape.
She turned to me. "And I had such a great escape plan for us, too."
"You did?"
“Not really. I’ve been winging it since I found you.”
In our shock at seeing so many ships, neither of us looked down to the ground. It was more of the same- I could see what looked like dozens of Imperial marines occupying the main mining facility, with rows of captured men here and there. Off in the distance, some troop carriers were hovering up to us at a rapid pace.
I turned to Kyndi. “Put away your guns.”
She turned towards the slaves behind us. “Put down the picks! I don’t know what the hell is going in, but the goddamn empire is here!” I heard gasping and murmuring coming from the mine. I turned around, and Katie was peaking through the side of the door. The troop carrier pulled in front of the mine. The turret swing around to face us, and Kyndi and I put our hands on our heads.
What the hell was going on? I know the Empire is at war with the Kumos, but they wouldn’t be this far out unless-
The hatch to the hovertank opened, and-
No Goddamned way.
Stepping between the Imperial marines was Cassius Goddamned Fox. He walked up, looking as smug as Gideon on a good day. Smiling, he shook his head at me.
“Look who it is. Almost didn't recognize you under all the grime.”
We shook hands. “Almost didn’t recognize you out of an escape pod.”
He lifted his chin an inch and arched an eyebrow. “Your name is 'Titmouse'.”
We laughed, but Kyndi wasn’t amused. In fact, she still had her hands on her head. “Friend of yours, Matty?”
I turned to face her. “Yeah. This fine Imperial specimen here is Cassius Fox. He’s with Lavigny’s Legion, and he does”- I turned to him- ‘Well, what hell is it that you do?”
He smiled, and bowed in the old-fashioned Imperial style towards Kyndi, who was slowly relaxing her arms to her sides.
“Public relations. I plan, organize and participate in various missions that show the Empire and the Legion in a positive light.”
Kyndi nodded. “So, you fly a desk, huh? Sounds lame.”
Cassius turned to me. “And just when I was beginning to doubt your taste in women. Who is this you’ve got helping you?”
I gestured towards Kyndi “This is-“
She cut me off- “This is the badass space chick who is getting the hell off this world.” With that, she started marching back towards the mining outpost.
Cassius spun around towards her- “Not so fast, madame! You wouldn't be the owner of that fine looking Diamondback we impounded back at the port, would you?”
Kyndi froze and stood for a few seconds, not answering him. Cassius continued, his hands clasped behind his back and a smug grin on his face. “Because , suffice to say, the owner of that particular ship seems to have quite the rap sheet back in Imperial space.”
Oh shit.
I stepped between Cassius and Kyndi. The marines started to raise their weapons towards her. I walked up to him and spoke quietly. “She’s with me, Cassius.”
He looked at me, his eyes narrowing. “And? Under Imperial maritime law, I am authorized to detain wanted criminals for transport back to Carthage for trial. She is a wanted criminal. I am arresting her-”
I stepped closer to him. “You don’t understand. She’s with me.An inquisitor.”
Cassius narrowed his eyes further and ground his teeth. He turned again to face her. “As a favor to my friend, I am releasing you into the custody of the inquisition”- he glanced at me-“But know this; the next time we encounter each other, if you come up as wanted, I won't be so lenient.'
From behind, Kyndi appeared to relax, her shoulders dropping just slightly.
Cassius gestured towards his men to get back in the transport. “But seeing as your ship has been linked to hundreds of crimes in sovereign Imperial territory, I am confiscating it as evidence. You will be provided a Mk. I sidewinder as transport and compensation.”
Kyndi spun around. “What?”
He smiled. “Did I stutter? I am confiscating your ship. Inquisitor Lehman's Cobra has two seats, I believe, and”- he turned towards me- “since he has something of a history of inviting strange women on board his ships, I’m sure he’ll think nothing of having you along.”
Despite the cold and the thin air, Kyndi was actually turning red with anger. “That’s my goddamn ship, Ranger Rick! You can’t do this to me!”
Cassius smiled and gestured towards the transport. “I assure you, I can. Now, may I offer you a ride? It’s quite a walk back to the installation.” He turned to the marines. “You stay here. I'll send another vehicle to pick you all up. Now start evacuating these people."
