The Girls From Alcyone (23 page)

Seeing them approach, Selene made to rise from her seat in the corner booth, but Sigrid slid quickly into the seat next to her. Selene had little choice but to sit back down. She reached for the pistol at her side, only to find an empty holster. She gasped. The weapon was gone.

Sigrid held the pistol out for her, handle first.

"Ah, Ms. Tseng," Hitomi said pleasantly as she joined them. "Just the woman I was looking for. I was hoping we might have a word."

Selene eyed Sigrid warily, but she took the proffered weapon and slipped it back into the holster at her side. She sighed resignedly. "Well, I suppose it was just a matter of time," she said, reaching for her steaming mug of black coffee. "What can I do for you ladies?"

The Lady Hitomi leaned forward, as calm and pleasant as always; there was no attempt at intimidation, although the four security personnel nearby served that purpose adequately.

"We want to know who hired Tarsus. We want to know who sent you after our girls—and why."

Selene blew on her coffee and took a careful sip. "I have no idea."

As Selene spoke, Sigrid's sensory modules took note of her reactions. Her pulse was slightly elevated, and there was the briefest spike in her blood pressure.

"She's lying, Mistress," Sigrid said.

Selene's eyes shot to Sigrid.

"And lies can have consequences," Hitomi said, softly.

Selene considered the young girl at her side—how she glared at her with such intensity. She shrugged and put her coffee on the table. "I don't suppose there's any harm in it now. It was a man. He hired us to take the girls. He was willing to pay…
a lot.
I only ever saw him once. Karl worked for him on a number of occasions. He had money, and Karl needed the work. I never got his name."

"And you never inquired as to his identity?"

"Of course. Karl asked him every time they met. He was, however, not forthcoming in the matter."

"Of course."

"She's
still
lying," Sigrid said, rising with indignation. Hitomi placed a cautioning hand on Sigrid's, and eased her back into her chair. "At least, she's not telling you everything, Mistress."

Selene studied Sigrid closely, and nodded. "Fair enough—I tried to scan him once, but…"

Hitomi raised an eyebrow, waiting. "But…?"

Lt. Commander Tseng reached into her pocket and pulled out a small data chip. Hitomi snapped her fingers and one of her security men came forward to hand her a pad. Hitomi unfolded it and placed the chip on top of the screen to download the data. Displayed there was an image of a man sitting in a booth similar to the one they were in now. The image was crystal clear, showing everything in perfect detail—except for the man; he was totally blurred and pixilated.

"He must have been wearing a
jammer
," Selene offered.

"Expensive," Hitomi said. "I guess he really didn't want you to know."

Sigrid had heard of the devices; the
jammers
could scramble any electronic attempt at scanning the individual who wore the device.
Jammers
were very rare,
very
illegal, and very, very expensive.

Selene took another sip from her coffee. "Sorry I wasted your time."

"Not at all. We will, of course, compensate you for your time." She slid the pad across to Selene; Sigrid took note of the generous sum that Hitomi was offering her. Selene barely acknowledged the amount, but reached forward and pressed her thumb to the pad.

"One last question," Lady Hitomi said. "Major Tarsus—have you heard from the man recently? We'd love to talk to him, for obvious reasons."

Sigrid watched Selene open her mouth to answer; she felt the woman's pulse quicken, but then Selene paused and looked directly at Sigrid. "About two months ago, he was headed for Eridani looking to get something together, but I haven't heard since."

"Lying," Sigrid said.

Selene sighed. "All right, I did hear from him. He took a job working freight with an
Independent—
"

"Lying."

Selene sloshed her coffee down hard on the table. "Stop that! I am not lying."

"You're totally lying—she's lying."

"
All right!
" Selene frowned, then glared at Sigrid. "We were supposed to meet on Bellatrix a month ago, but he never showed. I made some inquiries. There were men looking for him. Not surprising—the Major has made a few enemies over the years. I don't think it's much of a stretch to think that someone may have wanted to see harm to him. Frankly, I assumed you were the ones after him."

"Where? Where did he go?" Hitomi asked.

"Gliese. At least, that's what I heard."

"And you didn't go after him?"

