Stargazers

Hades: Charon Station

The planet Hades glitters like a black pearl. Across its surface, a sprawling city sparkles in the darkness. Spinning with it as it orbits the Omega Star, the space station Charon is tethered to the soil of the planet by a massive elevator that brings goods and people to and from its surface.

Achilles docks in the station. Hades, and Charon by extension, exist on the fringes of Republic space. As a result, it has become a nesting ground for criminals, political refugees, or anyone avoiding government oversight as a rule. At this point, the militaries of the galaxy allow it this freedom. Everyone, they have realized, needs a place to be, and it is better to have as much of the crime localized to one, lawless star system rather than spreading like a disease to the others.

In Lancelot's eyes, Charon is the safest place in the galaxy at the moment. He is seated in his captain's chair, leaned back, his head on his balled fist. When the ship locks into place with a small lurch, he stands and issues orders. There will be no rest. They will repair and resupply, and then they will leave immediately.

He grabs two soldiers and brings them with him to the brig. At the big door, they stop, and Lancelot looks at the two fresh-faced soldiers awaiting his command. They regard him soberly, with mixed fear and respect, as he prefers. Each is a mountain of a man, but they know he could kill them without a struggle.

"I want you two on Arthur. The girl will be mine."

They salute and follow him inside, where Chastity is curled up on the bed. Arthur is seated beside her, and he rises to meet them as they enter. One mountain grabs him immediately while the other plants a fist into his gut. Lancelot passes Arthur without even a second glance.

He grabs Chastity by the hair and pulls her onto the floor. Then, with his open palm, he strikes her hard when she starts to cry. Her face swells red while he drags her from the room.

"Lancelot," Arthur shouts, struggling against the two soldiers. They punch him again, this time with enough force to knock his legs out from under him. He goes limp in their arms.

"I'm done with your games," Lancelot says, dragging Chastity by the hair while she stumbles after him. "I'm done with your lies and your misinformation. So, here is what we will do." He throws her into the wall and drags his pistol from his hip. Cocking it, he presses the barrel into Arthur's forehead. "What do you know about the Guides? How do we wake that one up?"

"I. Don't. Know!" Chastity speaks through sobs, tears and snot smearing and mixing on her cheeks, choking her as she struggles to breath between coughs and whimpers.

"Wrong answer!" Lancelot strikes Arthur across the skull with the butt of his pistol. Blood warms his palm. "You know what I want. Tell me the truth, girl!"

"I am! I am telling you the truth!"

Lancelot growls, presses the cold barrel into Arthur's head once again. "Last. Chance. He will die, and it will be your fault."

"Please! Stop! I don't know. I don't know anything—I don't..." She struggles to her feet, falls to her knees, and then crawls toward him like a child. One of the mountains leaves Arthur to grab her by the neck and hold her in place. She sobs louder. "I don't know. I don't know. I don't..."

"Then what do you know?"

"Nothing. We couldn't figure it out. We couldn't find anything..."

"Stop it, Stephen," Arthur says, lifting his head to meet Lancelot's gaze. "You know this sort of interrogation is useless on a civilian. She'll agree to anything to get you to stop."

Lancelot gives a long, hard stare, and then hits him again with the gun. "Then it's pointless to keep either of you around," Lancelot says. Chastity's eyes go wide.