“Leonidas?” Alisa commed. “We found a non-rooftop landing spot. We’re a few buildings away from you, at the, uh—” She poked at the map. “Cafeteria. Follow the path of smashed picnic tables to find us.”
Yumi snorted.
“Keep an eye on that shuttle, will you, Yumi?” Alisa unbuckled her harness. She wasn’t going to let people flood into the cargo hold without keeping an eye on things. “Let me know if it manages to get out, or if any other ships head our way.” The latter seemed a distinct and unsettling possibility.
“Will do, Captain.”
Alisa headed for the cargo hold, almost running into Abelardus, who had gone to his cabin to grab his staff. He jogged ahead of her, and she paused to stick her head into sickbay.
“Doctor?” she asked, spotting Alejandro and young Ostberg. After the crazy flying, Alejandro’s face was pale, and he looked like he might throw up—or like he might have
already
thrown up. Ostberg stood next to Durant, who had been returned to the exam table, and he looked fine. In fact, he grinned at her, his eyes gleaming. Anyone who could zoom those thrust bikes around that hilly course probably would not get airsick. “Can I borrow your helper? We’re about to have a bunch of injured people coming in.”
Alejandro rubbed his head and gave her a sour look.
“Don’t worry,” she said. “We’re taking them to the hospital. You don’t have to do anything.”
“That’s not what my glare was for.”
“Still grumpy about my unsteady flying?”
“I’m grumpy about every choice you make. What are we
doing
here?” Alejandro flung a hand toward the bulkhead, though the gesture was probably meant to indicate the campus rather than the ship.
“Rescuing people,” Alisa said brightly, and waved for Ostberg to join her.
Alejandro squinted at her. “Random people?”
“Since we couldn’t locate the un-random one, yes.”
Ostberg’s brow crinkled in confusion, but he joined Alisa in the corridor. When they reached the cargo hold, they found Abelardus had already opened the hatch and lowered the ramp. He stood to the side, once again in his Starseer robe and with that staff planted on the deck next to him. People looked warily at him as they walked, limped, or were helped up the ramp, but their wariness did not keep them from shuffling into the hold and collapsing inside. The chickens pecked nervously at the floor and eyed the newcomers suspiciously.
“Go in as far as you can,” someone called from the ramp. “Try to stay out of the way.”
The speaker came into view, a black-haired woman of about thirty with a younger woman’s arm slung over her shoulder. Another woman walked beside them, this one older and with blood on her blouse. She was using a hand tractor to guide two unconscious young men into the craft. Two other men were using a blanket to carry a third. Nobody had hover gurneys or even hoverboards. Most of the people appeared to be college-age students, with the exception of the two women directing people.
Alisa picked her way past the refugees, so she could meet the women at the top of the ramp. She didn’t know if they were nurses or doctors or simply faculty who had taken charge. They did not wear uniforms of any kind.
“Is the captain here?” the gray-haired woman asked, scanning the hold as her people settled in. She glanced at Abelardus but did not appear eager to talk to him. Leonidas wasn’t the only one who would need muffins to bribe people not to fear him.
Is that so?
Abelardus said into her mind, his nose wrinkling in a sniff.
Definitely.
“I’m the captain,” Alisa said, lifting her hand and meeting the women’s eyes. She did not offer them her name. University professors probably wouldn’t follow the news in regard to rogue freighter captains, but there was no need to take chances. “We were flying by and saw the trouble. We’re prepared to take a load of people to the hospital.”
Just happened to be flying by, eh?
Ssh.
“We need it,” the dark-haired woman said, assisting her student to the deck, then heading to Alisa. Sweat gleamed on her forehead, and she wore an understandably frazzled expression. She gave a short bow, then said, “I’m Dr. Suyin Tiang. We’re grateful that you landed. The hospital must be the priority, but if you have time afterward, I dearly need a ride to the Siamese Tower Apartments. My father is there, and I haven’t been able to get in contact with him. He’s not answering his earstar. The news is so fragmented, and I’ve been so busy that I haven’t been able to find out if anything happened to the building.” She laid her hand on Alisa’s forearm. “You were in the air, you said? When the earthquake started? Is it as bad everywhere as it is here?”
