Chapter 9
The sounds of footsteps had faded, leaving her apparently alone on the desolate roof top, although she could hear the quiet shifting of what were probably guards out of sight behind her.
Grey-brown clouds massed in the distance and the wind was hot and gritty. Her long hair was streaming in the breeze now. The wind was rising. The turbulent air kicked up a scattering of ashes from the grate on which she knelt, sending little flecks of black spiraling across the wide concrete then out past the edge of the tower. Jenny watched the ashes drift over the never ending scrap heaps.
The suns, behind their veil of bruise-colored cloud, looked still to be high in the polluted sky, but the days on Sludge were short. Darkness would come soon, and darkness would bring the rats back to watch her burn. At least that's what they thought. Jenny had other ideas.
She reached her mind out carefully to the chains that held her. Enchantment swirled, coils of magic stirring lazily under her urging thoughts. Without her gems, her powers were muted and unfocussed. She felt like a clumsy Sisterhood novice, struggling with the simple telekinetic manipulations. She bit down a wave of frustration and willed herself to concentrate. Her mind could feel the shape of the chains — thick links, unforgiving metal, heavy. Very heavy; ridiculously large for her relatively small frame. Heavy enough to keep Bruiser down, perhaps enough even for the toad cyborg whose pursuit had sent her running into this mess . . . She shivered, pulling her train of thought back to the present. Concentrate, Jenny. What the rats' behavior had already shown her, these chains confirmed. They were scared of her. If they didn't fully understand why, that only made them more aggressively frightened. Or at least it seemed to be that way with their leader, the cold, black one they called Boris.
Her etheric fumbling caused a sudden slip of the chains, metal links clinking loudly to her ears in the near silence. She tensed and paused for several moments, but when no one came to investigate she reached out uncertainly again, threads of force plucking at the bonds. Working a spell so ineptly with guards apparently so close made her nervous of discovery. The desire for concealment was deep for an Aldebaran Sister, beaten hard into the bone early, and she breathed a silent, plaintive wish for what she didn't have. Force thrummed under her attention and, as if in answer to her internal plea, the wind abruptly kicked up, causing the rooftop to darkened with swirling motes of dust. Behind her, there were exclamations and sharp grumbles from the guards, but all she could feel were small particles kissing her face almost gently, mixing with the soft swirling breath of her own magic. Sludge had famously inclement weather in addition to its pollution, but the dusty wind was more than she had dared hope for in way of camouflage. She didn't waste too much time in contemplations, turning her mind to the chains in earnest.
Working the lock still seemed to take an age, but she finally felt the clasp open and the chains slip their cold metallic clutch from her stiff limbs. As soon as she was free, she wanted to run immediately, but quelled the urge. She had been hearing the sounds of louder conversation, and caught enough words on the wind to realize the guards were being replaced. Patience, Jenny. Patience. It would be better to wait until there were fewer foes on the rooftop.
Then there were quick footsteps approaching. That changed things. Her chains were now undone and these new guards would check on her. But there only seemed to be one coming. Although they would undoubtable be armed, one guard was manageable, if she could catch them off balance. One, and then she would have to take her chances as to how many others would come to their aid, and then somehow get herself through the rat base where there could be hundreds. First things first. She slumped forward, allowing her to head drop and hanging limply from the chains that she gripped. Her nerves jangled as she readied her body, using the Sisterhood-learned technique of pushing extra blood through to her cramping muscles.
"Sorry 'bout the wait, luv. Had ta delay a bit till the guards changed. Needed to get some'a me own people in," the rat called Nic said rapidly as he crouched down to come level with her, "You alright?"
That changed things again, she thought. Jenny lifted her head to regard the rat with a wary frown, blinking through her whipping hair. "Why are you helping me?" she asked, although she already had her suspicions.
"Maybe I likes saving damsels in distress. There are worse ways to spend han evenin' and 'tis nice weather fur it," he grinned. He still wore the red coat with its brassy-gold frogging; the brightly colored garment flicked in the strong breeze and made him stand out against the brown dust. A small energy blade abruptly appeared in his nimble, long fingered hands. "Now hold on, might take a fair while to get through them chains."
