Chapter 25: Your Chances of Survival Are Higher If You Shut the Fuck Up.

Kalli had taken the ship a ways away from Toronto, but still within the system and within easy access to its facilities and jump holes. Mike had the prisoners tied up with their own rope, commenting that he could tie a better knot than those morons.

"Listen, buster," Mike was saying to the guard. "I don't give a damn if you live or you die. You aren't important here. You're nobody. You're nothing. You don't even have a name."

"But I have a name," he insisted, "it's-"

Mike smacked him. "Shut up." He turned toward Commander Paskins. "Now, you. You are going to tell me where Talia is, or I'm going to do some mean things to you. And I'm damn well better at interrogating than you, just like I'm better at tying a bloody knot!"

"Why should I tell you that?" he grunted, straining against his bonds.

"I'm a Death Dancer, and you should know damn well Death Dancers keep their bloody word," Mike said. "Now, if you don't start talking, I will cut off your balls." He pulled out a knife.

"What!? You wouldn't do that!"

"Want to bet?" Mike ripped off the guy's pants and pointed his knife at the commander's crotch. "And if you cooperate, I can promise you that you may live a longer, more pleasant life."

"You're bluffing! You're bluffing... aren't you?" Paskins stuttered.

Mike pressed his knife closer, close enough to draw blood. "Am I? Do you really want to test that?"

"Eep! No, no, please don't do it, I'll talk!"

"Good," Mike said, holding the knife where it was. "Where is Talia?"

"They took her off in your Sabre to the Alberta Prison."

"Get that, Kalli?" Mike said, pulling his knife away. Kalli nodded, heading the Nova off in that direction. "Now, if you're lying..." He made a flicking motion with his knife meaningfully. Paskins winced. "Nice to know we understand one another."

As they approached the prison located on one of Toronto's barren outer planets, Mike dragged Paskins up to the co-pilot's seat, making sure that the ropes were still securely tied. He pulled out his knife again and looked at him.

"Alberta Prison, this is Commander Derek Paskins," he said into the comm. "I have gained control of the Nova prototype fighter. Has Talia Richards been delivered here safely?"

"Negative, Commander," said the voice over the comm. "There has been no sign of her."

Mike glared at Paskins. "Do you know where she might have been taken instead?" Paskins asked nervously.

"Maybe she was taken to Yukon Base," the voice said. "Can't imagine why, though."

Mike switched off the comm. "Ask about Anderos Velarh." He turned the comm back on.

Paskins sighed inaudibly. "What about Anderos Velarh? Is he still being held here?"

"Affirmative," said the comm.

Mike gave Paskins another look. Paskins said, "I want him transfered to my ship."

"Very well. Land at docking bay C and he will be brought to you."

"Will do. Paskins out." Mike turned off the comm again. Kalli proceeded to dock the ship at the specified location. Paskins sighed. "You're asking too much. You're making me into a traitor. They'd never take me back after this stunt."

"Would you prefer being a traitor, or a eunuch?"

Paskins thought about that for a moment. If he was a good Primo, he'd believe that a eunuch could not get into heaven, and Mike was counting on that. "Better a traitor, then," he said with a sigh. "Fine. Though don't you think somebody's going to suspect something is up if they come here with the prisoner and I'm sitting here tied up?"

"Generally I'd think you were trying to worm out of it, but you have a point there," Mike commented. They landed in the docking bay. "But if you try anything..." He untied Commander Paskins, who put his pants back on right and straightened them out as well as he could.

"Uh, what about me?" said the guard tied up in the corner.

"You shut up," Mike said.

Kalli pulled out her weapon just in case. Mike took out his own and opened the hatch. Some guards were approaching with an El'dari in handcuffs. They came up to the ship and said, "The prisoner you requested, sir."

"Excellent," Paskins said. "We will handle him from here. Dismissed."

Mike gestured at the El'dari with his side arm, and he obligingly climbed in with a sigh. Kalli kept her weapon ready as Mike closed the hatch. "Let's go, Kalli."

Kalli nodded and put her weapon away, turning back to the controls. She took them out of the docking bay and set in a course for Yukon Base. Mike removed Anderos's handcuffs.

"Anderos Velarh?" Mike asked. The El'dari nodded. "Consider yourself rescued." Mike took a seat in the co-pilot's seat, but he kept his blaster out just in case Paskins tried something.

"Rescued? How did you manage that?" Anderos asked, taking a seat in the back, and frowning a bit and staring at the floor as he went, no doubt puzzling over the gravity.

"Great, I'm a bloody traitor," Paskins muttered, sitting across from him.

"With a little help from Commander Paskins here," Mike said. "He decided to make things considerably easier on us and himself."

"I'm a traitor," Paskins repeated. "Nobody will ever trust me again. Never again."

Mike rolled his eyes. "Now, we're going to Yukon Base to see if we can find Talia."

"Talia's here?" Anderos said in surprise. "What happened?"

"She was supposed to have been taken to Alberta Prison with you," Paskins said. "I don't know why she might not have been taken there."

Mike nodded. "She wanted to come rescue you, Anderos."

"You shouldn't have come here," Anderos said. "It's too dangerous."

"We're Death Dancers," Mike said. "We live for danger. Besides, we have the Nova X-1 prototype heavy fighter, powered by a luminite drive."

"The Empire could have gotten their hands on it and built more!" Anderos said.

"Built more with what resources? We've captured the luminite transport and taken it where they'll never get it."

"The mission was successful?" Anderos said, his eyes widening.

"Completely," Mike said. "We even blew up a Victory-class cruiser on the way."

"I'm a traitor," Paskins muttered. "They'll have my head for treason."

Mike sighed. "You know, you could just stick with us and keep your head and your balls, Commander Paskins."

"Call me Derek. I'm not a commander anymore."

"Very well. Derek. I'm Mike. Nice to meet you. Shall we have some fine dining on space rations while we wait to get to Yukon Base?"

"You know," said the guard in the corner. "The gravity is awfully heavy in this corner."

"Would you overly mind if I chucked him out an airlock?" Mike asked. "Or is he a personal friend of yours?"

"By all means," Derek said. "He's starting to get annoying."

"No! No! I'll be good!" the guard pleaded. Mike grabbed him by the collar and dragged him to the back of the ship, and tossed him out the cargo bay airlock.