“It’s—” Alisa groped for words while her mind spun, processing the woman’s introduction. Dr.
Tiang’s
introduction. Had she truly stumbled across the one person here that she sought?
Suyin's grip tightened. “Captain?”
“According to the news, it was an earthquake,” Abelardus said, “but we have reason to believe that a weapon was used, that it was a deliberate attack on the city. Half the continent is feeling repercussions from the earthquake, but this was the epicenter. It shouldn’t be as bad everywhere.”
Alisa nodded. “We can take you to the hospital and the apartments afterward.”
Where they would have a chance to legitimately rescue Admiral Tiang. She told herself that it was inappropriate to be triumphant right now, considering everything going on, including the bleeding and moaning people filling her hold, but she couldn’t help but feel that fate had finally done her a favor.
“Excellent.” Suyin released her. “I need to get more people, direct them in here.” She turned, waving at students still coming up the ramp. “Only the injured, everyone. The hospital is going to be flooded with people to care for. If you’re not seriously wounded, please stay in the cafeteria until—”
“A ship crashed into the cafeteria,” someone cried from the bottom of the ramp. “It’s not safe!”
Alisa hoped nobody had noticed that crash had been her fault.
“That won’t happen again, I’m certain,” Suyin said. “Just—” Her voice cut off with a startled sound of dismay as she reacted to something to the side.
From her position, Alisa couldn’t see what she was looking at.
A cyborg without muffins
, Abelardus informed her.
Screams and cries of fear started up on the ramp and on the grounds outside. Alisa rushed through the hatchway, immediately spotting Leonidas and Beck, their armor dulled with soot. But not enough soot to hide that crimson coating on Leonidas’s suit.
“It’s all right,” Alisa called, aware of the students—and the faculty—scooting away, even though Leonidas was carrying an unconscious man in his arms rather than any blatant weapons. “He works for me.” When that didn’t noticeably calm people, some of whom needed to board the ship and be taken to the hospital, she added, “He’s retired!”
Alisa squeezed past those on the ramp and ran out to greet Leonidas and Beck. Beck was also carrying someone, a young woman with burn marks on one sleeveless arm and soot smearing her red face. Alisa patted him on the shoulder, but went to Leonidas’s side, wanting to show people that he was safe—
helpful
, damn it. He was carrying someone to the ship. How could they even think he was here to do harm?
Since she couldn’t hug him while he carried a man in his arms, Alisa walked at his side, close enough to rest her hand on his back. Too bad the armor prevented a good butt squeeze. Nothing said
this man is not a threat to anyone right now and has a playful side
like a butt squeeze. Of course, she hadn’t truly discovered yet if Leonidas had a playful side. She believed he did, but he kept it buried fairly far down. She had seen glimpses of humor, however. She had hope for him.
Leonidas headed straight up the ramp, not returning the stares of the wary students, his helmet focused forward. Alisa wondered how many people had screamed and run away when he’d been trying to help them in the other building and on the grounds in between. She wished she could cuff them all. At least Suyin, apparently having heard Alisa’s words, was heading back up the ramp after them, helping the other woman to support someone hopping on one leg.
“Doctor,” Leonidas called when he reached the hold. “This man has internal injuries and needs immediate help.”
Alejandro had come down with his medical kit and was starting to assess some of the injured. Ostberg made his way to each person, offering each a drink of water from his canteen. Alisa imagined these folks would like something stiffer than water, but it was good to see the kid helping out. Even though he also wore a black robe, nobody seemed overly concerned when they saw his young face and gangly frame. A few people even smiled when he excitedly detailed the way the
Nomad
had evaded that Alliance shuttle. Alisa wasn’t sure they should mention that the military was after them, but she had too much else on her mind to worry about it.
“Two soldiers are heading this way,” Abelardus told Alisa, touching her arm. “From the shuttle.”
“Armed?” she asked.
“Armed.”
Leonidas had been striding toward Alejandro, but he paused, looking back.
Alisa waved for him to deliver his patient. They could handle this.
“Can you make them unarmed?” she asked Abelardus.
“If I catch them by surprise, probably.”
