Homeward

By Mannah Pierce

Homeward is the third part of a science fiction saga set in an interstellar world of the far future where spacer crews live and trade between the stars. The crew of the Willow has been reunited, they have a new ship, the Salix, and a foothold in Tarrasade. Allies are emerging but enemies are still lying in wait. Is neutralising a key member of Jax's team a crippling blow? Will Jax resolve his conflicted feelings about Rae? Are Ean and Kip's futures compatible with Jax's? Most crucially, can Jax risk accepting his uncle's gift?Homeward carries on the story begun in Cast Adrift and continued in Foothold.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Legend Press
• Release date: Jul 20, 2016
• ISBN: 9781785078682

Book preview

Foothold

1

Jax arrived in the control room in good time for their jump into the Ennui system. The captain was already there. Jax waited respectfully. He would be at either navigation or communications; it depended on whether Ben or Cas was piloting.

You are at navigation, Jax, the captain told him. Remember, despite Kip not being in the control room, he is the navigator, you are not.

Yes, captain, Jax answered promptly before sitting down and powering up the console.

The journey, from Carruthers via four other systems to Ennui, had been the first since Kip had received his knife and been promoted. Tradition dictated that the navigator should be in the control room during jump but, given what had happened to the Willow, the captain had conceded that they were safer with Kip in his simulator.

As soon as Jax activated the interface a message appeared. Kip here.

Jax replied but there was no time to chat. There were only twelve minutes to jump and he could hear Ben and Cas coming up the ladder.

As Jax had expected, Ben settled into the pilot’s chair and Cas took up his position at communications.

This is the captain, Captain Mel announced as soon as Cas was seated. I am in the control room. Jax is with me. Jump is in ten minutes. Report in, please.

This is Ben. I am in the control room. All piloting systems are blue.

The intercom clicked. "This is Kip. I am in simulator 2 on the operations level. All navigation systems are operating normally. We are on course."

This is Cas. I am in the control room. Communication systems are responding normally. We are ready to contact Ennui system security as soon as we clear the hole.

"This is Vic. I am in the engine room. Obe is with me. The conventional drive and the Mulligan drive are operating normally. The thrusters have been tested."

"This is Tre. I am in simulator 3 on the operations level. Weapons systems have been tested. We will begin scanning the Ennui system as soon as we have cleared the hole."

"This is Rae. I am in the nose gun turret."

"This is Ean. I am in the simulator room on the crewroom level. Carlos and Noe are with me. Be aware that we are carrying a podded passenger in storage hold 6."

The pod contained Geo, the boy they had picked up on Carruthers 2.

This is the captain. Crew is present and correct. The position of the passenger has been noted. Jump is in eight minutes and twenty seconds.

After that it was just a matter of waiting. Jax sat back and watched the screen, which showed the Salix moving towards the position of the hole.

According to Kip, the occasional ship with a Mulligan drive traversed the system they were in, perhaps one or two per decade, but otherwise it was completely unoccupied. Jax still didn’t understand how Kip found the routes they used. When pressed, Kip would mention old records of spacehopper exploration and change the subject.

Five minutes out, Vic switched the Mulligan drive from idling to standby. Three minutes later the drive was activated. Jax could feel the change; the whole ship vibrated slightly as the Mulligan field was generated.

Even without a gate to guide him, Ben hit the hole perfectly.

There was a brief pause before the Mulligan drive was switched back to standby and Jax’s screen began to populate as they collected information.

This is Cas. We have transmitted our standard message to local system security.

The intercom clicked. "This is Tre. There are no hazards or ships in the immediate vicinity. So far our data about the distribution of the debris fields appears accurate."

The Ennui system was littered with debris. Although it was over a century since the last of its interplanetary wars, only a fraction of it had been cleared; rich pickings for a salvage ship like the Petunia Mae.

Captain Mel scanned the main screen. This is the captain. Rae, remain alert. In a system like this small bits of junk can turn up anywhere.

"This is Rae. I am on it. I am using the scopes."

"This is Kip. We are at the predicted position travelling along the expected trajectory. Ben, I am sending you a course correction so that we will be crossing a less dense section of the closest debris field."

