HAWK

CHAPTER EIGHT: JAILBIRD (3/5)

Flight lieutenant Astell followed the female officer into the circular room like the last child to a birthday party. His eyes immediately fell on Kas though she kept her eyes on the table. There was a long and awkward silence before the officer finally took the hint and left them alone. Kas waited for the door to close before she looked at Astell.

He was no longer in uniform but stylishly dressed in a creaseless white shirt with black buttons tucked into a pair of charcoal coloured chinos. His blonde hair was immaculate as ever and the subtle aroma of a woodland stream diffused around the room like a calming mist.

'Hello again,' he said suspiciously. Unlike the last couple of times they'd met, he didn't have even the slightest trace of a smile. Kas figured he was still trying to make sense of the situation.

'Wasn't sure you'd come,' she replied. 'Figured you'd be too busy, what with Selva and everything.'

Astell gave a small shrug and sauntered to the table. He sat himself down and stared at Kas with a distrustful glare. 'You've got a lot of guts calling me here after what you pulled outside Chantos.'

'I didn't pull anything. It was the X1.'

'Yeah, I figured that out. But you still must've given him the order.'

'The only thing I ordered him to do was to not move. He did the rest by himself.'

Astell leaned back and crossed his arms. 'Even if that's true, you left me in the middle of space on a disabled ship. That the X1's idea, too?'

'Like I said at the time, I was under direct orders from the Federation to return the X1 to Selva without delay. I figured you're a big boy, you could take care of yourself. You saying I was wrong?'

Astell's face hardened. 'Why am I here, mohawk?'

'I need you to get me out of here.'

The flight lieutenant looked like he'd just been slapped. He laughed a cold laugh. 'Did you actually just ask me that?'

'I never made it to Selva, Astell. Had I got there just a short time before, I would have been destroyed with it. As it was, I arrived there shortly after it had been destroyed. I nearly died trying to escape, but not before I saw more death in one second than all you caps combined see in your entire lives. Twelve million people died with Selva, and my ship's C-Ram recorded all of it. I don't know what happened out there, but I intend to find out. And I can't do that inside a Yunk prison.'

Astell cleared his throat and creased his smooth brow, perhaps summoning the first serious thought he'd ever had. 'Assuming that's all true, what can you possibly expect to do that the Federation isn't already doing?'

'I have information - a potential lead to the source of the attack.'

'What lead?'

'It doesn't matter right n--'

'Of course it matters! If you've got information about Selva, you are required to give it to the Federation. Immediately. You need to tell me.'

'There's no point. Even if I tell you, you won't be able to do anything with it.'

'Why not?'

'Look, I promise, if you get me out of here, I will tell you more, but not until I'm out.'

'This is ridiculous. I mean, what do you even expect me to do? Sneak you out the back door?'

Kas resisted the temptation to roll her eyes. 'No. All you need to do is talk to the arresting officers and convince them to let me out.'

Another chuckle from Astell. 'I'm flattered that you think I have that kind of pull, but I'm just a flight lieutenant - one of thousands on Lysan. I have no power over local police.'

'No legal power, but you still have something they want. Esteem. Just tell them you'll advance their applications to the C.A.P.'

'I can't advance applications, that's not how it works.'

'They don't know that.'

Astell frowned. 'What makes you so sure they'd even go for it?'

'Are you serious? Come on Astell, you live on Lysan. Yunk officers would break the law just to get reassigned to a different city; they would kill someone if it meant a job in the Astral Police. Letting go of someone who beat up a couple of stimheads is nothing.'

'Even if your idea works - which it won't - you're asking me to help you out based solely on your word that you're telling me the truth. And so far, your word doesn't mean all that much to me.'

'I'm not lying. Not about this.'

They stared each other down until one of them had to give, and Astell clearly had something on his mind.

'What did you do with the X1?'

'I hid it. Somewhere safe.'

'On Lysan?'

'On Lysan.'

Astell rubbed his smooth face like he was trying to summon a beard. 'It's still Federal property,' he said finally. 'You need to tell me where it is so I can return it to the Federation.'

'You seriously still trying to steal my reward? Are you that self-centred? Do you not see what's happening out there?'

'Tell me where it is, and I'll reconsider helping to get you out of here.'

Kas couldn't help but laugh. 'This was a waste of time. I don't know why I thought you'd actually help me. You're only interested in helping yourself.'

'Is that a no?'

'Yeah, that's a no.'

'Then enjoy your time in jail.' With nothing left to say, Astell stood and walked back to the door. He raised his fist, ready to knock - and paused. When he stayed like that for several seconds, Kas knew she had him. Finally, he lowered his fist and turned around.

'If I get you out, you have to take me directly to the X1, no delay. That's the deal. Yes or no.'

Kas leaned back as she thought about it.