She stood up, the chains falling away. Nic was still crouched on the ground, blade in hand. He flicked his gaze quickly up and down her. "Bin busy I see," he mumbled, a faint hint of surprise under the mask of cocky amusement. There might have been a note of admiration too, but she didn't care to examine his tone more closely. It mattered little anyway.
Her back was wounded; she could feel the sharp river of pain across her shoulders. And now that she stood, the touch of the wind under her long hair told her that her suit had been torn away from shoulder and spine. The hurt wasn't crippling though. Likely the combat-cloth, sewn with its flexible in-built armor, had done its job and taken the brunt of whatever had struck her. Her body was undamaged enough to rely on, she decided.
She had kept hold of one end of a short stretch of the chains that had bound her. It was a linker section, but the metal was still large and heavy. It would make a crude but effective weapon if used correctly. She swung the chain slightly to get the balance of it. The rat crouched at her knees grinned his gold-toothed smile again and Jenny made a decision.
Nic stood up beside her. "That's a neat trick. Them chains is supposed to be our best. Don't suppose you'd tell me how you managed unlocking 'um?"
Jenny looked away to glance around the dusty platform, answering with a simple "No." She turned back to him. "Do you have my armor?" What she really wanted was the gems it held.
"Not 'ere," was the reply.
One piece would have done, she thought wistfully, or at least my boots. She was nimble enough without them, but the heels had been fitted with stabilization spells to keep her surefooted. Besides, her foot pads had grown soft and delicate. She sighed inwardly at her own lack of preparedness.
"Come on," she said, starting quickly towards where she could see figures through the dust. There was the glint of metal among them that promised weaponry. Friend or foe? She swung the chain again as she moved. It was a moment before she was joined by the lithe form of the rat.
"What's that, luv?" he said, jogging slightly to keep up. "Orders is my job. I'm the captain 'ere." He was still grinning.
Jenny didn't look over at him. If he was telling the truth about his allays, presumably at least their initial decent wouldn't be blocked. "You're not my captain," she said, watching the other rats as they came into view. There were four of them, one large, three small, and all armed. They stood with their backs to the wind, clustered around the entrance to a set of stairs that descended from the platform through a square hole bordered by heavy metal doors that were open against the ground. The rats were clearly expecting her and Nic. One small pretty white female with an energy whip and a hefty rifle was watching her with a glare in her large pink eyes.
"I could be if yur like," Nic said rapidly under his breath as he ducked passed Jenny and stepped around to face the party. The white rat swiftly tossed the rifle she held to him. He snatched it from the air with a brief "Thanks Ti," then glanced at Jenny and threw the rifle to her. She saw the glare from the small rat go up a notch in hostility as she dropped the chain and caught the gun. Oh . . ., thought Jenny then looked at the blaster. Most Aldebaran Sisters wouldn't deign to use it, but she had learned to value such weaponry. It was an older model but she recognized the class from UAC Academy training. It had been crudely modified and also sported some chipped paint in bright colors. She briefly checked the energy levels, then turned the output to a narrow beam to give her more power over short range since they would likely be maneuvering inside, finally sighting down the barrel to get the feel of the piece.
Nic spoke as she lowered the gun. "Know how't handle it then, hun?" She wished he would stop grinning. "Yes," she said levelly.
"Good ta hear. We gots a little ways to go. If we're lucky we should gets to our ride without meetin' any o' Boris' lot, but you just be ready with the shooter there. She's a good ol' gun." He squinted briefly at the little white rat, "Ti, find us another shooter, there's a luv."
And then they were moving, heading quickly inside the tower. The rats bristled with weaponry and spoke little. Once among them, Nic's manner changed. He still grinned if she caught his eye, but he was much more the serious captain now, giving brief orders as they descended via a set of severe concrete stairs — although Jenny thought he strutted somewhat and he seemed to always be hovering close to her.