Well, that was awkward.
I walked back to the mine entrance. Katie had been watching the entire time, as had Mitchell and the others. I got down on one knee to talk to her. “Katie… it’s time to go now. For real this time. This man is going to take us back, and then we’re going to get in my ship and fly away. Would you like that?”
Her eyes widened and she nodded. She grasped my hand and clung to it.
I stood up and faced Mitchell. “And I owe you one, too. You did real good, shepherding these people the way you did.”
He looked around, his eyes squinting against the sunlight. “I hope so. I don’t know what these Imperials are doing here, but I think we’re better off with them than we are here.”
A massive imperial Clipper flew over our heads toward a landing pad. Mitchell looked up at it, and back down at me. “Well, it’ll be nice to travel to a place of my choosing for a change.”
I smiled, and we shook hands. “You take care, Mitchell.”
The corner of his mouth curled up. “And you, Matthew. What, you think I can’t hear when a young woman speaks?’
The trip back to the installation was, well, tense. Kyndi didn’t say a word, and just sat with her back to Cassius and the marines. Katie was on knees looking out the viewport, but no one seemed to mind. Meanwhile, Cassius and I were talking shop.
“So, it’s two entire wings of the Legion, plus Aisling’s Angels? How the hell did you manage that?”
He scoffed and leaned back in his chair. “You've obviously never dealt with the Angels. They eat this kind of shit up. Give them the opportunity to free thousands of mistreated slaves and they jump on it like starving dogs on a bone. Easiest pitch of my life. Had them eating out of my hand within ten minutes.”
I gestured outside the viewport. “Pretty ships, too.”
Cassius smiled. “That was my idea. If all these people associate their freedom with symbols of the empire, well- you can’t buy that kind of gratitude. And when we hit this ‘Meat Locker’ of yours, well- that’s a lot of grateful people, isn’t it?”
He leaned further back and lit up a cigar. “And they will go to their graves telling the tale of the day that Lavigny’s Legion rescued them from their plight and gave them a fresh start in the Empire. It's a public relations wet dream. Fucking glorious."
I shook my head. “There’s two sides to everything that the Legion does, isn’t there?”
He smiled again. “It’s still bone-headed simple compared to the labyrinth of inquisition morality, I suspect."
“I wouldn’t know. I’m just a dumb ol’ bounty hunter. Just ask her.”- I gestured towards Kyndi, who just rolled her eyes.
The transport rolled into a garage, next to Kyndi’s Sidewinder. Everybody stood up, and Kyndi turned to Cassius. “Can I at least get my stuff out?”
He smiled and gestured magnanimously towards the ship. “Of course. Far be it from me to make you continue your journey without a change of underwear.”
Kyndi sneered at him as she walked by. “What the hell makes you think I even wear underwear?” With that, she continued on to her ship.
I glanced at my sides, and a few of the marines who had overheard the conversation were staring at Kyndi, jaws at their feet. I couldn’t help but smile.
Yeah, I bet it gets pretty lonely in the barracks, doesn’t it?
**********************************************************
Kyndi had come prepared, I’ll give her that. Among other things, she had showed up with little girl’s clothing, candy, a toothbrush, some vitamins, and even a few stuffed animals. I had been so focused on finding Katie that I hadn’t given a moment’s thought to how to take care of her once I did find her.
New rule, I thought. Bring a girl to rescue a girl.
We wouldn’t be able to take off for a little while, and I was busy sorting out the plotting. I wanted to hit fuelable stars, but I didn’t want to go anywhere too populated if I could help it, at least until I hit an Alliance planet. Kyndi wasn’t in the cockpit, but aft, in the living area with Katie. Even though she was trying to conceal it, I could tell that actually meeting Katie had been emotional for Kyndi. So far, she hadn’t displayed any of the insecurity and moodiness that had marked her initial attitude toward the job, but I could be sure that there was still something bubbling under the surface.
The rear door opened, and Kyndi walked in. I turned to greet her.
“Hey.”
She sat down in the co-pilot’s seat. “Hey.”
