Chapter Sixteen

Bounty

“Report!” Nellie commanded as she fought the urge to pace back and forth in the control room. It was still taking a bit of effort to force herself to stay still when she was wound up.

“Captain Sec here!” A smug voice called over the comm line from the cruiser. “I am happy to report the enemy force has been beaten to a pulp, and the ships are currently under tow while we undertake conversion and automation!”

“Good work, Sec,” Nellie smiled. “I’m watching the sensor replay of the battle; you did excellent work.”

“Thank you, Queen Nellie!” Sec was going to be insufferable once the Captain uploaded to the main Sec core and the rest updated with the memories.

“Captain Dar, did you receive the information packet I just sent you?” Nellie asked, getting a curious look from Salem.

“I did,” Dar sounded uncertain. “Do you think this will work?”

“Let’s find out, shall we?” Nellie smiled grimly. “They sent us something, and it is only fair that we return the favor.”

“Aye, Captain!” Dar replied reflexively. “I mean Admiral!”

“Dar, you can call me Nellie,” she sighed and rubbed her forehead. “It was only the five of us back then, remember?”

“Happiest time of my life,” Dar remarked.

“Let’s work to change that, eh?” Nellie suggested.

“Yes, Admiral,” Dar said. “For Vey and the others.”

“For Vey and the others,” Nellie agreed.

“A lovely sentiment, but might I know what Dar is up to out there?” Salem asked when Nellie closed the comm.

“I’m mounting an EXO Drive and thrusters on an asteroid to throw it at the enemy fleet,” Nellie replied with a smile.

“Of course you are,” Salem laughed, “Wait! Really?”

“Hey, if it works, they’ll think twice next time.” Nellie shrugged.

She was just sitting down to a cup of HyperDrive in her Cafe when the comm line buzzed again to tell her they had more ships incoming.

Nellie rode the lift tube in a temper, bursting onto the command deck in time to see the Talon's I.D. beacon show on the outer sensors. Two cruisers were following them, and their escort destroyers were missing.

“I have Crush calling,” Salem nodded, and a familiar face appeared on the screen nearest to Nellie.

“So a funny thing happened when I went to the shops,” Crush grinned.

“Are those ships friendly?” Nellie asked.

“Well, they are now,” Crush chuckled. “It turned out the Last Chances’ visit was the least of our problems over there.”

“The destroyers were lost?” Nellie asked.

“Uh, no. They are currently welded to the hulls of the cruisers as we didn’t have enough crew to run four ships.” Crush admitted. “A little unorthodox, but it worked.”

“If it works, it works,” Nellie smiled. “Anything else to report?”

“I can confirm he did, in fact, start a war!” Berenice leaned into the corner of the sensor pickup and waved. “So he’ll have to shut up about people saying he does now.”

“Admiral, I request permission to space the Merchant,” Crush said evenly. “Or at least muzzle her.”

“Kinky!” Berenice laughed. “I am so telling Vicky!”

“Wait, what?” Crush frowned. “What just happened?”

“Crush, I better let you go sort that out before you end up in worse trouble,” Nellie said seriously. “I expect a report as soon as you get back.”

“Honestly, Crush-Cha,” Salem added, playing along, “I expected better of you!”

“Fuck the lot of you!” Crush swore and cut the feed as Nellie and Salem broke into laughter.

“I’m going back to my shop,” Nellie sighed happily. “Meet me there when Crush gets into dock?”

“Of course,” Salem said, still smiling.

Not long after Dar reported to say he had successfully sent the ‘care package’ to the Imperial Line blockade Salem arrived in the cafe. Baz was trailing along with her, looking reluctant.

“Mind if we grab a cup, Nellie?” Salem asked.

“Careful, it bites!” Baz added.

“Aw, Weasel is a sweetie, really,” Salem laughed, reaching out and scratching the monstrosity on the nose as it made two steaming cups and handed them to her.

“Huh,” Baz reached out and nearly lost his hand. “Oh, it’s like that, is it?”

Weasel stuck out his forked tongue.

“This is why I like space,” Baz huffed as he pulled up a chair. “No creatures trying to eat you.”

“Paren’s working on that, I’m sure,” Nellie sighed.

“Seriously?” Baz looked horrified.

“Probably,” Nellie shrugged as she sipped her own cup of HyperDrive. “She’s working on just about everything else.”

Crush and Cara arrived next, peeking through the door curiously.

“Hello?” Cara called.

“Over here!” Salem called, and the pair came in.

“The others are going to meet us here once they sort everything out,” Crush said as he sat in the plastic chair.

“Want some HyperDrive?” Nellie gestured to the waiting Weasel.

“Uh, sure?” Crush nudged Cara.

“Fuck off, it looks hungry,” Cara whispered.

“Children,” Salem rolled her eyes. “He’s not vicious.”

“Excuse me?” Baz asked.

“Not normally vicious,” Salem amended smoothly. “I’ll get them.”