They had entered what she guessed to be the main body of the plant, made up of austere corridors with sickly lighting, when she looked up to see the rat who had taken point standing dead still some distance ahead at the junction of two corridors. He abruptly lifted a hand over the top of his head and held it there for a moment, the palm flat, and then jerked his thumb behind him. I don't understand their signals, Jenny thought. The rats around her clearly did, they were moving swiftly but silently. She was about to try for a quick mind scan of the rats' surface thoughts when Nic abruptly appeared close beside her. He caught her questioning gaze and placed a long finger to his mouth. Silence, I understand that. Then his hand dropped to her waist and he pushed her firmly towards where a pillar protruded slightly proud of the wall. Cover, she thought, as the rats rapidly distributed themselves either side of the corridor. It wasn't an ideal situation. There was little hope of concealment in the basic hallway and she didn't relish the thought of a firefight with such limited shelter or protection.
She kept the rifle ready and let Nic steer her to the shallow alcove. He pushed her behind the pillar but positioned himself further out in the corridor. She didn't bother protesting the misplaced gallantry.
As they remained waiting she craned forward, trying to glimpse what had caused the alarm. Nic was distractingly close beside and slightly behind her, and his hand was still resting on her waist. She ignored it until his thumb started to stroke her clumsily then she shifted her hips and his hand fell away. Jenny could see the little rat called Ti just across the corridor. She was staring fixedly forward like everyone else, but she hadn't missed Nic's gesture, judging by the thunderous expression on her sharp but pretty face.
Jenny's thoughts were abruptly diverted from the emotional politics around her as she heard the sounds of quick feet marching out of sight. A band of about a dozen rats suddenly appeared at the corridor's end. Jenny already had the rifle cocked when Nic stepped around, pushing the muzzle of her gun down as he moved into the open.
"Stow it, luvs," he said briefly to the crew around him, and then walked up to meet the male with a glossy coat and a look of surprise that led the band. The rest of the rats she had come with were also relaxing and stepping from their merger cover.
Nic and the other male were speaking in quick low voices. "Yur supposed to be with the ship," the captain was muttering. He didn't look too pleased.
The other rat held up his hands appeasingly and took a step back. "Now the ship ain't goin' nowhere, Captain. Thought we'd come see if you needed any help," he said in a nervous, placating manner. Nic's hard expression didn't change. "You made better time than I thought you would," the other rat continued.
Nic gave a brief grunt, "Turns out the witch does have a few tricks." She saw the other rat glance up to her for a moment then quickly look away as Nic addressed him curtly again. "Yur so keen to help, Ralph, then take point," he said, his tone and expression suggesting he was still displeased.
They met no one else in the parts of the plant that they walked hurriedly through with weapons held ready. Their small party continued through more grim, dusty corridors than she cared to remember, until one narrow passage lead them into a wide bay that itself opened onto a view of trash heaps, clouds and — of course — dust.
Jenny looked about her. A slight breeze blew around the nearly empty bay; a single ship resting in the golden light of late afternoon that slanted into the space. The ship might have once been a cargo runner, but it had received a hodgepodge of modifications that made it into a patchwork of parts. It didn't look to be a promising escape vehicle.
Nic was suddenly close beside her, playing tour guide. "She's a basic transporter we use as a bit o'er movin' base. She ain't that fast, and 'fraid she ain't no prettier on the inside, but bringin' in anything else would'a looked a might suspicious. I wanna keep this low key fur as long as possible. Taking you's gonna cause a world o' trouble." She glanced at him and he gave her a golden grin, his dark eyes shining, "Worth it, though," he said.
Inside, the ship was indeed as patchy as the outside had implied. They entered through the main body, into a hold that was littered with large boxes. Course colorful rugs were thrown over many of the boxes or across the floor, turning what had probably originally served as a cargo hold into something like a rough lounge. Along the nearly bare walls, she could see metal brackets at regular intervals that might have been used for securing cargo. Although they mostly hung empty now, a few still held chains. As with seemingly everywhere, the dust was thick here.
She was walking towards the cockpit on automatic when Nic gently caught her arm. "Stay back here, luv. Out o' sight like. Yur a might too easy to spot," he said briefly then strode away from her to give a few quick orders to his crew. Jenny frowned. She disliked being coddled, but he was probably right about staying hidden, and she still felt almost naked without her gems and armor. She stroked down her arm in discomfort as she watched the rats hurry about, hoping they had her gear onboard.
