Chapter 5 – Dedication isn't everything
In the next few months, Zack gradually recruited naval crew for the Vagabond. The Ryders suggested that they vet a crew from the Nexus and the colonies, but Zack would have none of it. Most of the crew were Nexus outcasts and Angaran refugees. None of them were particularly loyal to the Nexus; all of them either despised the central authority or simply didn't care.
It wasn't like Zack wasn't doing his homework, either. Instead of the Pathfinder group, Zack instead used TIUO to vet the crew. Everyone had checked out, and no one would rat to either the Ryders or Tann. Perfect.
The chief engineer, Lucky, walked up to him in the CIC. Lucky was a female Angara that they had found in the hold of a Kett trafficking ship. Everyone started calling her Lucky, and the nickname stuck. "Wolfe, the guns are fully calibrated. The engine still running a bit hot, but it shouldn't be problem. The patch on starboard is holding fine."
On one of their privateer jobs, they had accidentally attacked a well-armed Kett ship. Apparently, the Kett did not like Wolfe pirating their supply lines (who would have thought?) and were taking measures to make it harder. One of them got a lucky shot off that pierced the ship's hull. The damage was superficial, and no one was injured. Still, it gave everyone a shake.
The ship was fully crewed now, but the only ground squad he had were himself and Killal. TIUO insisted that TIUO select all ground squad mates, and hadn't come forward with anyone else worth their salt. At least the Vagabond had a cook now. Everyone was a lot happier with a cook.
While the lack of ground crew did hold him back from surface strikes, he was still the top privateer in Heleus. The position won him some respect, but also a lot of enemies. The merchant marine incessantly spread rumors that he was also attacking Nexus shipping. Every position and item looted was carefully cataloged, and there was no reason to believe this. Still, every time they lost a shuttle in the middle of bumfuck nowhere, they pointed at him.
The last thing on his mind was TIUO's lack of demands. TIUO had been surprisingly cooperative. TIUO hadn't really asked much in return. Best Zack could figure there were two potential explanations: TIUO was on the take for Tann's 2.5%, or he had something special planned. Maybe both.
"Pathfinder, you got a call in the conference room!" shouted the copilot.
Zack left the CIC and headed into the conference room. After sealing the door, he activated the console. It was TIUO.
"It's a pleasure to speak to you again, Pathfinder Wolfe," TIUO said.
"Likewise. What have you got for me?" Zack said.
"Our organization needs your assistance with a delicate mission. While the revenues from your privateering have been essential in building up our capacity, it is simply not enough to further penetrate the Nexus's command structure," TIUO said. Zack looked at the hologram, and shook his head.
"I only have one ship, TIUO. I don't think I can privateer much more than I already do, and the Kett getting more careful," Zack replied. This was true, and Vagabond had a patch on its hull to prove it.
"We are not requesting that you privateer more," TIUO said. This caught Zack off guard. Ever since he started having some success in privateering, nearly everyone wanted him to do more. Colonies argued over where his spoils would go.
"Then what have you got?" Zack asked.
"Both of the Ryder currently poll higher than you. We feel their relative control over public sentiment is a threat to our operation," TIUO said calmly.
"I've never heard them mention you, TIUO," Zack replied. The Ryders rarely kept significant secrets.
"They do not yet know of our existence, but both them are suspicious," TIUO confirmed.
"What do you suggest, TIUO?" Zack asked.
"We suggest that you work closer with the Ryders," TIUO said, in a tone communicating it was not a suggestion.
Zack looked blankly at the hologram for a moment.
"They nearly got my Pathfinder status pulled, TIUO! They have been a bunch of self-righteous hard asses from the start. Besides, they mostly do ground missions, and I don't have a large ground squad," Zack said.
"Return to the Nexus, and try to make amends," TIUO commanded.
"I can't just stop privateering. My crew's wages come out of my pocket," Zack said. Even his group of outcasts and misfits had bills.
"You're right, you can't. Regardless, return to the Nexus for shore leave. Your ship could use a light overhaul anyway."
Zack exited the conference room, and returned to the CIC.
"Chart a course for the Nexus, it's time to head back to HQ," Zack announced.
Everyone groaned.
"I'm not asking, chart a course!" Zack doubled down.
Some time later, the Vagabond arrived at the Nexus. The Nexus was still very much a work in progress, and looked considerably different than when he left. He glanced at the calendar, and realized he had not been on the Nexus for nearly seven months. Ever since he became a Pathfinder, he spent less and less time on the Nexus. To Zack, this was no loss. He never enjoyed life on the Nexus anyway, but some people preferred it.
