“Alright, the bad news is this entire galaxy in is in chaos, stations are a mess, and Bang Gate queues to leave are lightyears long,” Kamak said. He’d taken to the info network to see what the situation was like across the Caro galaxy, and it was not good.
“Is there any good news?”
“That’s also the good news,” Kamak said. He tossed his datapad on the common room table and took a seat. “The crazier things get here, the more difficult it is for someone to track us. We might have enough leeway to make a quick supply run.”
The Hermit had been in rationing mode for a while, as being wanted across the universe made shopping trips very difficult. Amid the chaos of the Bang Gate explosion, there would likely be less eyes on fugitives like them. A quick shopping trip could give them a lot more flexibility in planning, since they would not have to account for scarcity.
“Alright, let’s say we do this,” Tooley said. “What would the plan be?”
“Land on a station, me and Farsus run around the market grabbing as much as we can carry, the rest of you stay aboard in case we need to defend the ship or make a quick exit,” Kamak said. “We get in, grab and run, make a quick exit.”
“Sounds simple,” Tooley said. “Which means it’s doomed to fail.”
“We need food, though,” Corey said.
“You’re only saying that because you’re getting less than the rest of us,” Tooley snapped. To Vo and Farsus had done the math when deciding their rationing schedule, and Corey had slightly lower metabolic requirements than the rest of the crew, so he got the smallest share of rations.
“I’m not going to deny I’d like more than one of these weird dumplings a day,” Corey said. “But come on, we’ve only got like twenty swaps worth of food left. That’ll get us maybe to the next galaxy over, the rate we’re going.”
“Corey Vash is right,” To Vo said. “At our rate of consumption, supplies will run out in exactly eighteen swaps.”
Kamak glared sideways at To Vo. He knew one way they could make those supplies last a little longer. Doprel could sense what he was thinking and punched him in the shoulder for it.
“It would be an ignoble end to survive all of this only to die of starvation,” Farsus said. “We will need supplies eventually. Better to do it now, while the situation is in our favor.”
“Fine. But you better buy more liquor while you’re out there.”
“Naturally.”
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“Alright, I’ve compiled a list of reputable vendors in isolated locations, and made you a route through the station that is both expedient and secure.”
To Vo sent the data to Kamak’s tablet with a smile on her face. She was glad to be back in her element, and Kamak was glad to outsource the tedious clerical busywork. They’d downloaded all the info they could find on the station they were approaching and put To Vo in charge of planning the most efficient shopping trip possible. She handed over her completed work and waited for Kamak to voice any approval or disapproval. He did neither.
After waiting a solid drop for him to say something, To Vo La Su figured she would have to keep the conversation going herself.
“There was also something else, captain.”
“Is it something important?” Kamak asked. He stressed the word “important” as hard as he could, to give To Vo a firm reminder that their standards of important were very different.
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“Yes,” she said, unconvincingly. “While I was searching the station’s active duty roster, I found a name I recognized.”
“Someone we need to watch out for?”
“The opposite,” To Vo said. “My friend-”
“Stop right there,” Kamak said. “Not interested in you having a playdate with a pal.”
“Officer Nemb could help us,” To Vo protested. “They’re trustworthy.”
“Couple swaps ago you would’ve said Mokai was trustworthy, and look how that turned out,” Kamak said. The harsh rebuke set To Vo back a step. “You want to run, go ahead, you run, take your chances with this Nemb loser. But you leave me and my crew out of whatever dumb shit you have planned.”
To Vo stood frozen and said nothing. Kamak kept an eye on her a little while longer.
“Am I clear, To Vo?”
“Yes sir,” To Vo mumbled.
“Good. Now, like I said, if you want to leave, leave,” Kamak grunted. “Won’t bother us at all.”
Kamak turned his attention back to his datapad, and ignored the frown forming on To Vo’s face. She slinked away to the solitude of the austere room she’d claimed. The only sign of the formerly empty room having a new owner was that it had been dusted -she had no decorations or personal belongings onboard the Hard Luck Hermit. All she had to her name was a few sets of spare clothing and a datapad they had loaned her. She set that datapad down and stared at it in silence.
She still had Nemb’s contact information. To Vo had trained alongside Nemb, learned to trust them, even found something of a kindred spirit in them.
Like her, Nemb was a member of a recently Uplifted species, and they were committed to law and order, albeit for very different reasons. Corruption and abuse of power had been rampant on Nemb’s world, and they always strived to do things by the book. Nemb had been the one to open To Vo’s eyes to the realities of corruption -though apparently those eyes had never been open enough.
To Vo needed a perspective like Nemb’s right now. But she’d been ordered not to contact him. As an officer, she was obligated to obey the immediate legal authority, and in a spaceship outside of stellar regulatory boundaries, the immediate legal authority was the captain of the vessel (per the appendices to the Interstellar Enforcement Treatises, page 37, subsection Y, paragraph 4.1). If Kamak gave an order, she was expected to follow it.
But, Per the Galactic Council Code of Conduct Rule 4, she was obligated to act in the best interests of the common good at all times. And getting help from a reliable ally was good. To Vo snatched up her datapad and started pounding away at keys. It would be disobeying authority, but it would still be right.
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“Officer Nemb, Galactic Council Security Station 28X aboard Fantal Station 2,” Nemb said, rigidly. “Please state your name and your concerns will be addressed as soon as possible.”
Nemb listened patiently while the caller stated their name and then launched into the first few words of a complaint that Nemb did not listen to. They put the line on hold and added it to the queue of eighty-seven other complainers on hold.
“Officer Nemb, Galactic Council Security Station 28X aboard Fantal Station 2,” Nemb said, rigidly. “Please state your name and your concerns will be addressed as soon as possible.”
While Nemb dealt with the ever-growing list of non-emergency calls, their fellow officers were scrambling around the office to deal with their sudden surge in activity. It had been swaps since the Bang Gate had been destroyed, and yet everyone in the Caro Galaxy was still panicking. Civilians demanded additional security, escorts out of the galaxy, extra resources, or even full-scale war against the Doccan, and where there were desperate civilians, there were criminal opportunists. When they weren’t busy making excuses to scared civilians, they were dealing with weeping victims who’d lost everything to theft or scams. The tiny station was dealing with more crime and more complaints in the past few swaps than they had in decades of operations beforehand.
“Officer Nemb, Galactic Council Security Station 28X aboard Fantal Station 2,” Nemb said, rigidly. “Please state your name and your concerns will be- To Vo?”
Nemb dropped their voice and slinked away from their desk, with their communications device clutched close to their head. Thankfully, most of their coworkers were busy, so there was plenty of empty space for them to slip out of sight and out of earshot.
“What’s happening? Are you in danger?”
“Not right now,” To Vo said. “I just need help. I need someone I can actually count on.”
“Then you’re in the right place,” Nemb said. “Let me get my CO-”
“No, Nemb, no,” To Vo said. “Just you. I know I can trust you. I just need some information from you. And to give you some information, so you can make sure the truth gets out there. Can you meet me?”
“Of course. Absolutely.”
To Vo relayed her location and a time to meet, and promptly hung up the call. Nemb returned to their desk and looked at the blinking indicator lights showing they had multiple calls waiting. They had to meet To Vo soon, as she was apparently in a hurry, and they had to meet To Vo alone. Without informing any of their superiors.
But that would be disobeying authority. Disobeying authority was never right.