This is Ben. Course correction acknowledged. Prepare for the first course correction in ten seconds. Ten, nine, eight…

Jax made sure he was settled back into his acceleration chair.

…seven, six, five, four, three, two, one.

On zero Ben fired the lateral rockets, altering the angular velocity of the ship. It was smoothly done; Jax doubted that a single plate in the galley would be chipped or any plant in hydroponics damaged.

Once the rockets were silent again, they turned to the reason that they had come to the Ennui system; contacting Medico Kem on the Petunia Mae.

"This is Tre. We have located the Petunia Mae. She is clearing one of the densest debris fields."

Jax knew that very few salvage ships could work under those conditions. It would be too dangerous. The Petunia Mae could because the minkies in their tiny ships destroyed any junk coming her way.

The captain signalled to Cas to transmit their pre-prepared message.

This is Cas. Our message to the Petunia Mae has been transmitted. The earliest we can expect a reply will be in seventeen minutes.

This is the captain. Given the immediate hazards, everyone is to remain in their acceleration chairs or simulators until further notice.

Then, as if to confirm Captain Mel’s good judgement, there was the thud of a gun firing. "This is Rae. Hazard destroyed."

The next thirty minutes were spent weaving their way between the larger hazards while Rae destroyed the smaller ones. If this was what it was like to travel through one of the thinner debris fields, a rendezvous with the Petunia Mae would be dangerous.

A ping from the communications console announced an incoming message. Jax tried not to get his hopes up; it could easily be Ennui system security.

It was not; it was Kurt replying in his role as captain of the Petunia Mae.

The message was in the form of a vid. Kurt looked older and weary.

"This is Kurt in command of the Petunia Mae. Thank you for your message. I am afraid that Medico Kem is no longer on the ship. We have very few injuries these days and the minky medicos Kem trained can treat those. He’s working at the medical centre on Ennui 4. There was an acute shortage of medicos so he has been training people. I relayed your message to him. He has a box at the Stellar Exchange."

Another face popped sideways into the camera’s field of view. It was Owen. "By the way, everyone here is fine. Mutt has two wives now, which the grandmams find slightly scandalous but impresses the grandpaps no end. Both wives are pregnant. The new members of crew fit in just fine and Kurt does manage to smile occasionally when he forgets to worry."

The face vanished again; Jax guessed that Kurt had pushed him away. "We are doing well, he admitted. There is no one to contest the ownership of the debris, all the owners and their heirs are long dead, and there is no other large ship that can work within the denser fields. We could spend standards here and still not run out of high-value stuff to scavenge. Anyway, if you want to talk to Kem, I recommend you go directly to Ennui 4."

Owen’s face bobbed back into view. "Yes, don’t risk your new ship coming to us. There are well-documented debris-free routes to and from the spacestation. Give our regards to everyone and to Kem if you see him." Then he was gone and Jax could see Kurt again.

"This is Captain Kurt of the Petunia Mae signing off. Stay safe."

Owen was correct; travelling to the spacestation would be a lot safer. Jax listened while the captain sent a brief message to Kurt. He wondered what they would do next. Probably continue as they were until they had cleared the worst of the hazards and then have a Meeting.

Once the captain’s message was transmitted, he addressed the crew. This is the captain. Recommendations please.

"This is Tre. I recommend we head for Ennui 4. A proposed route came up on the screens. This route will require us to be on high alert for potential collisions for another three hundred and forty minutes. We will have then cut through to one of the cleared routes and be able to relax for the rest of the journey."

There was a pause as everyone considered the level of risk involved. Jax agreed with Tre, it was better to be on high alert for a limited length of time than on medium alert for much longer.

This is the captain. Ben?

Ben agreed with Tre, as did Kip.

This is the captain. We will remain on high alert for approximately three hundred and fifty minutes. Rae, are you sure you can cope with all the guns for that length of time?

"This is Rae. I do not anticipate a problem. I have an attention alert set. If I begin to struggle, I will hand over to Tre."

This is the captain. Excellent plan. Tre?

"Acknowledged. I will be prepared to take over the guns if necessary."

After that Jax had nothing to do until they reached the shipping lane. He could not even chat with Kip because Kip was on duty as navigator and the captain would disapprove.

Of course Kip would be doing ten things at once but there was no need to bring that to the captain’s attention.