The Vagabond docked, and Zack walked off the ship. Due to his methods of recruitment, many of crew were not permitted on the Nexus at all. Zack had managed to negotiate a stay in a temporary shelter while the Vagabond went through its first overhaul.
Zack looked forward down the corridor. To his surprise and horror, the Ryders were both there. More to his surprise, they also looked happy to see him. Sarah looked at Zack, laughed, walked up to Zack, and punched him in the arm.
"Well, if it isn't everyone's favorite pirate!" Sara said.
"Welcome back! We thought we lost you to space or something," Scott added.
The reporter, Keri, walked forward as well. She had her damn camera bot in tow.
"Hello, Pathfinder Wolfe, I- "
"Please get Keri away from me," Zack said to the Ryders with a frown. "I'll talk to her later."
Scott motioned, and Keri marched away angrily. Zack and the Ryders started the long walk towards Pathfinder Hall.
"You could have been nicer to Keri," Scott said.
"At least I didn't punch her." Zack said.
"True. That N7 was a bit temperamental back in the Milky Way. But we aren't in the Milky Way, we're in Andromeda," Scott said. Zack kept on walking. Was this another one of Scott's famed unwanted inspirational speeches?
"Look, I'm charmed to see you both, but I was going to head back to my apartment- "Zack started.
Scott and Sara stared at each other and cringed a bit.
"Your old apartment doesn't exist anymore, Wolfe," Sara said, breaking the awkward silence. "Tann had a lot of the efficiency apartments deconstructed to expand hydroponics. We moved what stuff you had into your barracks locker."
Zack was a bit surprised by this. Everyone knew the efficiency apartments were a temporary measure, but temporary can mean a lot of things. The Nexus's hydroponic capacity had been lackluster forever. Zack didn't deny the practicality of Tann's decision, but was a bit annoyed that Tann didn't tell him about it. It seemed the Vagabond was home after all. The Vagabond was better than any Nexus apartment anyway, and above all the Vagabond was his.
"How goes your side of operation, Ryders?" Zack asked.
Scott and Sara looked at each other again, and Sara spoke first again.
"Most of the hard work is already over, Wolfe. We've found all the Arks, and colonized everything remotely habitable. The cryo stores are empty – even if we had more colonies, we wouldn't have the people to staff them," Sarah said.
"Isn't that a good thing? Weren't there a lot of riots over who got out of cryo and when?" Zack asked. Cryonic storage of colonists was an utter necessity to get to Andromeda, but getting people out of cryo and getting them doing something useful had been a struggle. Zack had been off the Nexus for most of it, but it was hard not to see the cryo riots on the news.
"Yes, it is. But it's a good thing with strings attached. We can't simply replace losses anymore, and we have to be careful with the people we have," Scott said.
"Most of our recent missions have been consulting and training the colonies. For self-defense." Sara said.
"Limiting loses was a major priority from the start. I don't see what's changed," Zack replied. Zack had no love for the Nexus's administration, but he would admit they were very careful with their people.
Scott and Sara looked at each other briefly for a third time. Zack was starting to get spooked by this.
"Damnit, just spill the beans already," Zack said.
"They want to defund the Pathfinder program," Scott said. What the fuck?
"Who is 'they'?" Zack said.
"A lot of people," Sara said. "The Nexus merchant marine says it's a front for pirates, Colonial Affairs says it gets too many people killed, and Nexus administration says it needs the funds to finish the Nexus."
Zack stopped and stood in silence for a moment. There were a lot of ungrateful fucks on the Nexus, but this was unexpected. The Nexus didn't have an army or navy. The colonies had militias, but they weren't good for much other than maintaining control of the planet they were on. The Apex teams were a ramshackle crapshoot in the best of times. They weren't a substitute for a professional military. Besides, the Pathfinder program in its entirety probably had less than 200 people. His part in the Pathfinder program was his rank. His ship, the Vagabond, was almost entirely self-funded. Something wasn't adding up.
Zack opened up his mouth to speak, and the words just started pouring out. Before long, he was ranting.
"The Nexus merchant marine is led by a red sand addict and paranoid conspiracy theorist! He would blame me for his missing shuttles if they blew up in port! Colonial Affairs should get defunded because there's no one for them to place anymore. I do not care how 'tired her face is', Addison can kiss my ass! She's been dead weight from the start! Kesh has been trying to micromanage my operation for months! She tells me what stuff I should loot from the Kett! As if I can tell which Kett ships have what stuff on them! And she always tries to underpay! She can go get stuffed!" Zack yelled. If nothing else, it was cathartic.
He looked around and saw a lot of people in the hallway staring at him. Scott and Sara stood and looked at him.
