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Chapter 25

When I was little, Mother read to me of a small princess trapped in a tower by an evil witch. Try as she might, she was unable to escape, until one day a handsome prince killed the witch and freed her. So distraught was the princess at such a vile act, she cursed the prince to a life of solitude in penitence for his crime. He scoffed at her curse, vowing to be free of it and disappeared into the enchanted forest never to be seen again.

I had not understood the meaning of the story when first Mother read it to me, and I still wonder at its meaning. As it stood, I could relate to the princess in the tower, trapped as she was. However, my prince stank of bourbon and was trapped with me. Oh how I longed to curse him and send him on his way, never to be seen again. Such sweet satisfaction his absence would bring.

The crinkle of a wrapper drew me from my musings and I flinched as a small packet hit me on the side of the head. Vale mumbled something unintelligible in the dark, but I ignored him, rubbing my jaw instead. Shifting positions, I snatched the meal bar from where it had fallen, hungry but unhappy with the bland snack. I longed for chocolate mousse and chicken parmesan, ignoring the flicker of nervous energy crackling up my spine.

By my omni-tool's chrono we had been in transport for nearly two days, all of which encased in darkness, the air thin in the cargo hold. We'd attempted to conserve our stores by sleeping the majority of the trip, but the occasional argument was inevitable. Vale complained quite often about the cramped quarters, his long legs awkwardly placed within the small confines. I fared little better, his discomfort suddenly mine, sprawling as he did inside the crate. I had once awoken to his foot on my head and made my displeasure known. Our quarrel was cut short as we tried to catch our breath in the thin air, settling instead for hostile glares and snide, clipped remarks.

The groan of the docking clamps was a sudden surprise against the silence that had reigned for the better part of our trip. I finished the last bit of my meal bar, tossing the wrapper aside, and pulled my legs up under me. I was far past ready to be out of this crate. Freedom could not come soon enough.

The bowels of the freighter shuddered as the clamps were secured in place. I attempted to remain patient while the cargo was offloaded, the metal reverberations of the crates still distant, but growing ever louder. We awaited our turn in the darkness, excited anticipation filling the air, thick with the stink of days past.

The crate groaned loudly as it was hoisted upward, walls shuddering against the grip of the crane. My balance failed, awkwardly positioned as I was, and I over-corrected, crashing into Vale. He grunted in irritated surprise, his comment cut short as we were thrown against the opposite wall, the crate swinging wildly in the air. Limbs tangled together and I fought for balance only to fall against him again. Already tired of the press of his body against mine, I braced myself against the wall and pushed, generating much needed space between us.

The crate stabilized, but my footing was still precarious, hunched over and uncomfortable. Vale fared little better, crouched in the corner opposite me. Green eyes flared in annoyance and I got the distinct impression that he was as ready to vacate the container as I was. The desire for fresh air had never been stronger, the thin atmosphere of the hold cold and stale.

Our crate shuddered again as it was set down and a thundering rumble resounded throughout the confined space. The crane's clamps rang clearly as they retracted and moved to unload another container. I angled toward the hatch, ready to be out in the open once more.

"Quick, before they unload another crate and box us in again." I ordered curtly. "I don't want a repeat of our trip here."

Vale grunted in response, turning to kick the hatch and loosen it from its hinges. "What? There was still enough room between us and the next crate to hang your –"

"Enough!" My voice was sharp and laced with venom. "I have no desire to discuss this. Let's just get out."

"Fine," he grunted again, moving awkwardly as he crawled through the hatch. I followed close on his heels, hiding my surprise as he extended his hand to assist me. I pushed it aside, preferring instead to rely on myself, and ignored his irritated huff.

"You try to be nice and help someone…" his voice trailed off as he considered our new locale.

Muggy heat enfolded me and I stood, stretched, welcoming the strain of muscles regardless of the temperature. "I don't need your help."

"Yes, because clearly you got here on your own."

I shot him a sharp look, but years of training took hold as I viewed my surroundings, quickly forgetting my ire for the time being. The freighter was docked not more than thirty yards away, the loading bay quickly filling with its contents. Massive dual cranes line either side of us, the grinding of their gears echoing throughout the hold and reverberating off the metal containers.

"And where exactly are we? Or did you not research our destination in your haste to escape?"