“So, how did it really go?” Nellie asked.

“This might take a minute,” Cara warned. “It was kind of a lot.”

That turned out to be a bit of an understatement, and by the time Crush had finished, they had a rather anxious visitor standing at attention next to the door.

If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

“Bring her in,” Nellie sighed, rubbing her forehead tiredly.

“Junior Assistant Cheape, reporting as ordered, Ma’am!” Cheape said smartly.

“Look, I am busier than you can imagine, so forgive me if I am a little short, Miss Cheape,” Nellie said plainly. “You are not an assistant anymore; that is a Line rank, which won’t work here.”

“How about Logistics Officer?” Salem asked. “I could use the help in the docks. Or maybe Supply Officer?”

“Logistics Officer sounds about right,” Nellie nodded. “Are you happy with that?”

“Yes, Ma’am,” Cheape nodded. “However I can help.”

“Okay, I’ll be honest, I don’t know if you are trustworthy or not. Crush says I can, and that will do for now. So this is your one and only chance, okay? Work hard, don’t fuck us over, and you will be very welcome here. Pass information, sabotage us, or anything like that, and I’ll feed you to my daughters’ pets.” Nellie clicked her fingers, and a black shape pushed out of a vent, a silver smile gleaming in the lights. “If that isn’t for you, we will make sure you get somewhere safe if we can.”

“One chance is all I need, Ma’am,” Cheape said earnestly. “I promise you won’t regret it.”

“Glad to hear it,” Nellie smiled. “Welcome to the Nanite Imperium, Logistics Officer Cheape.”

“I’ll have someone take you to a set of quarters and bring you ship suits and stuff,” Salem told her. “Wait outside, and they’ll be right with you.”

“Yes, Ma’am,” Cheape nodded and fled, shooting terrified looks at the crawler on the roof.

“Honestly expected her to piss herself when the smiler turned up,” Baz noted with a hint of respect. “She might just make it.”

“What about the refugees?” Salem asked. “I’m not sure I want them running around the station just yet.”

“Why not send them to Paren?” Baz offered. “She has a whole planet to explore; they can help.”

“One of the species does cry acid,” Cara noted. “She’ll love that.”

“My daughter, the mad scientist,” Nellie laughed. “Fuck it, why not.”

“Do you mind telling her?” Salem said after a moment. “We are just starting to get along.”

“I have a suggestion,” Crush added, sipping his coffee.

“Go on then,” Nellie said.

“Why not just ask her?” Crush said, looking at Salem. “Ask her to do you a favor, and let her know it would be appreciated.”

“You haven’t met Paren, have you?” Baz chuckled.

“May I?” Crush asked Nellie.

“Sure, I’ll get her on the line,” Nellie seemed to still for a second, and then Paren’s voice came over the speakers in the cafe.

“What?” Paren yawned. “I was napping.”

“Hi, Paren,” Crush called. “It’s Crush. Do you remember me?”

“The Marshall guy, yeah,” Paren said immediately. “Brix’s friend.”

“That’s me,” Crush nodded. “Look, I went on a trading run and ended up collecting a little over twenty refugees. They seem like good people but a little weird. Could you do me a favor and take them down on the planet? I’m sure they will make themselves useful.”

“What am I supposed to do with them?” Paren asked. She didn’t sound pissed off, just confused.

“Nothing in particular,” Crush said. “Need any help down there? Maybe you need some assistants or something?”

“Not really,” Paren said simply. “But sure, I’ll take them. Can I get some more prefab units, though? We only have a small place.”

“That’s brilliant, thanks, Paren. I’ll make sure you get those units. Anything I can do to say thank you?” Crush asked.

“Not at the moment, but people get funny about my experiments. Will you transport any I want to bring back to the Rest?” Paren asked. “When I am done down here, I mean.”

“Sure thing,” Crush grinned. “My people don’t scare easy.”

“Want to bet?” Paren laughed. “Just kidding! Thanks, Crush. Let me know when you set out, okay? We aren’t always here.”

“Will do, Paren. Thanks again,” Crush said, closing the comm line.

Baz started to laugh so hard that his HyperDrive came out of his nose.

“What?” Cara asked.

“I’m just thinking of the kind of shit you just agreed to transport,” Baz choked out as he rocked back and forth in his chair.

“How bad can it be?” Cara shrugged.

“She once tried to convert a Coral Strider,” Salem said quietly. “So… you know… good luck?”

“Seriously?” Cara asked.

“Oh, don’t worry,” Nellie grinned. “She’s moved on from that.”

“Phew,” Cara said with a smile.

“Now she likes to build her own creatures… from scratch,” Nellie added innocently.

“Request a transfer, Boss?” Cara asked Crush.

“Denied,” Crush laughed. “Come on, let’s go get started on tracking down as many prefabs as we can get our hands on.”

Nellie waved goodbye to them all and got back to work.

She needed something finalized soon. The Imperial Line was not going to ignore so many losses. They would be making plans to strike back.