“I’ve just about got our route figured out. Lots of scoopable stars, no authority until we hit Alliance space. Then it’s a quick supply stop, and on to Eravate we go.”
She nodded, not saying anything.
“How’s our little girl?”
Mentioning Katie put a smile on her face. “Better than you found her. I showed her how to use the shower, and for the first time in God knows how long, she’s got a full belly, a teddy bear, and a warm bed. Clean clothes, too.”
Couldn’t have set that up better myself.
“I’m glad to hear it. How is she?”
Kyndi went to the cooler and grabbed a cherry soda and a ration bar. My last yellow one. Damn. “She still ain’t saying much, but she knows she’s safe. That’s the important thing.”
I nodded. Outside the canopy, the last of the Legion’s ships were preparing to take off.
“You know, one of these days, you’re going to have to tell me how you tracked my ass down.”
She smiled. “I’ll tell you that one right now. If you know a person’s name, you can track them. At least-” she took a drink- “ you can track their location of their Pilot’s Fed ID. Imagine my surprise to find your Vulture collecting dust at the botton of some damn pit.”
I raised my eyebrows. “And you got in and out, just like that?”
Kyndi laughed and shook her head. “Of course not, silly! All your little smuggling buddies threatened to blast my ship for entering their little hideout. You’d think they were a pack of twelve year boys with a ‘no girls allowed’ sign on their tree fort!”
“So I Ianded and told them I was looking for you. That speeded things up nicely, especially when your friend Rax decided to help.”
She looked out the Last Chance’s window and shook her head. ”He told me that he didn’t know where you were, but that he could take me to the guy who does. So we flew a few systems over and I had a nice little chat with Ziggy.”
I rolled my eyes. “So much for the ‘no blabbing guarantee’. How much did that set you back?”
She turned to me and took another bite. “Nothing. I just asked nicely, and he gave me a name.”
I narrowed my eyes. “How nicely did you ask?”
Kyndi giggled and cocked her head to one side. “You aren’t getting jealous, are you, Matty? And before that imagination of yours runs away- no. It’s not what you’re thinking. In fact, he tried to play dumb with me, too.”
Taking another sip, she started to giggle. “I even pulled my plasma pistol on him, and he still wouldn’t tell me anything. So I pointed it at his computer, and he started gushing.”
Another giggle. “After that, I scooped up some slaves to appear legit, locked on your signal, and showed up just in time to rescue your ass.” She finished the bottle. “The end.”
I gave her a slow clap. “Well darlin’, you played it a hell of a lot smarter than I did.” Kyndi took a bow in her seat.
From the Cobra’s canopy, I could see that we were alone. “Looks like we’ve got clear skies. Let’s check on our little girl and get moving.”
There, in the ship’s spare bunk, was Katie, blanket pulled up to her face, arm around her teddy bear, and with the most peaceful expression on her face that a little girl could have. It was a sight that made everything worth it.
Kyndi and I sat down next to her. She felt the movement, and woke up. Looking up at us, she smiled.
I smiled back down at her. “Do you like your bear?”
Katie smiled a little wider and nodded.
I placed by hand on her head. “We’re going to go now, and start taking you home. It’s going to take a long time to get there, but we’ll make it and you’ll be safe. Are you ready to go?”
Her smile disappeared and she turned away from me, facing the wall. Kyndi leaned over, her eyes filled with concern. “What is it, sweetheart?”
It took a long time for Katie to answer. When she did, she spoke so softly that we could barely hear her.
“Are you going to make me sleep in the tube?”
Kyndi and I looked at each other, understanding. They forced her into a stasis pod. All by herself.
I heard Kyndi exhale slowly, like she was controlling her breathing. “No, Katie. The only way that people sleep in this ship is in a warm bed just like this one.”
A moment passed, and Katie rolled back toward us. Her voice was still very soft. “Ok.”
Kyndi leaned over and handed Katie her teddy bear. “But you still have to wear a seatbelt for takeoff, ok?”
Katie nodded, and Kyndi pulled the emergency restraints from the side of the bed and buckled Katie securely in place. She gave Katie a kiss on the forehead.