"Well," he tried to brush off his dirt encrusted pants. "I was in a bit of a hurry, but lucky for us, I chose a freighter with a pressurized hold."

His words sunk in and I took a moment to catch my breath. Had our luck been any worse, we'd easily have suffocated during the trip. It was not a fate I would wish on anyone, and I quickly pushed away the memory that threatened to surface, once more focusing on my immediate surrounds. Navigating the maze of crates I spied a terminal near the bay's entrance. I gestured to Vale and we took to cover behind a large shipping container.

"Wait," he held up his hand for emphasis as he scanned the perimeter. "It looks as if the shift is ending soon – the freighter's almost unloaded."

I frowned, confused. "So? We must be on the move before the next shift arrives."

He turned to look at me, an annoyed expression on his face. "Jin, look around you." He gestured broadly to the bay. "It's dusk and this loading dock doesn't have enough light for a night shift."

"That never stopped them on Omega," I retorted, feeling suddenly foolish.

"Well they don't have the complication of sunset, now do they."

I felt heat flush my face and was glad for the deepening dark.

Vale stretched alongside the shipping container, poking his head around the corner carefully. "It looks clear." He motioned for me to follow him.

"Wait." I ordered, studying the readings of my omni-tool. "There's two 'round the corner up ahead. Get back here."

He blinked once before wordlessly following my instruction and I silently filed away my small victory. The soft echo of voices passed us by without incident, booted footfalls disappearing into the distance. I remained unmoving, preferring to wait longer than was necessary in order to ensure my safety. Vale waited with me and I imagined he was brimming with impatience.

I checked my omni-tool once more before moving forward, nodding to Vale in the twilight. He followed behind me, his eyes at our back while I took the lead. We needn't worry as the workers did not linger past their shift's end, but given our previous exploits, caution was a necessity.

I sync'd up my 'tool and the terminal flared to life, the display fuzzy and distorted. It appeared to be an older model and I adjusted the settings for increased compatibility. The display flickered and winked out before blazing brightly to life amidst the dusk. Vale swore softly behind me at the sudden flash of light, but continued to scan our surroundings even as he grumbled.

Hacking into the system I briefly skimmed the freighter's manifest. It seemed Vale had chosen his transportation wisely as the freighter carried perishable goods, cargo that necessitated a pressurized hold and a breathable mixture of oxygen. I silently thanked our luck once again, and scrolled past the manifest, unlocking the flight plan. I recognized Omega's coordinates immediately, but paused to study the destination, unfamiliar with the nav buoy.

"What's it say?" Vale hissed.

I frowned at his interruption, but otherwise ignored him for the time being. Slogging through my memory I could recall nothing even remotely similar to the coordinates, and frustrated at my ignorance, plugged the course into my omni-tool. A series of trade routes appeared on my display, the multiple trajectories crisscrossing in an intricate tangle of traffic. I sighed irritably, running a hand down my face, and proceeded to tease apart the vectors.

Vale shifted restlessly behind me, eyes hooded by shadow as he continued to watch the perimeter. I punched in a series of coordinates, wading through the data until I finally found a match. A satisfied smile crept onto my face and for the first time in days, I felt an inkling of relief.

"Well? Did you find anything yet?"

I nodded, the poor lighting of the bay throwing gangly shadows upon the floor. "Indeed I did."

"Well?" He asked again, an edge to his tone.

"It seems we've landed on Erinle in the Hourglass Nebula of the Osun system. According to the net, it's a major spaceport for the Terminus." My smile widened. "You'll be able to take a transport anywhere you want from here."

"Hmph," he snorted. "You seem happy with that bit of information."

"And you don't."

"No," he turned to face me. "It's a salarian colony. And I don't think we'll blend in too well here what with the recent prison break."

My small bit of relief faded away into nothingness, weariness filling the void. "It's a spaceport. We'll blend in with the other travelers." I looked down at my torn clothing and wounded arm, wishing I could believe my own words. "Our first priority, though, is to find safety for the night."

I engaged the terminal's systems once again and searched spaceport records. "Here." I stated. "There's a place nearby. Let's move."

Once more Vale followed me wordlessly and I began to question his sudden compliance. He seemed to be just as lost as I, but his knowledge of the planet and its inhabitants gave me pause. As before, Vale was much more then he seemed, and in that moment I vowed to find out where, exactly, I fit into his hidden agenda.