The Fringe Wars

4.6

Haunted Dreams

Broken Mountain, Terra

"So, Heid and his lackeys are probably getting plenty cocky right about now," Critch said with a sense of dread as he climbed the Scorpia's ramp. If the CUF had control of all the fringe stations, it'd believe the rebellion was finished. He added, as much to build his confidence as Birk's, "Perfect time for us to put them in their place."

"Perfect time for one of your Coastal Run-style plans," Birk said before stepping in behind Critch and climbing the ramp.

"I'm working on one," Critch said.

Birk closed the door and tapped the intercom on the wall. "Throttle, I've got Critch and we're inside."

"Good. Now, get your butts to the bridge and strap in."

"It's good to see Throttle hasn't gone all soft on you," Critch said.

Birk chuckled. "I don't think I ever have to worry about that."

Critch headed down the kinked, narrow hallway to the bridge. He knew the Scorpia well. He'd bought and customized the ship as part of his pirate fleet. Once a civilian security ship, she was midsized and lacked the cargo space his larger ships had, but she more than compensated for that lack through speed and other features, making her the perfect scouting ship. Like all of Critch's specters, the Scorpia had been upgraded with stealth capabilities and drop tanks.

The lightning bolt-shaped hallway was difficult to maneuver at a walking pace, and Critch had to move slowly to make the sharp turns. He'd just turned sideways to move around a support beam that took up half the hallway when another man nearly plowed into him.

Critch took a step back as the man squeezed through. Critch, still wearing his pack, found himself pressed against the wall. "Whoa there, buddy. Buy me a drink first," Critch muttered as the man pushed through him and then Birk.

"Dang it, Eddy," Birk said. "Why'd you leave the engine compartment?"

"I had to pee," Eddy said and kept walking in the opposite direction of the pair without looking back.

"Your new engineer has an interesting personality," Critch said before continuing on his way.

"He was Throttle's pick," Birk said, then added, "he knows his engine stuff. Now, if only we could leave him back there all the time, then he'd make a perfect crew member."

"And the one you picked? How's he working out?"

"Garrett? He's doing great. He's young, but he's a quick learner, and he's a lot easier to talk to than Eddy."

Critch chuckled at Birk's comment about Garrett's age. Critch, only in his low forties, was still old enough to be Birk's and Throttle's father. Eddy didn't look a month over twenty. Critch trusted Birk, who'd been his right hand on the Honorless, which is the only reason he'd let Birk and Throttle pick their crew when he gave the Scorpia to Birk. He hadn't expected to find himself on a ship of kids. Not a single one of them was old enough to remember the Uprising, but maybe that was a good thing.

Fewer deaths to haunt their dreams.

When he reached the bridge, its door stood open. He stepped through, and he saw Throttle's hands flying over the screen in the pilot's chair—which was also the captain's chair on this ship... the captain's wheelchair, to be accurate. Critch had promised to pay for her back surgery, but the CUF had moved in before he'd had the chance. At least Seda had been able to get her a signal blocker to wear, which emitted "white noise" to neutralize the signal from the Myrad's transmitter. It kept her current spinal implant from going on and off, though he'd heard from Birk that the blocker was glitchy, and that transmissions from a remote control sometimes made it through.