“Let’s go talk to them.” Alisa didn’t want to wait for the soldiers to run up the ramp and throw accusations where all of her new passengers could hear. That would only alarm them when they didn’t need to be alarmed. Besides, she didn’t want Suyin fleeing at her first opportunity.
Is your primary concern
truly
getting your cyborg’s penis fixed right now?
Abelardus asked silently as they headed down the ramp.
Alisa glared at him.
No, but it’s
a
concern.
And I don’t think it’s right for you to judge me when you’re so judgeable yourself. As if everything you do is altruistic.
Judgeable? Is that a word?
Yes.
Does it mean what you think it means?
We’ll ask Yumi later.
As they turned off the ramp and toward the side of the building, the two soldiers strode into view. With their uniforms askew, their caps missing, and their hair covered in dust and soot, they didn’t appear too happy. Each carried a rifle in his arms. Abelardus might have a hard time flinging the weapons away from them if they had a good grip. Alisa had been imagining pistols in holsters that he could slip out with his mind. Instead, they were eyeing Abelardus’s robe and fingering the triggers of those rifles.
“Hello,” Alisa said with a cheerful wave. “Did you come to help take wounded people to the hospital? That would be excellent because I’m not sure I can fit everyone in my hold.”
They scowled at her.
One said, “Are you the captain of that…
that
?” He thrust a dismissive finger toward the freighter parked in the park.
Innocuously parked, Alisa thought. So long as one didn’t notice the shards of picnic bench sticking out from under the belly.
“It’s the
pilot
I want to shoot,” the other one muttered. “Not the captain.”
How lucky for them that you are one and the same.
Abelardus winked at her.
Why do they still have their weapons?
They have a death grip on those weapons. I’ll have to distract them in order to fling them away. Unless you want me to fling the
men
away?
Can’t you distract them by undoing their boot fasteners? Or dropping their trousers?
Sounds kinky.
“Shit,” one of the soldiers said, faltering as he gaped over Alisa’s shoulder.
He started to point his rifle in that direction, but it flew out of his hands. The other soldier’s did the same thing. Both weapons sailed into the air and landed on the roof.
As Alisa glanced behind her, Leonidas strode up, still in full armor and now with a rifle in his arms.
“Is there a problem?” he demanded coolly.
“Uh—” Both soldiers looked toward the rooftop, toward Abelardus, and finally toward Leonidas. Then they ran.
“Your cyborg was more distracting than kinky uniform malfunctions,” Abelardus said, waving in the direction that the rifles had gone.
“I guess that reputation is occasionally handy,” Alisa said, nodding at Leonidas.
“Occasionally,” he said, not that convincingly.
She patted him on the back again. “Let’s get the
Nomad
into the air and to a hospital. Then we’ll go find Admiral Tiang, as requested by his daughter.”
Leonidas’s eyebrows rose.
“It’s not a kidnapping if it’s requested by a family member,” Alisa informed him.
“Another delay?” Abelardus asked. “While the person who wielded the staff may be flying away from the area where the attack originated? If he flies to another continent or off the planet, we may never catch him. I’m not strong enough to track the staff to the stars and beyond.”
“A short delay,” Alisa said. “I promise.”
She strode back to the ship, glad when Leonidas fell in at her side. She knew she had
his
support, at least. Even if he did not believe this was the best time to hunt for doctors to help with personal matters, he would stand at her side. She believed that, and it touched her.
Wonderful, you and your cyborg can hold hands while the entire star system is brought to its knees.
Alisa kept walking and did not look back at Abelardus.
Maybe you should use this time to figure out how we’re going to get the staff back from those people when we find them. Because I’m sincerely doubting that will be an easy thing.
She thought of Durant’s unconscious form, and then of the way Leonidas had looked when he had been in a coma, and she also thought of the dead Starseers from the outpost on Cleon Moon. She hoped Abelardus was monitoring those thoughts, because even though she had agreed to help, and she agreed that she was partially to blame for the relic being stolen, she worried this might be a suicide mission. And it wasn’t supposed to be her mission, damn it. When was Durant going to wake up and tell her where her daughter had been taken?