Kanushin (Starweaver's Tapestry #1)

Chapter 3: Tails

"Zaius... Veer?" The security officer questioned with a tinge of annoyance and a raised eyebrow.

Zaius nodded silently.

Ten seconds.

Five seconds.

"Look, I'm telling you that I don't see anything remotely like that on this docket," The officer said. He swiped and slid his fingers across the holo-tab as if to make a point.

"Try checking just one more time. Please," Zaius begged, both hands clasped and asking for mercy.

The officer sneered and swiped across his tab once more. Zaius' name flickered slightly on the bottom of his screen. He opened up Zaius' security profile, double-checked its authenticity then returned his attention to the young man waiting patiently in front of him.

"Guess these all-nighters are really doing a number on me," He grumbled. He shook his thumb at Zaius and then pointed back. "You're in and you're out. No stopping, no questions. Got it?"

Zaius nodded energetically, trying hard to keep his polite smile from turning into a smarmy smirk. He was almost done. He just had to pop in, grab the package and pop out.

Zaius strode into the loading bay with artificial confidence and made his way past a handful of workers loading up food supplies into a nearby ship. The Stock Docks within Tovarro Station had always been one of his favorite places to visit.

Tovarro itself served as a bustling metropolitan megastructure moving constantly at near light speed. Home to eight billion individuals from more than thirty species, there was a constant need for more- more food, more supplies, more contraband. Cranes and grav-lifts hummed and whirred across the warehouses in a never-ending mechanical medley. Of all the levels and places in Tovarro, though, the Stock Docks always seemed the calmest.

Pops and clangs echoed from the side of the bay, catching Zaius' attention. He stopped for a moment and leaned on the safety rails as workers scrambled on the floor below. The floor manager, clad in an orange jumpsuit, barked orders to turn on the shield guard and set up for docking. The bay doors clanked open to reveal the star sea on the other side, vibrant colors mixing in nebulas far away. A goofy grin filled Zaius' face. Very few got views as beautiful as that.

A flash of blue light erupted outside the shield guard and burned away into the shape of a Rigit, specialized ships designed for docking with Tovarro. The copper-colored craft edged closer to the shield guard, engines blazing a purple trail behind it. A thin polearm emerged from the side and extended through the guard where it was immediately locked down by the scrambling workers.

Zaius could feel the intensity of the situation building below. One mistake, one small error in trajectory and the Rigit would smash into Tovarro's side before exploding into a cloud of metal shards. It inched through, metal scraping and sparking slightly along the bottom. As the Rigit came to a rest, a collective sigh mixed with the sound of hydraulic hiss.

Zaius's eyes wandered across the Rigit, worn down by space and time, and came to a stop on the maroon UIFH logo emblazoned on the transom. He blinked with realization. The ship was carrying the package he had been sent to retrieve. As the workers unloaded the Rigit's cargo, Zaius formulated a plan in his mind.

'Nice and easy,' He thought. 'Not a problem in sight.'

A meaty hand grasped his shoulder and dug in deep. Zaius closed his eyes and let out a deep sigh.

"I thought I said in and out, no stopping," the security officer growled.

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