With no immediate prospect of assisting, Jenny looked around the bay until she spotted a symbol she recognized over a small wall panel, and then walked over and pulled free the basic healing kit. Her bare feet were hampering her; she could feel the sharp sting of a wound on her foot, and had seen herself leave a light trail of bloody prints across the dirty floor. Her injured back would have to wait until she had the leisure of assistance, but with the rats safely occupied, she flicked her fingers and sent a brief minor healing charm crackling across the wound, under cover of her hair. She could do little more to help herself without the stored energy her gems held.
She moved to sit on one of the boxes that dotted the bay, her back to a wall and the rats in view, then placed the gun and kit carefully beside her as she perched on the edge of the box. She swept her hair to the side then folded one leg onto her lap to inspect the pad.
She had the small cut cleaned, charmed, and was finishing a dressing when Nic swaggered up to her. She looked up, still with her leg across her lap, to see him with some material draped over his arm. He held the clothing out to her.
"Why aren't we leaving?" she asked him. She'd expected them to take off immediately, and the rats had certainly rushed to their stations as soon as they had boarded, but she'd felt no movement from the ship and now a few of those same rats were milling about the bay. Jenny could see the little white rat Ti yank open a wall panel then start to work on the weapons it held. Non-urgent tasks, she thought, when her whole being screamed for urgency.
Nic leaned to her side, wordlessly placing his burden across the box next to her. She glanced over to see that it was a long coat with what looked like some lace and perhaps a belt. When she looked back, Nic was seated in an easy slouch across from her on another box. "Can't, not yet," he answered her. "Like Ralph said, we made better time than I planned fur. There are patrols out there who I probably won't be able to talk out of stopping and searching us. We'll leave soon as they're clear." He glanced at the clothing he had brought then rubbed the back of his neck and spoke without meeting her eyes. "Yur stuff's in me office. Can't get that yet either. We got a few things onboard thought yur might like to have." What I would like is to leave, she thought, but held her tongue and reached over to inspect the offering, wincing as she placed her injured foot back on the ground. The clothing proved to be a long slightly battered coat of a rich brown hue with twisting golden inlay; inside was slipped a white shirt with frothy lace around the open chest and long sleeves. It wasn't really what she liked to wear but she pulled it on anyway. The loose lace around her hands irritated her as she fastened the matching belt that held a holster for the gun low around her hips.
Nic watched her pick up the clothing then called over his shoulder as she shrugged on the coat, "You gots lots'a boots, Ti. Go get sum, there's a luv." Jenny didn't dare look at the expression on the little rat's face. Ti made some brief acknowledgment then Jenny could hear her feet stomping as she left. Nic seemed utterly unconcerned by Ti, looking at Jenny with his usual grin. "You look a proper pirate in that outfit. Sure you won't join me crew?" The comment was light hearted but she didn't like his constant attentions. She met his grin with a frown. "I appreciate your help, but I belong to a crew."
A pair of long boots abruptly landed unceremoniously on the floor in front of Jenny, making her jump. She glanced up to see Ti glaring at her. "Thank you Ti," Jenny said carefully after a moment. "It's Tia," the rat snapped back before spinning around and striding away again. Jenny heard her leave the bay with the slam of a door. "Thanks Ti," Nic said absently. Are you really that oblivious? Jenny thought as she looked back to him.
Oblivious he might be, but he had risked a lot to help her, whatever his motives. Anxiety was making her discourteous. "Thank you for your help. It takes a lot to go against your own kind," she said.
The rat gave a brief snort of exaggerated distain. "Ol' Black Heart ain't my kind, hun. Not anymore." Nic looked around, suddenly captivated by the blank wall across the bay. "Boris always was a mean one, and he got that planet-sized chip on his shoulder 'bout witches. 'tis stupid and dangerous, blamin' you fur somethin' none of us was alive fur," he muttered.
Some of that you believe, some is bluster, she thought. "I know he was upset about me finding the ruins, but I never really understood what else he was blaming me for," she admitted as she reached for the boots. They were too small, but soft enough to manage. They hugged her calves tightly as she pulled them on.