Hard.

===<<<>>>===

Paren stood outside the lab and frowned at the mesa around her. Their plateau was not huge, but it should be large enough to hold up to about forty people.

So, they had the room.

“What’s wrong?” The Girl asked, appearing from around the side of the structure with her usual soundless gait. “You look worried.”

“That Marshall Crush guy asked me to take in some refugees down here. I’m just trying to figure out where to put them.” Paren said, ignoring the blood splashed across The Girl’s shipsuit. If she had been injured, she’d have said.

“Oh,” The Girl replied calmly. “That is nice of you. Want some help with them?”

“You wouldn’t mind?” Paren asked.

“Crush is a good man; my father said so,” The Girl said as if that was all there was to say on the matter. “What do you want to do with them?”

“No idea,” Paren shrugged. “Any suggestions?”

“We are at war,” The Girl smiled thinly. “I could train them as assassins and infiltrators. My knowledge on the subject is extensive.”

“I could use someone to test some new gear I was thinking of,” Paren said thoughtfully. “I wonder if any of them are willing to work with me?”

“I don’t see why they would have a choice,” The Girl shrugged. “But it is nice you think they do.”

Paren laughed.

“Hey, I have something for you; come on in.” Paren ushered her sister into the lab.

“For me?” The Girl asked. “I prefer to make my own gear.”

“It isn’t gear,” Paren promised. “I owe you a fluffy, remember?”

The large shape under the sheet moved slightly as it took long, deep breaths. Due to the sheer size of the thing it was covering, the sheet itself was stitched together from most of their bedding.

“Right, so I was thinking of fluffy things,” Paren said nervously. “And I was thinking that there are certain things that every little girl should have in her fluffy collection… so…” She pulled the sheet off in a single movement. “I made you a teddy bear!” She looked anxious for a moment. “I hope you like it?”

The creature got to all four feet, easily standing five feet at the shoulder. Huge muscles bunched and moved beneath the fur and hide as it blinked deep-set eyes with swirled pupils at The Girl. The lips on the broad muzzle drew back in a smile, revealing shark-like teeth made of shining metal alloys.

The Girl stepped forward, running her hands through the long, lush fur.

“For me?” she asked.

“I haven’t named it,” Paren said quickly. “It responds only to you, no one else. Not even me. I know it’s big, but I promise it would NEVER hurt you.”

The massive creature lowered its head so that The Girl could run her hand through a particularly long tuft of brilliant green hair between its ears. The nose nuzzled against her, and The Girl giggled and threw her arms around its neck in a hug.

One massive arm reached out and hugged her back; the razor-sharp claws retracted carefully.

“I love it,” The Girl said from within its fur. “I love, love, love it!”

“One other thing,” Paren said shyly and pulled out a massive hairbrush when The Girl looked around. “So you can brush the fur if it gets matted.”

The Girl tackled Paren to the floor in a hug.

The bear, which stood eleven feet tall when reared its back legs, was predictably named Teddy. By the time Robot returned a half hour later, bearing a crate of interesting-looking rocks he had found in a stream, The Girl was nearly catatonic as she overdosed on cuddles.

“You are a good sister,” Robot said after a moment or two of explanation, which made Paren blush and smile at the same time. “I have found some new rocks!”

“Want to add them to the collection?” Paren asked.

“Please!” Robot said excitedly.

“Okay, let’s have a look.” Paren rummaged through the box, oohing and aahing as she found interesting ones. “Okay, I would like to study these five, the rest we can put up right now.”

Robot followed Paren into the lab, where an entire section had been set aside for his collection. Tables, shelves, and even nets on the ceiling were adorned with some of the most beautiful rocks Robot had found while exploring. Geodes shared space with quartz crystals, and gems of surpassing value were set amongst the brilliant-colored sandstone and limestone collected from the Rainbow Mountains nearby.

The effect was stunning, but if you stood in a certain spot, it would take your breath away.

Robot carefully placed his new finds, enhancing the complex patterns and color sprays. Standing back, he nodded and felt a warmth inside.

“This is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen,” Paren said quietly from beside Robot.

“Thank you,” Robot said, bursting with pride. Paren was the smartest person in the universe, at least as far as he knew. If she called it good, then it was good. “I would like to take them with us when we leave.”

“Of course,” Paren nodded. “We should set up a special place for it on the Rest so that everyone can see it and be inspired.”

“You think it might inspire?” Robot asked, surprised.

“It does me,” Paren shrugged. “Every time.”

Robot was speechless, but he was happy.

For a moment, they just stood there together and stared at the rocks.

“What about Bridget?” Paren said. “Do you think we could convince her to be a Bridget?”

“It is not her,” Robot said, shaking his head.

“Dang,” Paren huffed. “Same time tomorrow?”

Robot nodded and went to watch the sunset from the watchtower, as he did every day. Standing there, with nothing around him for miles but open air, Robot knew a peace he had never dreamed possible.