The spaceport was crowded, which was no surprise on a world as busy as Xovu.
They had grabbed a hovercab early in the morning that had dropped them off at the terminal. Kaine had activated the scrambler, not wanting spaceport cameras to see them. But there were Impies everywhere here, and it made him nervous.
Holding Ondine’s hand, he hurried through the crowd, heading for the information desk. There, he showed the chip Linton had given him. The woman at the counter checked her TriVid screen and nodded.
“Your shuttle is still in maintenance, but should be ready in an hour.” She looked up with a smile. “In the meantime, you’re welcome to speak with your pilot. You can find him in the Lazuli Lounge.”
She gave them directions, and they set off to find the man.
Kaine looked down at the girl who walked quietly next to him, a serious expression on her face.
“So, where do you want to go, Ondine? Any ideas?”
She glanced at him, and he grimaced.
“Yeah, I know. I’d like to see Val again too, kiddo, but do you know how many light years are between us and the rim?”
She stared at him, head tilted.
Kaine frowned. “You are thinking of the gateways, aren’t you? Do you have any idea how expensive using one of those things can be? No, I think we’re on our own now. At least we’ve got each other, right?”
He gave her a warm smile, though he wondered who he was really trying to comfort.
They found the crowded lounge and had to ask at the bar for the pilot—thankfully, his name was on the chip.
The man sat in a corner, reading data off his wristpad as he sipped from a half-empty glass. He looked up as the two approached.
“Herun Dhen?” asked Kaine.
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The pilot nodded. “That’s me.” He looked between the two. “I’m guessing you’re my charges for the day?”
“Name is Kaine. And this is Ondine.”
“Ship should be ready soon. Have a seat.” He turned off his wristpad and leaned back in his chair. “Your trip was prepaid—at least part of it—but I was not told where to take you.”
It was an old-fashioned establishment, without the usual holographic menu. So Kaine motioned to a waitress and ordered a glass of milk for the girl and zestri for himself.
“Part of it?” he asked as he turned his attention back to the pilot.
The other shrugged. “Ain’t gonna cost as much if I take you to Assalin as if I have to fly all the way to the rim. So your friend will pay me the supplement depending on your destination.”
Kaine felt the girl’s gaze on him when the man mentioned the rim.
“Ah. Of course.” He glanced at Ondine as he rubbed his neck. “You could really take us to the rim?”
The waitress arrived with their drinks and set them on the table before them.
“Sure. If that’s where you want to go.”
It’d beat staying at the heart of the Imperium. But the rim was big. Where would they go? Ovkan no longer was an option. Too many Impies on Pluvios—and the place had left a foul taste in his mouth, anyway. Qevahr was condemned and could go up in smoke any second.
“Sir?”
Kaine blinked and looked at the pilot. “Sorry. Was considering our options.”
“Ah, of course. Pardon the interruption. Thought you already had a destination in mind.”
“I haven’t followed the news lately... I mean, I know about the aliens, obviously, but do you know what the situation is on Rimzana? Are they still fighting there?”
He felt the girl tense beside him. When he glanced in her direction, he saw the frown on her face and tried to give her a reassuring smile.
The pilot rubbed his chin. “Rimzana, eh? Interesting you should mention it. Last I heard, the battle was over. The Qevahri won and kicked out all the stationed Imperial troops.”
“Could you take us there?”
Dhen blinked. Looked at the girl, then back at Kaine.
“Well, uh, yeah, but are you sure that’s where you want to go? I can’t imagine the Emperor will let that slide.”
“True. But I think he’s got his hands full right now. Might be a while before he can do something about it. I think we’d be safe. Besides, I got unfinished business there.”
“Huh. You might be right about the Emperor. Alright. Rimzana it is.”
Later, after they’d boarded Dhen’s shuttle and were alone in their room, Kaine sat Ondine down and knelt in front of her.
“Look, I know you don’t like going back there. Even if you never set foot on the planet, it’s linked to the time you spent in the Cube. I get it. But it’s our best shot. With the Impies gone, I might be able to get my ship back. It was impounded there.” Seeing the worried look on the girl’s face, he grabbed her by the shoulders. “There’s a big difference now, you know. I’m with you. I won’t let anything happen to you. And,” he added, “once we have my ship, we can go look for Val.”
Ondine’s face lit up, and she gave him a big hug.