Jax’s mind wandered to Medico Kem. Medico Kem had not returned to his home system so Jax had assumed he was happy on the Petunia Mae and had been dubious about their plan to try to recruit him. His move to Ennui 4 might mean that he was looking for something new. On the other hand, it could indicate that he had decided to settle there.

If Medico Kem said no, they would need to find another medico. Carlos had repeatedly recommended Luis Delgado off the Quetzal but Jax was wary of introducing another Navaja to the crew.

Kip had suggested merely upgrading the infirmary; with a top spec dia-doc and the best tanks they could keep even a critically injured person alive until they reached a medical centre.

Tre disagreed. He argued that a life could be lost or saved within minutes.

Jax sighed. The argument would not move on until they had Medico Kem’s answer.

There were other decisions that needed making. Carlos, despite being so well integrated, was still a crew guest and would remain that way until they could replace him as Jax’s liaison with the Navaja crews. Unfortunately, no one they had met measured up to the standard Carlos had set.

There was no sign of AA or RG, the other two men his father has chosen to be Tre’s backups. Kip had generated lists of possible candidates. Over half the names on each list were dead.

Fifteen Navaja crews, which represented less than one per cent of the Navaja fleet, had visited Tarrasade to register their intention of declaring in his favour when Emanuel Rafael Jax Esteban turned sixteen. There had been messages of support from another seventy-four. Tre said it was more than they should expect at this stage. Carlos refused to comment, which meant he disagreed.

Only nineteen davs to go.

Another thud from the guns drew Jax’s attention back to what was happening. They were almost clear. Another fifteen minutes should do it.

***

Tre had expected Rae’s attention to start wandering. It didn’t; yet more evidence of Rae’s amazing abilities. Tre thought back to the recruiting fair on Carrefour and how close he had been to walking away. Lady Luck had been with him that day.

Or rather Ean had seen the nascent relationship between Jax and Rae when anyone else would have missed it.

Thinking about their friendship reminded Tre of what Jax had been like when he and Rae had fallen out. It had been like living with a younger version of Oro. Any doubts Tre had entertained about a sexual relationship between Jax and Rae had vanished; the stronger the bond the better.

"This is the captain. We are clear of the debris field and standing down from alert status. We will arrive at Ennui 4 in two days’ time. Tre, be ready to discuss the security implications at a Meeting tomorrow morning."

"This is Tre. Understood." He sent a message to Kip in simulator 2. How soon can you be ready?

The answer came back immediately. Already am.

Dodging debris had been stressful so Tre arranged the security briefing for the next day, directly before the Meeting. One of Ean’s suppers, a relaxing evening and a good night’s sleep would sort everyone out.

Next morning Tre headed for the briefing room on the operations level. Kip was already there. To Tre’s surprise, Carlos was not. Tre made a show of looking around the room, even peering under the table.

Kip flushed. I told him I needed some time to prepare, he admitted.

Tre did not comment. Carlos was going to end up with his heart broken. It was inevitable; the Kip Carlos was in love with was only a tiny fraction of the whole.

Carlos and Jax arrived next, closely followed by Rae. They settled down to listen to Kip’s risk analysis. As soon as Tre saw the fiendishly complicated ribbon diagrams, he knew that decision-making would not be straightforward. Sure enough the risk analysis displayed swathes of grey; the colour Kip used to indicate uncertainty.

Having a medical centre means that all manner of ships have a legitimate reason for visiting, Kip pointed out. I can’t pin enough of the variables down.

Carlos looked worried; Rae twitched his whiskers.

Is it a category red station? Jax asked.

Tre knew why Jax was asking. If the station was category red, no cat would be allowed off the ship.

No, Kip admitted. It’s no worse than an amber. The problem is that I cannot tell if it is safe for Emanuel Rafael Jax Esteban. He pointed at the areas of grey. I do not have the information and I cannot get it.

But it is probably safe, Jax pushed.

There is a nineteen per cent chance it is not, Kip specified, with a six per cent margin of error.

One in four is far too high, Carlos pointed out.

Tre could tell that Jax was still hoping to be allowed onto the station when they gathered around the table in the galley for the Meeting. He would be banking on Kip complicating things and the captain focusing on the spacestation having an amber rating rather than the detailed risk analysis.