Nic looked at her again. He leaned forward and waggled a long finger in her direction. "Didn't they teach you yur history, gorgeous? Aldebaran is the reason my kind 'ave bin space-wandering pirates fur generations. You lot destroyed our home world, the wonderful Rodere."
Jenny blinked at him with a puzzled frown. "This is Rodere . . ."
"This is Rodere II. Named fur the one we lost. Our chronicles tell how the evil Aldebaran's attacked us without provocation and destroyed our beloved home world."
Jenny paused for several moments, half-remembering childhood history lessons. "That's not how it's told on Aldebaran," she finally replied.
Nic leaned back again. "Bet it ain't," he said. "Pretty sure there's bin plenty o' exaggeration on both sides. That's how the telling of such tales seems to go." He gave another snort of amused contempt. "Some stuff's just plain silly; yur lot setting a planet-sized dragon-demon on us?"
Jenny looked at him with an uneasy frown. Although what she had been taught didn't match his story, she knew her people had played some part in the destruction of the rat's home world. "I know it's not much, but I'm sorry for what Aldebaran has done your people," she said.
Nic waved a hand. "Did you destroy the planet?" Jenny only shook her head. "Then you've naught to be sorry for," he said dismissively.
He pulled a small dagger from his belt then began to casually clean his claws. "I knows the rest o' the Aniverse don't think much o' this planet, and to own the truth I know 'taint much, but we've bin makin' sumthin' o' a home 'ere. I'll never see this place a jewel like Aldebaran, or rich like Genus, or a playground like Warren, but I likes to think that sum o' me kin might. The rats didn't make this planet into Sludge, I don't think anyone knows who wreaked the place, but my people are trying to fix what's so broke that nobody else seems to care. They've worked hard to stop the dumping and start the cleaning. I don't wanna see that all for naught." He lowered the knife and glanced up at her searchingly. "If ya wanna thank me proper, you'll keep mum on what's below the surface o' this planet. Boris was right 'bout some stuff; if'in someone like the UAC or yur cat friends learns 'bout that, they'll find an excuse to force us off 'ere. As long as Rodere II's just grimy ol' Sludge, no one'll care enough to bother with a bunch of ex-pirates claiming finders keepers, but if'in the big boys and girls think there's somthin' 'ere worth havin' we won't stand a chance."
Jenny could feel the cold weight of the eye-gem pressing guiltily against her chest as she looked at the serious face of the captain. After a moment she answered, "You have my word I won't tell the UAC or Aldebaran what I've seen."
The rat kept studying her face for a moment then finally gave a brief nod. "Thanks, luv. Yur a gem."
He abruptly spun the knife deftly around his fingers then sheathed it in a quick motion. He glanced up to Jenny with a grin, his golden tooth flashing. "'course if you really wanna thank me you could give me a proper kiss."
Jenny kept her face stern, answering with a level "No." She swept a large section of hair to the side and started to braid it with quick fingers, tugging on the strands. The loose hair had been getting in her way and on her nerves.
"Sorry luv, I didn't mean no harm," Nic said in gentle tones. "'taint just yur pretty face what saved you, you know." No, thought Jenny, still plaiting her hair with sharp motions, you weren't looking at my face. "I meant what I said 'bout protecting Rodere II," Nic continued. "If'in Boris hurt you we'd have the Aldebaran's and the UAC both on us."
Jenny wasn't so sure about her importance to either party, but she wasn't about to say that. She sought for a change in topic. "What do they call you apart from Nic?" she ventured. From what she had gathered, the rats seemed to have retained the custom from their pirate past of names connected to physical descriptions, or deeds, or places or origin, and she was curious about the captain. She knew she'd made a mistake as soon as the words were out of her mouth. Nic stood up, half turning away from her, his sudden discomfort obvious. "Nic's fine, hun." he muttered.
His eyes focused over her head. "What's up there, Ralph?" he said. Half a heartbeat later she saw Nic with a gun in his hand in a blur of motion then he jerked backwards as a shot hit him squarely before he could raise the weapon. She spun around to stand, but felt the force of shot strike her then she was falling, and then the darkness closed in.
