“This is important,” Nika said, pointing at Jelena.
“So is gathering proof that the Nomad is haunted,” Austin said, not looking like he was joking or pulling the twins’ legs. “Once I have proof that there are malevolent spirits here, I can convince the captain that we need to have an official cleansing. It’s not a good idea to fly on a ship full of ghosts with malicious intent.”
“Maybe the ghosts are friendly,” Maya said.
“I doubt it. I’ve been looking back through the logs.” This time, Austin was the one to assume the stern expression, something even more out of place on his boyish face than it was on Nika’s. Ghosts? Cleansings? Jelena couldn’t believe Austin was the same age as she was. “Do you know how many times enemies boarded the Nomad while your parents were looking for you, Jelena? People were killed all over the place.”
“Austin,” Jelena said, frowning. He shouldn’t say such things with nine-year-olds around.
Not that the girls appeared daunted. Maya turned wide, interested eyes toward him, and Nika said, “If any ghosts bother us, Dad will beat them back to the graveyard. When he gets better. Tomorrow.” She looked at Jelena again. “You have to come, Jelena.”
“I’ll do my best,” Jelena said, wishing she could promise to be there.
Austin shooed the girls out of the cabin and waved a goodbye to Jelena before turning off the comm.
She leaned back in her seat, wanting more than ever to be there for Leonidas and the rest of the family. Even if she had to make sure Thor and Hawk never crossed paths. Was there any chance the Snapper could fly in, avoid all Stellacor ships, and head straight for the hospital?
A quiet clink sounded behind her, Masika moving a paint can. Jelena wished she had enough paint to do the outside of the ship. Not that a different-colored hull would keep enemies from identifying them. They would have to find a way to hack the ship’s ident chip for that. She didn’t know if Erick had the experience to do that but doubted it. Even if he did, Masika and her embedded tracking chip would remain a problem. They would need a doctor to remove that, and even then, who knew if Stellacor had booby-trapped it somehow to make it difficult to remove?
Jelena thought of Thor’s suggestion, of convincing the corporation to leave them alone through—what had he said to use? Guile, deceit, or diplomacy. Whatever her strengths were. As if she knew. Was she supposed to be that self-aware already at eighteen? As far as she knew, her only strength was communicating with animals. That floating castle didn’t look like it had a courtyard of cattle she could entice into stampeding.
“Maybe we could get an invitation,” she mused, propping her heels on the control console and studying the ceiling thoughtfully. She grabbed her stallion mug and sipped the orange vitamin drink inside. “It’s a foregone conclusion they’re not going to invite me in . . . or Erick . . .” But what if Masika commed them and said she wanted to turn herself in? She could say she’d changed her mind and didn’t want to be on the run anymore. “But even if they believed that, one of the ships in orbit would be sent to take her. We’d never get in to the owners’ castle.”
Unless they could get the direct comm contact information for the place and trick or manipulate whoever answered into inviting them down. With an invitation, they wouldn’t have to worry about forcefields or artillery weapons mounted on the walls. Jelena didn’t think she or Erick could manipulate someone at a great distance and over a comm channel, but maybe Thor would be able to reach out that far. Or maybe they could trick the person without using mental powers.
“Guile, huh?” she murmured.
“All that talking to yourself can’t be healthy,” Masika said from her painting spot around the corner.
“I’m talking to Alfie.”
The dog had curled up in a ball with her nose under her tail and didn’t seem to be listening.
“I doubt that’s healthy, either.”
“You’re clearly not an animal person.”
“I painted a portrait of a cat for a roommate once,” Masika said.
“Did that experience convert you into a cat lover?”
“It mostly annoyed me because all those different colors of fur were a pain to get right. I suppose I could love a solid-colored cat.”
“I’ll put that on your adoption application for the Arkadius animal shelters.”
Jelena sipped from her mug, thinking that maybe, just maybe, they could finagle an invitation to the castle. If Masika was willing to go along with her burgeoning plan. But then what? If they got in, how could they possibly change the Vogels’ minds about them? Especially when Masika had no intention of truly turning herself in?