Then Kip repeated Carlos’ comment that there was a one-in-four chance that one of the crews in Ennui 4 was after Jax. Any prospect of Jax leaving the ship vanished. It was not even put to the vote.

We will be renting a secure bay and you will be staying aboard, Jax, the captain ordered.

Jax scowled but did not argue.

Should any of the cats be leaving the ship? Ean queried.

It’s safer than Carruthers 2, Kip informed them.

I think Medico Kem is more likely to decide in our favour if all parts of the crew are represented, the captain pointed out.

We should include Rae, Vic added. It would emphasise how much we value his expertise. There are no other medicos that specialise in treating hybrids.

Including Noe would remind him that we got rid of Scar, Rae suggested.

Ben must go, Ean reminded them. He needs to meet Medico Kem so he can make up his own mind.

It was decided that Carlos would stay on the Salix with Jax, Kip, Cas and Obe while the captain, Ean, Vic, Ben, Noe, Rae and Tre sounded Medico Kem out about joining the crew. If Medico Kem was interested and Ben gave the go-ahead, Tre would explain the security concerns and find out if he was willing to go through the necessary checks.

They sent a message to the Stellar Exchange and, to Tre’s surprise, received a reply by suppertime. Medico Kem was looking forward to meeting them.

Booking a secure bay proved to be easier than Tre had expected. The cost was high but Tre did not hesitate to pay. The alternative was to hire local guards, which was out of the question.

The next morning Kip set up a projector in the galley and displayed live images of the spacestation as they approached. Tre watched the others’ reactions. Despite having the best medical centre in the sector, Ennui 4 was no Mercy Station. It was not that the station was old, many were, but that it had missed out on centuries of upgrades during the war and its aftermath.

Kip assured them that it was considered well maintained; Tre hoped that reputation was deserved.

Then Kip projected the plan of the station. Like most disc stations, Ennui 4 had two types of main corridor; the concentric corridors, which were curved, and the radial corridors, which were straight. All the secure bays were clustered in one part of the docks, accessed by short spurs off the outermost concentric corridor.

Not the best set-up, Carlos observed.

Tre agreed. It would be easy for someone to cut them off from their ship. If Jax had been leaving the ship he would have been worried. However, Jax was not.

They would be fine.

Even so, as they left the secure bay, Tre took advantage of the time it was taking Vic to set the ancient locks to suss out the layout. He signalled that Rae should keep watch and accessed the plan of the station stored in his inbuilt data crystal array.

As expected, the door to the secure bay was at the end of a spur. Tre disliked dead ends; it was always best to have a choice of exits and a locked door that took time to open did not qualify. He walked to the end of the spur. The corridor beyond was quiet.

Across and along, he could just see the mouth of one of the radial corridors leading inwards.

He stayed at the entrance to the spur, keeping one eye on the corridors beyond and one on what Vic was doing.

I’ve only ever seen one of these in a museum, Vic observed, spinning the dials to ensure they had been randomised. Usual combinations? he proposed.

Many locks used combinations. They all memorised five sets of five numbers that were changed whenever someone left the crew.

The captain nodded. Left to right, he suggested.

Vic set the locks, spun the dials again and locked the cover; it would only reopen when the code they had purchased had been entered. Then, finally, they could get going. Tre led, as usual, closely followed by Ben. Rae and Noe were in the middle with Ean close behind them. The captain and Vic were at the rear.

They exited the spur, crossed the circular corridor and walked purposefully up the radial corridor into the spacer quarter. Everywhere was the same; old-fashioned and well worn. Tre hoped that the medical facilities were more up-to-date than the station. If not, scanning Medico Kem for potential hazards might not be possible. He began thinking about alternatives, possibly a pod passage for Medico Kem to a system where the technology was more developed.

At least the crews they encountered knew how to behave.

They found the bar Medico Kem had suggested without difficulty. It was just beyond the edge of the spacer quarter, where crews and residents mixed.

There was no sign of Medico Kem. Ean picked out a table and Vic went up to the bar to order some refreshments.

What a place, Ben commented, keeping his voice low so as not to offend any locals. It’s like stepping back in time.