Selene shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "I couldn't afford the transport. I've been stuck here since Alcyone."

Sigrid nodded satisfied. "True."

"That's a nice trick," Selene said. "That thing you do—walking lie detector."

"She's a girl of many talents," Hitomi said.

"No doubt…"

Hitomi smiled. "It is a simple thing to monitor pulse, blood pressure, subtle changes in the dryness of the mouth and skin…"

Selene continued to eye Sigrid warily. "But she never touched me. How can you…?"

Sigrid was about to answer, but Hitomi stopped her, answering instead. "We girls have to have some secrets."

"We heard stories about you girls," Selene said. "After the operation went south…they said you were dangerous—some kind of experiment. They said you were a threat to the Federation."

"
Dangerous?
My, how people talk."

Selene took another drink from her mug. "I'm just saying, that's what I heard."

"And you believed it?"

Selene laughed, spewing out a mouthful of coffee. "Of course not. Men will always feel threatened by anything they can't dominate. And a pretty woman who can kick their ass…why, that might be the biggest threat of all."

"Interesting observation."

"So tell me, is it true—what they can do?"

"Difficult to say when I don't know what it is that you mean," Hitomi answered, innocently.

"I know what ship you came in on. It wasn't long ago that the
Morrigan
was registered to Dalair. One minute Oslov's heading off to collect on some bounty; the next thing I know, here comes the
Morrigan,
returning not under the Dalair banner—not even the Kimura—but as an Independent, and registered to a seventeen-year-old girl."

"I'm eighteen!" Sigrid said, indignantly.

"I heard about what you did. I heard how you took that ship."

Hitomi looked at Selene. "And just how is it that you came by this information?"

"I still have friends. There's a lot I hear, and there's a lot they'll tell a girl on her own in a bar here after a few drinks."

"And just what is this information going to cost us?" Hitomi asked. "There's no need to play us, Ms. Tseng. As I said before, I'm more than willing to compensate you."

"It's not money I need—well, that too. I need a job."

This time, it was the Lady Hitomi who showed surprise. "A job? You would work for us, even after—"

"That was just a contract. It was nothing personal. I told Tarsus he was biting the wrong leg on that one. There's been a lot of gossip about Kimura and those girls of yours—even with all the trouble brewing with the
Independents
. I want in. I want to see what all the fuss is about."

"And this would have nothing to do with the rumor about the bounty…"

"Oh, the rumor's real," Selene said. "But I don't care about that. You have a ship and I'm the best pilot there is."

Hitomi raised her eyebrows at the declaration. "Best pilot not under contract?"

"
The
best."

"It's her ship, Ms. Tseng," Hitomi said, pointing to Sigrid. "I think she's the one you need to impress."

Selene sat back and looked directly at Sigrid, clasping hands behind head and kicking her legs out under the table. She exuded a cocky confidence—every inch a hotshot pilot.

Sigrid scanned the woman very carefully. Her words had been bold, but she could sense no attempt at deception. The woman was supremely confident of her skills, and prepared to back up her boast. Sigrid wondered how Christian would feel if she replaced him at the helm—probably relieved
.

"Very well, I accept your offer. I'll prepare a contract."

Selene smiled. "Standard rates should suffice."

Sigrid held her hand out to seal the deal. "Welcome aboard, Ms. Tseng."

* * *

After parting with Selene, Sigrid escorted the Lady Hitomi to her next appointment with the Mercenary Guild. Sigrid was surprised to see that the Guild resembled a private club rather than the stuffy offices of a bureaucrat. The Condottiere had already been notified of the Lady's arrival and was expecting her. She greeted Hitomi and her entourage warmly in the Guild lounge.

"Marylyn!" Lady Hitomi smiled broadly.

"Hitomi, how wonderful," The older woman said, rushing to Hitomi's side and taking her hand while also noting Sigrid at her side. "Is this…?"

"Yes, this is Sigrid Novak. Sigrid, Meet Marylyn Lawther, Condottiere of all the Mercenary clans."

"Milady
,
"
Sigrid said, with a deep curtsy.

"Oh, now! None of that here, my dear. We're all good friends. Now, come, let me look at you."