“One step at a time,” she muttered.
“You sound like you’re scheming,” Masika said.
“How would you like to comm the Vogels, pretend you want to turn yourself in, and get the Snapper invited down to their hover castle?”
“You’re definitely scheming.” Masika did not sound pleased.
“It’s a family tradition. I learned it from my mother.” Jelena was surprised she’d needed Thor’s prompting to get her mind into gear on this. And that he’d said the right thing to make her wheels turn. Maybe he was wiser than his surly demeanor and broody black clothing suggested. What else had he said? That few people knew what Starseers were and weren’t capable of. And that they had a tendency to fear Starseers. Couldn’t she use that somehow?
“Did you also learn to sit on your butt in a chair while someone else works on your ship for you?” Masika asked, clinking her paint can again.
“Technically, yes. My mother’s a captain. The captain’s job is to sit and scheme while the hired help does the physical work.”
“I’m not quite sure that’s the job description listed in the military officers’ handbook.”
“This is a civilian ship. Besides, if I helped you, your murals would be full of sparkles and glitter.”
“That’s appalling. How young are you?”
“Not that young, but I have nine-year-old sisters, and I have to teach them the ways of womanhood.” Jelena decided not to mention that her favorite nailzazz color was the metallic blue with all the silver glitter. Sadly, she hadn’t had time to think of sheening her nails lately. “Who do you think showed them how to properly affix stickers to their father’s combat armor?” She gazed fondly toward the comm. The channel had closed, but she hadn’t yet snapped off the last image, of Austin chauffeuring the girls away to study his ghostometer.
“That’s the cyborg father? The one who needlepoints?”
“He’s a special man. You’ll enjoy meeting him.” Tomorrow, Jelena added silently. How could they resolve all of this so they could be there for the surgery tomorrow? Maybe if they could get into the castle, she could wing it. Or maybe—
“Ghostometer,” she said, dropping her feet to the deck as an idea popped into her mind.
“What?”
“I . . . think I’m ready to implement my schemes.”
Chapter 18
“They’re coming,” Thor said, no hint of worry in his tone.
Jelena wished she could feel that calm. She waved a finger through the sensor display to show the ships he was talking about. There were dozens around, orbiting Arkadius or flying to or from the populous core planet, but two of them were heading toward the Snapper.
“Thus ends my hope that Stellacor wouldn’t notice us and we could fly right down to meet my parents,” Jelena said, not adjusting their course. She’d been looking for Sunset Island down there, and she kept doing so as they flew closer. They were close enough for the Snapper’s sensors to scan the planet’s surface—and objects floating ten thousand feet above it.
“Judging by the schemes bouncing around in your head, you didn’t truly believe that would happen,” Thor said.
He leaned against the hatch jamb. Masika was sitting in the co-pilot’s seat, while Erick stood behind her, surfing the sys-net on his netdisc. His toolbox rested at his feet—Jelena had as
ked him to bring it up. Alfie had been lured to her blanket under the console with a piece of a ration bar. Oddly, she seemed to prefer those to the dog treats Jelena had purchased for the rescued animals.
“No, but I hoped it would.” Jelena wrinkled her nose. NavCom smelled of paint. She looked forward to fresh air. Fresh air in a floating castle.
“At what point am I comming these people to turn myself in?” Masika asked.
“As soon as Erick finds their contact info.”
“Their unlisted contact info,” Erick said.
“If it were listed, I wouldn’t need you to find it. Thor?” Jelena glanced back. “Can you convince those two ships that we’re not here? Or not where they think we are? It would be ideal if we could get down to the planet without engaging in a dogfight along the way.” She hoped the pilots were humans and not androids. The ships were still too far away for her to tell, though that wouldn’t be true for long. They were coming fast. And the sensors showed a lot of weaponry on them. Cheeky of them to pick a fight in Arkadius’s space with Alliance military vessels patrolling from orbit. Jelena might have commed them and asked for help, but she didn’t want to draw the military’s attention, not when she might be on some people-to-be-detained-for-damaging-space-bases list.