It’s what happens when you waste centuries on war, the captain pointed out.

Ean looked about. It has a certain charm, he suggested. All the storyvids I watched as a boy had spacer bars like this one.

It was true. Everything was made out of plastic imitation wood, from the bar to the tables and even the floor. Unlike in the storyvids, the surfaces had been worn smooth over the decades. The artificial grain had long gone, along with the original painted surface.

Someone had dyed the worn surfaces brown, in the hope of making them blend in. It had not been successful.

Here he comes, Rae warned.

Seeing Medico Kem reminded Tre that he was nothing like the people they usually recruited. He was older and less fit with an unassuming manner. Worse, he did not wear a knife or have earrings and long hair, which had somehow escaped Tre’s notice.

He was not a spacer.

Tre’s eyes strayed to Ben, whose face was set in a pleasant, if neutral, expression but whose eyes were puzzled.

Ean led the greeting, introduced Ben and served refreshments. He then posed one of those questions spacers used to find out about people without actually asking.

Is Lady Luck treating you well, Medico Kem?

Medico Kem responded with a small, tired smile. All is relative, Spacer Ean. There is no commander or Scar. I have control of my life again. He sighed. I had hoped to go back to my old life, the one I had before Scar took the ship I was travelling on. He shook his head sadly. That life no longer exists. My wife has finished grieving and has moved on. She has remarried. My son is growing up with a different father. They are well cared for and content. It would not be fair to disrupt their lives by returning. He smiled. And you all, Spacer Ean? How has Lady Luck been treating you?

We have a new ship and the crew you knew remains intact with the addition of Ben, Ean replied. Also we have decided to have a home port: Tarrasade.

Tarrasade? Medico Kem’s face lit up, making him look ten standards younger.

So Medico Kem liked the idea of Tarrasade. Perhaps there was a middle way; one that gave them more time to consider whether Medico Kem could fit into a Traditional spacer crew.

Tre exchanged glances with the captain and Ean, each of whom gave a slight nod.

We have not forgotten what we owe you, Medico Kem, the captain stated. If you had not defied the commander, at least three of us would have had our memories wiped. If you would be willing to go through some security checks, we would like to offer you passage to Tarrasade.

That would be amazing, Medico Kem admitted. He looked towards Tre. I am guessing that these security checks would not be trivial.

The thought of being scanned and then tested in a simulator did not faze Medico Kem. Tre supposed that almost anything was less frightening than day-to-day living with men like the commander and Scar. Medico Kem working at the medical centre meant that the scans should be possible; he promised to put Vic in contact with the senior technician.

After arranging to communicate the next day, Medico Kem took his leave. They watched him go in silence.

I can imagine that he grows on you, Ben admitted finally.

I think we have come up with an excellent compromise, the captain insisted. He looked out the window at the very ordinary market beyond. What should we do now?

Back to the ship? Ean suggested.

Even Ben, who was usually so keen to explore, agreed.

They were through the busy corridors of the spacer quarter, walking along the radial corridor that led to the edge of the disc, when Rae’s ears pricked and his fur bristled.

What is it? Tre asked immediately.

People between us and the ship, Rae replied.

Tre ramped up his hearing but could not distinguish anything specific.

Is there another way? Ean asked.

Only going to the Stellar Exchange and arranging for the Salix to pick us up from a shuttle, Tre admitted.

I am sure that will not be necessary, the captain replied. If the worst comes to the worst and they challenge, we will deal with it.

Tre reviewed the remainder of their route. There was one more crossroad before the end of the corridor where they would turn left. From there it was only a short way to the spur leading to the secure bay. If there was a challenge, it would be at the crossroad.

Sure enough, a group of eight men appeared from the right and blocked their path. For a moment Tre wondered if they were a crew but then he zoomed in using his cybernetic eye and confirmed that one of them had a captain’s badge on his collar.

Another of them pointed at Noe and declared, We are the crew of the Golden Star and we challenge for the cat.

The captain signalled for them to stop. Vic took a few extra paces; as always he would be their spokesperson.

The formalities began. The Golden Star’s enforcer was identified and stepped forward. He moved well and looked competent. Vic had just named Tre as his opponent when Rae froze.

