Part 6 (1/2)
”Because it's theirs, and they may want it back?”
”If I'm right about its origins, it's been centuries since it was in their hands, but possibly, yes.”
Alisa unfastened her harness and stood, though she took a few minutes to lock down her controls so n.o.body else could fly the s.h.i.+p. Maybe it didn't matter when these people could think the power on and off, but there was no reason to make it easy for someone to steal the Nomad-or tinker with her.
”I'm going to grab a few more weapons from my quarters,” Leonidas said. ”Wait for me before following the Sta.r.s.eer.”
”More?” Alisa eyed the rifle slung over his shoulder, the blazer pistols at his hips, and she knew he had a lot more weapons built into his combat armor. He had removed his helmet since returning from the White Dragon s.h.i.+p, but he still wore everything else.
”More,” he said firmly, and strode toward his cabin.
Alisa finished locking down the s.h.i.+p, taking a moment to touch the stuffed spider hanging over the co-pilot's seat. Her mother had always touched it for luck before takeoff and landing. Alisa had found that silly and superst.i.tious, but she touched it now and thought about how Jelena had never seen it. Once, Alisa had resented the freighter and never expected to see it again. Somehow, the last couple of months had changed her perspective, and she hoped that she got a chance to share it with Jelena. The s.h.i.+p and the spider. a.s.suming a Sta.r.s.eer in training wasn't too sophisticated for stuffed toys. Her musings turned uncomfortable as she imagined Jelena speaking into her mind, and maybe even reading her thoughts, the way Abelardus had.
”Alisa?” Leonidas asked from the corridor, his voice m.u.f.fled slightly by the helmet that he once again wore. Whatever he expected from the temple, it wasn't someone greeting him with open arms.
Alisa strode out to join him. She had Sta.r.s.eers to question. This was not the time to delay.
”Nice grenade launcher,” she said, noting the largest of the weapons he had added to his panoply. ”If they don't tell me where they took my daughter, maybe you can blow up one of their pretty spired towers.”
Leonidas's eyebrows rose behind his faceplate.
”That's the kind of thing a gentleman does for a lady. And if you don't consider me a lady, then that's also the kind of thing a good pa.s.senger does for his pilot.”
”I'll keep that in mind,” he said as they headed for the exit.
Alisa did not see the robed woman skulking in the cargo hold, but Yumi was at the pen, cooing to her chickens as she refilled their water dish. Alejandro stood next to the ramp, grimacing as the birds squawked enthusiastically, sending feathers flying. They seemed particularly jubilant. Maybe they were making up for their subdued hour spent in the mists.
Someone had opened the hatch already and lowered the ramp. Thankfully, eerie mist was not seeping into the s.h.i.+p this time. Had Abelardus already gone out to meet with his people? Alisa did not see him.
Alejandro turned toward Leonidas as he and Alisa approached, looking a touch relieved. Alisa wagered that wasn't the expression most people wore when they saw a cyborg in combat armor striding toward them while carrying a grenade launcher. Alejandro probably hoped to hide behind him out there.
”Leonidas has agreed to blow up a tower for me,” Alisa said. ”If you say nice things to him, he may blow one up for you too. To facilitate cooperation from the Sta.r.s.eers.”
Alejandro frowned at her attempt at humor. ”I don't think you can strong-arm these people.”
”But can you strong-grenade them?”
”You're an eccentric woman, Captain.”
”And yet you keep flying places with me. Is it possible you're not the most normal soul yourself?”
”No.”
Beck appeared on the walkway and jogged down the stairs. He wore three jackets and a fluffy fur cap that looked like it might have been forgotten in a remote corner of the Nomad by a pa.s.senger decades earlier. He was not in his combat armor, carrying only his knife and a pair of blazer pistols. He looked at Leonidas in his gleaming red suit and seemed surprised.
”We dressing up for a fight?” Beck asked.
”I'm hoping that won't be necessary,” Alisa said.
Leonidas rested his hand on his grenade launcher and said nothing.
”Maybe the mech just wants to stay warm.” Beck eyed the open hatch, then rubbed his arms through his multiple layers of sleeves. ”It's cold enough to breed polar fangcats out there.”
”What?” Alejandro asked.
”You haven't heard that expression?”
”Polar fangcats only mate at temperatures of negative fifty degrees and below,” Yumi said, finis.h.i.+ng with her chickens and walking over to join them. ”It's believed it's because of the length of their gestation period. Mating in the dead of winter ensures their babies will be born in the warmth of summer, when the temperature averages negative twenty. That's in the south pole though. The north pole is balmy in comparison.”
”Balmy. Sure.” Beck rubbed his sleeves and eyed Leonidas's armor again. Climate-controlled armor.
Yumi headed down the ramp, waving to someone. Was the female Sta.r.s.eer waiting for her?
A clang came from engineering, and Alisa called, ”Mica, are you going to join us for this friendly meeting with interesting people?”
”You don't pay me enough to deal with Sta.r.s.eers,” Mica called back.
”I did get you that new tank.”
”You got that for yourself. It's your s.h.i.+p.”
”Are you sure? You're the one who cuddles with it.”
Perhaps talking about their distaste for Sta.r.s.eers wasn't a good idea with the hatch open. Alisa could not see anyone from her position-the ramp led down to a landing pad that appeared to be made from variegated gla.s.s tiles-but she heard voices murmuring to each other. Yumi had already gone off to the side.
Alejandro sighed, either at the magnitude of what he was about to do or at the silly conversation. ”Let's go, Leonidas.”
He started down the ramp, but he paused to look back and make sure Leonidas was following before going far.
”Such a brave man,” Alisa muttered. ”Beck, unless you're itching to see if any of the Sta.r.s.eers keep fangcats for pets, why don't you stay here and keep an eye on Mica and the s.h.i.+p?”
”Can I do that with the hatch closed and the heat on, Captain?”
”Yes. In fact, I'd prefer the hatch to be closed. If anyone tries to get on the s.h.i.+p, let me know about it.”
”Yes, ma'am.” He gave her a brief salute before sticking his hands under his armpits.
Alisa hurried to catch up with Leonidas and Alejandro and followed them down, pulling her jacket tight since the air was every bit as chilly as one would expect from the north pole.
The people who she had heard talking came into view. Six tall, fit men in Sta.r.s.eer robes stood in a row to the side of the ramp, each one holding one of those black staffs, the b.u.t.ts resting on the ground. Other Sta.r.s.eers that Alisa had seen in person or on vids had worn the black robes in such a way that they fully obscured their bodies, usually with the hoods up. The hoods were down on these men, and the robes were open in front, revealing fitted gray or white vests that showed off muscular chests. Alisa had always imagined the Sta.r.s.eers as crazy old men who relied upon their minds for everything and did not bother lifting so much as a pen with their fingers, so seeing people who clearly exercised surprised her. They weren't as thickly muscled as a cyborg, but they definitely looked like warriors rather than scholars. More than warriors, she realized, as they scrutinized her, Alejandro, and Leonidas-especially Leonidas. Guards. These people looked like they were here to deal with trouble if it arose.
Abelardus stood slightly to the side of the group, his robe also open to display a similar tight vest and muscular torso. Was he the leader of the squad? He looked a little older than the others, in his thirties perhaps, instead of his twenties like the younger warriors.
Off to the side, Yumi stood with another Sta.r.s.eer, this one still wearing a hood.
”Have you come to deliver that artifact to its rightful home?” one of the young warriors asked, looking at Alejandro. Maybe they weren't the mind readers the stories said they were. If he knew what was in Alejandro's thoughts, he would know the answer.