“I’ll see what I can do,” Thor said.
“Thank you. Have I mentioned that we appreciate you coming along to help?”
“Yes.”
“Good.”
“You haven’t mentioned that you appreciate me coming along,” Erick pointed out, swiping through lists with a finger.
“I haven’t? Huh.”
He squinted at her.
“What? My parents are paying you to be here. You’re a salaried engineer.”
“If you saw how little they pay me, you’d be more grateful. I stay for Stanislav’s wisdom, not for the financial perks. You should see some of the job offers I got after I finished school. My engineering skills were in high demand. And here . . . well, I haven’t even gotten my pack of Striker Odyssey cards yet. Or my cape.”
“Cape?” Masika looked over her shoulder, a puzzled furrow to her brow.
“Yes, Jelena has likened me to a superhero and suggested I should have a cape that flaps majestically in the breeze.”
Masika’s puzzled gaze turned toward Jelena.
“I didn’t say anything about majestic breezes.” Jelena tapped the sensor panel. “Thor, they’re going to be in firing range soon. Should I raise shields?” When he didn’t answer right away, she peered back at him. His eyes were closed as he presumably concentrated on those ships. Normally, she wouldn’t interrupt him, but she needed an answer. “Thor?” She tugged his sleeve.
“I’m sorry. I was distracted imagining Ostberg in a cape.”
“It’s an arresting image, isn’t it?” Erick asked.
“Are you only wearing a cape?”
“Of course not. I’d be wearing my black Starseer robe and carrying my staff with the runes glowing impressively.”
“Good,” Jelena murmured, surprised that Thor was making a joke. Or maybe he was mocking Erick. That would be less surprising. “Nobody wants to see your blood blister.”
Masika’s wrinkled lip suggested agreement.
“Androids are piloting the ship,” Thor said, the change of topic—or return to a relevant topic—startling Jelena.
“So you can’t stop them?” She jabbed a button to raise the shields.
“I can destroy the ships or I can sabotage them. There are humans on board. I assume you don’t want to kill them.”
“I’d prefer not to give the Vogels more reasons to hate us right before we visit.”
“I’ll attempt non-explosive sabotage then.”
“That’s usually my job,” Erick grumbled.
“You’re looking up comm codes for me,” Jelena said.
“Because I’ve been demoted to secretary.”
“We’ll still get you a cape.” Jelena turned back to the console, certain that evasive maneuvers would be needed soon. “But only if you find that code before the androids blow us up.”
“I’m a creative soul; I don’t work well under deadlines.”
“Tough.”
Reluctantly, Jelena adjusted her course to orbit Arkadius instead of heading straight down. There was little point in flying toward Sunset Island before they talked to someone there. Besides, she no longer wanted to storm straight into the castle. If they were going to use Starseer guile, they would need to take a less direct approach. Even knowing that, it felt like a failure to head away from the island. Letting the oncoming ships flank her wouldn’t be a good idea, either.
“Got it.” Erick leaned forward and punched a code into the comm console.
Jelena took her hands off the flight controls long enough to point the holo camera at Masika. “You’re on. You remember your lines?”
“Yes, it was thoughtful of you to write a script for me.”
“You sound sarcastic.”
“She’s an artist,” Erick said. “She may want the freedom to improvise.”
A faint shiver ran through the Snapper, and Alfie whimpered from under the console. The first of the two ships had fired. It was a Teravian moon hawk, fast and maneuverable despite its weaponry and heavy armor.
“They’re firing already?” Erick groused.
“Rude of them not to comm and give us terms first.” Jelena pushed the engine to avoid the slight pull of Arkadius’s gravity and looked for other non-Alliance ships they might hide behind. She thought of the way they’d convinced the shipyard guard vessel to fire on their pursuers back on Alpha 17 and wished they dared approach some of the military ships out there.