There are other groups behind us and located out of sight to the left and to the right, he whispered.

Even a potential ambush did not invalidate a challenge. Tre stepped forward and the Salix’s crew took up their usual positions against one of the walls. The Golden Star’s crew remained spread out across the corridor.

It definitely did not feel right; the other crew were up to something.

Tre was on his toes, ready to spring into action, when there was a peculiar ‘whomp’ sound, the lights dimmed and his body stopped working.

As he hit the floor, Tre thanked Lady Luck that Jax was on the Salix with Carlos.

2

Ean watched in horror as Tre froze, teetered and crashed to the floor like a felled tree. Everything felt strange and unreal. The light level had fallen to that of night and the station sounded wrong.

Tre was not moving.

Vic strode forward, using his size to intimidate the other crew’s enforcer.

Foul! he shouted. Invalid challenge! The signal had not been given!

In the distance an alarm started.

Tre still was not moving.

The Golden Star’s enforcer glanced over his shoulder, looking to his captain for instructions.

Their captain raised a hand to his mouth. There was a glint of metal and the piercing sound of a whistle. Then the crew opposite drew their knives and charged.

Their enforcer lunged towards Tre and Ean’s shock was shattered by a surge of adrenalin. He yelled a warning but it was not needed. As the man bent to strike, Vic kicked him in the head.

Rae shot forward. The man with the whistle hit the ceiling and fell in a lifeless heap onto the floor. Their spokesperson and two of their crew froze but the other three kept coming.

They had signed their death warrants. The air was thick with the smell of fresh blood. Rae was moving too fast to track but Ean could follow where he had been: one attacker crumpled against a wall; another screaming in agony on the ground; the third pumping his life’s blood through the bubbling, gaping wound that had been his throat.

Move! the captain ordered. Ean took a step forward before stopping; as the second-best fighter still standing, his place was at the rear.

There are others coming, Ben warned, looking back in the direction they had come.

Vic was picking Tre up. Rae was disabling the last three of the Golden Star’s crew, clearing their way to the ship. Ean drew his knife and signalled the others forward before following.

As he crossed the intersection, Ean checked out the corridors to his right and his left. Armed men were closing from both directions. He then glanced over his shoulder and saw the men Ben had spotted. Run! he shouted. Spreading out was a risk but those who went ahead could begin opening the locks.

Rae! Take Tre from Vic, the captain ordered.

Rae hesitated for a moment, as if on the edge of arguing, but then he plucked Tre from Vic’s shoulder and slung him over his own.

Ben and Noe were already sprinting away. Rae accelerated after them, followed by the captain, Vic and then Ean. Behind them the three chasing groups had reached the intersection and were joining forces to pursue them.

There were at least twelve of them.

Ean heard a crack. Something whistled past his ear before hitting one of the walls.

Another surge of adrenalin allowed him to accelerate. The idiots were using projectile weapons in a spacestation. Ean imagined what would happen if one of the projectiles breached a wall.

Stop shooting! a voice shouted. You might hit the boy.

Ean realised that the men must have mistaken Noe for Jax.

Out in front, Ben and Noe reached the end of the corridor and turned left. Ean heard a shriek followed by a yelled warning. They must have been ambushed before they could get into the spur leading to the secure bay.

Rae, carrying Tre, followed them.

Ean willed his legs to move faster. He caught up with Vic and the captain; the three of them rounded the corner together. Up ahead he could see Rae closing on Ben, Noe and seven attackers. Ben was dodging blows from two opponents. Ean wondered why he wasn’t armed but then he spotted a body on the floor with a knife in its throat. Three men were clustered around Noe, trying to capture him.

Noe ducked down, plucked one man’s knife from his scabbard and thrust it up under his ribs into his heart. Ben drew his second knife from his boot; two slashes and he had his attackers backing away.

Rae ignored the fighting and headed towards the other two men, who were guarding entrance to the spur. As Rae reached them, he threw Tre’s body.

Ean watched in horrified fascination as Tre sailed over their heads. He was not the only one distracted. The two guards were still tracking Tre’s path as Rae killed them.

Rae twisted around to close on the men attacking Noe. Ean resisted the urge to check on Tre and followed Rae into the fight. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Vic leap over the bodies and run into the spur, intent