The woman took Sigrid by her shoulders and gave her a quick and appraising once-over before escorting them all to a set of comfortable chairs. Sigrid noted the lovely tea service set out on the low table near their seats, and there was an actual
real
fire roaring in the brick fireplace!

"Please tell me you're here for a while," Marylyn said to Hitomi. "I do so miss our talks."

"I'm afraid we'll be leaving momentarily. I just wanted to stop by and let you know—"

"If it's about that dreadful business with Dalair—we've heard all about it. It's all the chatter these days. Don't you worry, Hitomi-san, the Guild Heads have already agreed to convene. Dalair will be dealt with most harshly. This business of clans taking contracts against each other must stop. Things have long been out of hand. It's absolute barbarism."

Hitomi sighed. "It pleases me to hear that, but I'm afraid there's more."

The revelation made Marylyn pause her pouring of tea for a moment. "Not more nonsense, I hope."

"Of a different sort. There's a chance the Council may be involved in this."

"The Council? What business is it of the Council to get involved with Mercenary affairs? That just won't do."

"I agree. I'm on my way to a hearing on Earth—I just wanted you to know. But Council or not, if someone is taking out contracts on
any
of the clans—"

"They must be crushed
… Sugar?"

"Please, one spoon."

"Now, do tell me all about these girls of yours," Marylyn said excitedly.

Sigrid found herself quite taken with the very charming, yet commanding, Marylyn Lawther, and after what turned out to be a most enjoyable hour, Hitomi announced it was time for them to depart.

Marylyn cautioned them about the bounty on Sigrid, but Lady Hitomi was confident they would be safe on the station.
Vincenze Station
had always been a haven for Mercenaries. It was highly unlikely for an
Independent
group to get aboard with the intention of hostile action without facing the wrath of close to a million angry Mercenaries.

They made one stop on the way back. Lady Hitomi caught Sigrid spying a weapons shop on the promenade. The store was little more than a pawnshop for out-of-work soldiers looking to score some credits, but Sigrid was drawn into its metallic charm. She found one item she couldn't resist. Sitting in what looked like an old umbrella stand, rusted and covered in dirt and dust, Sigrid discovered an old Katana. Despite the neglect, she could tell the blade was of the finest workmanship, its handle was modestly decorated and bound in black leather, with most of its gold inlay worn away. The shopkeeper had been happy to get rid of the relic, so Sigrid picked it up for a song.

Sigrid wasn't as skilled with blades as the other Academy girls, but she knew Suko would love it. She'd deliver it to her somehow.

Hitomi watched with interest as the girl paid for the obscure item. Sigrid wrapped it carefully in a cloth the proprietor had given her before tucking the long two-handed blade in her belt.

"It suits you," Hitomi said.

Sigrid glanced at the blade, a little embarrassed. "Oh it's not for me."

"No? Who then?"

Sigrid wasn't sure if she should tell her, or what the older woman would think if she told her about Suko. Sigrid was growing fond of the Lady, but she had to remember that the woman
was
Kimura
; this was the organization responsible for taking her from Suko.

"It's for a friend," she said at last.

"I'm sure she'll love it."

They made it back to the docking ring without incident. Sigrid was pleased to find Selene already waiting for them. She'd changed into a one-piece ship's suit, much like Sigrid's, though Selene's sported a wide lapel, folded outward and cut low. She wore a lightweight, black pilot's jacket and the high-buckled boots from earlier, along with a large sidearm, holstered at her hip. Dark pilots' glasses covered her green eyes. The smallest suitcase Sigrid had ever seen sat on the ground next to her.

Selene was not alone, either. Standing next to her was a young man—he couldn't have been more than 20. He wore a baggy ship suit, his blond hair cut short.

"This is Rodney," Selene said. "He's the best mechanic in this quadrant. Trust me."

Sigrid studied the boy. "I'm afraid we're already crewed with engineers."

"Those Academy-types? They'll do in a pinch, but our Rodney here…" She patted the young man's shoulders. "He's got a gift. I've never seen anything like it."

"Forgive me, but you look a little young, Rodney," Hitomi said. "Where did you graduate?"