“Do you want me to stay with you while we take off?”
Katie nodded, and I took my cue.
Let’s get the hell out of here.
The blackness of space filled the ship’s canopy like a thousand possibilities. For the first time in weeks, I felt like I could breathe easy. Kyndi and I were lounging in the cockpit, sipping beers and lazily scooping hydrogen fuel from the star at the ship’s back. It didn’t take long to recharge the fuel cells, and soon enough I had throttled and cruised away from it, the only astronomical body in this system. No stations, no planets, no asteroids. There was nothing here but the rapidly shrinking star to our rear.
Kyndi hadn’t spoken much, but there was none of the anxiousness I had sensed in her like before. For most of the trip so far, she had been back and forth to check on Katie, who had fallen back asleep after we escaped atmo and jumped out of system.
Now, she was on her second beer, and had stared out the window more than anything. Well, she ain't pissed at me, but she's definitely thinking something over.
“She’s not going to be the same, you know. Not after this.”
So that’s what had been on her mind.
I nodded. “Yeah, I know.”
Kyndi smiled and shook her head sadly. “No Matty, you don’t. Not really.” She turned to face out the window again.
I heard a sigh come from Kyndi’s direction. “It’s a real good thing you’ve done for her, Matt. But you don’t know what’s coming next. Right now, she’s safe, and warm, and she knows it- but it won’t make a damn bit of difference. She’s going to be haunted by this for long, long time, Matty. Even if she’s safe. Even if she’s loved. It ain’t never going to go away for her.”
I got up and placed my hand on Kyndi’s shoulder. Instead of pushing me away like she had at the beginning, she took it in hers and held it against her face.
“One of these days, I’d like to hear how you know so much about what happens when terrible things befall little girls.”
Kyndi smiled. “You know how I know you mean that?”
“How?”
She kissed my hand and held it against her face some more. “You forget to dumb down your speech.”
I chuckled. “I reckon I do.” I bent down, gave her a kiss, and felt her hands wrap around mine and hold it against her chest.
“I think it’s my turn to check on her. Can you watch the ship?”
She smiled and activated the controls on her seat. “I’ll try not to crash into all the nothing.”
I walked into the living area, and looked in on Katie. We were leaving the door open, and there she was- still sleeping as soundly as if nothing had ever happened to her. She’s got to be exhausted. It’s been what- over a year?
Yeah. A little over a year since Durius. A year of soul-wrecking regret for me, but one of total hell for her, excepting the brief time she had spent with Earl and Gertie back on Durius. And her father? Maybe he sheltered rebs, maybe he didn’t. Honestly, I didn’t care. Whatever his crimes were, he had done his time- at least in my book.
So that’s the next step. Figure out a way to get her back to her father.
I went to the cooler and cracked open a cherry soda. That’s a tall order, plucking a random Joe out of a factory or a mine like that, but if the Kumos keep detailed track of their slaves, then Denton sure as hell would, too.
I took a sip and continued to looked back at Katie. Well, if Kyndi and I can pull off what we did getting Katie out of the fire, then we can dig through some admin records no problem.
Kyndi’s hand snaked around my arm. Still looking at Katie, I felt her learn against me, with her head resting against my shoulder.
“It’s been a long day, and I think I’m ready for some rack time.”
Sleep did sound pretty good. I had been rudely awakened that day after only getting a few hours of sleep, and had been going ever since. We were in an empty system, in the middle of nowhere- way the hell out of scanner range. It was probably safe to just power down and drift in the black for a little while.
By the time I returned to the bunk, Kyndi was already undressed and getting ready to lay down. The ship's main hall lights were off, but the cabin light was in in the sleeper. I could barely see Kyndi's figure bathed in the shadows.
I walked in and undressed beside her. We settled into the narrow bunk, her spooning in front of me, my arms around her body. Across the hall from us, we could see Katie in the other bunk, clutching her teddy bear and sleeping soundly. I felt her fingers intertwine with mine.
“We did real good today, Matty.”
I kissed the back of her head, and I felt her hand tighten. “Yeah. Yeah we did.”