The comm showed the call connecting, and Erick shifted so he wouldn’t be in the camera’s view. “Shall I get in the turret?”
Jelena blew out a slow breath. Maybe they could slow down the moon hawks with a few shots fired across their noses. Or up their noses. But she hated to return fire before they’d given her plan a chance to work.
“Yes, but don’t fire until we’ve talked to someone.” Jelena tilted her head toward Masika.
A woman’s face appeared in the holodisplay, and Erick only responded with a wave, then ducked into the corridor. Thor remained, his eyes closed again. Instead of scrunching up his face in concentration, the way Erick did when he called upon his mental powers, he looked peaceful. Serene. None of the anger that often lurked about him was visible on his face now.
“This is the Vogel residence,” the woman said. “You’re comming from an unlisted code. Please identify yourself.”
“My name is Masika Ghazali. I’m an employee and . . . product of Stellacor Corporation. I’d like to speak with one of the founders.”
The woman frowned deeply. “This number is for making landscaping and maintenance appointments.”
Jelena would have sighed at Erick if he had been there—and if she hadn’t been busy flying toward one of the civilian space stations orbiting above the southern hemisphere. She doubted she would find help there, but there would be a lot of traffic to weave around, and the androids might hesitate to shoot.
Another shiver ran through the Snapper as her pursuers picked up speed and both opened fire. Jelena grunted. Maybe they knew what she had in mind.
Blazer blasts peppered the freighter. Their shields were holding for now, especially since Jelena was zigzagging unpredictably as she flew, but that wouldn’t last.
“Can you patch me through to the appropriate comm code then?” Masika asked with a forced smile. Smiles didn’t seem to come naturally for her under any circumstances.
The woman was already murmuring to herself and tapping a silver earstar. “One moment, please,” she said to Masika.
Jelena grimaced, not wanting to wait for moments.
“I can sabotage the ships now if you want,” Thor said quietly.
“Can you disable their engines without affecting life support?” Jelena asked, taking the Snapper closer t
o the space station. A difficult feat when those ships were looping and weaving all around the freighter’s back side, trying to find a weakness in her shields. They had e-cannons, but hadn’t powered them up yet. Maybe the androids had orders to board and collect Masika without destroying the ship—or without destroying it until after they had her.
Jelena had told Erick to wait, but she reached over and told the targeting computer to open up the rear blazers, hoping to convince their pursuers to back off.
Shudders wracked the Snapper, and the shield integrity indicator flashed a warning.
Thor opened one eyelid. “Their life support? Is that your primary concern when they’re firing on us?”
“Not primary, but it’s a concern. We are trying to find a peaceful solution here.”
A man’s face replaced the woman’s on the comm. “Masika Ghazali, you are under contract and are ordered to surrender yourself at once.”
“Ordered,” Jelena mouthed. As if Masika was a soldier in the fleet. At least the man knew who she was.
“Yes, that’s what I’d like to do,” Masika said, that forced smile still on her face. “I realize I’ve made a mistake in not finding a way back as soon as possible. But I’ll only surrender myself to Luca or Ida Vogel. I don’t trust the thugs the corporation has been sending at me. They’ve shackled me and beaten me, as if I’m a prisoner, not an employee.”
Jelena glanced at her. Beaten? When had that happened? Or was she adding that for flare? To make it more believable that she would want to deal with the Vogels instead of their minions?
“I’ve spoken to my employers, and they know who and what your situation is,” the man said. He wore a suit and had an air of self-importance about him, but he hadn’t yet given his name or position. Was this someone they could negotiate with? “You’ll lower your shields and surrender yourself to the ships following you now.”
“They’re firing on us, not following us.”
Another shudder went through the freighter. A couple of comm messages came in at the same time, both from the space station. Jelena had a feeling she was about to get warned not to bring her trouble over there.