"Let's just go back to Pathfinder Hall," Sarah said.
After a bit more walking, they arrived at Pathfinder Hall. Director Tann greeted them almost immediately. He was wearing his typical smug smile, but for reason it was particularly uncomfortable right now. The less time his spent on the Nexus, the better.
"I wanted to congratulate you all on completing your mission! The cryo banks are empty and our new home is well on its way to success!" Tann said.
"What's the deal with defunding the Pathfinder program?" Zack said. He was still frustrated, but his voice just sounded annoyed and tired.
"The Pathfinder Program is now redundant and has been earmarked for closure! You, Pathfinder Wolfe, will get to your true talents and return to your janitorial duties!" Tann said joyfully.
"I'm the best privateer in Heleus. I'm not mopping floors again." Zack replied.
"What else will you do? The Tempest and the Vagabond will both be appropriated and sold at auction. Pathfinder Hall is going to be turned into a day spa," Tann stated.
"You can't sell my ship, Tann." Zack said.
"It isn't your ship, Pathfinder Wolfe. It's the Pathfinder Program's ship. All property and credits gained during your service as a Pathfinder are property of the Pathfinder Program. Besides, you owe much of your privateering success to Nexus intel. You only keep your Pathfinder's salary," Tann said.
Zack looked at the Ryders.
"You two seriously aren't on board with this, are you?"
"We don't have much a say in the matter, Wolfe," Scott replied. "We got the news about two weeks ago."
"I... need some time to process this." Zack said.
"Of course, Pathfinder Wolfe!" Tann said cheerfully.
Zack walked out of Pathfinder Hall. On his way out the door, he noticed a sign:
Coming Soon: Tann's Day Spa and Salon
Zack sighed. He began walking to usual bar. As least the bar wasn't deconstructed. He ordered a stiff drink and opened his omni-tool. After some thought, much of which was inhibited by alcohol, he called up Killal.
"Killal, we're fucked," Zack said.
"What are you on about now?" Killal replied. He sounded confused and annoyed.
"Tann is taking the Vagabond. The Pathfinder Program is toast," Zack groaned.
"Fuck Tann! I'm going to kill Tann!" Killal yelled. Zack was surprised at his level of voice change.
"Please don't try to kill Tann. I thought I had your dedication. I have enough problems. Don't try to kill Tann," Zack pleaded.
"Tann is fucking us. I won't stand for that," Killal said. He sounded as if he were frothing with anger.
"He is. But I know a way out," Zack lied, wondering if he had any way forward at all.
"I still want to kill Tann. You have my dedication and my loyalty, but not my partial subservience. You need my partial subservience for me not to kill Tann," Killal replied. Killal's reasoning never sounded like reasoning.
"I need to do a mission for your partial subservience now? How do I get your partial subservience?"
"Get the Vagabond back," Killal demanded.
An idea popped into Zack's head.
"I … have an lead. I'll get the Vagabond back," Zack said, and closed the line.
Zack looked forward intently, and then suddenly turned and vomited all over the floor.
After a night in the drunk tank, Zack looked at the advert. The Vagabond would be put up for auction in three days, along with the Tempest. It was time to come up with a plan. The Ryders seemed largely resigned to losing their positions and the Tempest, so they were a no go. Zack had no means to contact TIUO directly, so unless TIUO called up again, he was out of luck. No, there had to be another way.
Tann had apparently made the auction private. Zack would have to find a way to weasel his way in. Either he could call in some favors which he didn't have, or he could pay for a ticket to get in the auction. Only one problem: the auction tickets were expensive. He would need to raise some money in order to even get in the door.
Idea.
Zack walked to a nearby store. He looked at the shopkeeper, an Asari.
"Ma'am," Zack said, "are you the owner of this fine establishment?"
"Yes, I am," the Asari replied. "Are you looking for anything?"
"For a nominal fee I will endorse your establishment," Zack said with a bit of a grin.
"Who the fuck are you?" the shopkeeper said harshly. She glanced at him for a moment, and then said, "Pathfinder Wolfe."
"That's right, I am the best privateering pathfinder in the galaxy, and I want to provide an advertisement for your fine business," Zack said.
"No. You're an overpromoted wash out who is losing his job and his ship. Why would I want my customers to associate with that?" the Asari answered, scowling.
"Are you making the right business decision?" Zack asked, trying to pretend he was not offended by the Asari's previous statement.
"Yes, I am, and besides, I recently got an endorsement from the Ryders anyway," the Asari said assertively. "Now fuck off."
Zack walked away. The Ryders struck once again. A bit of searching revealed that they had provided paid endorsements for all stores on the Nexus. The Ryders had beaten him to the punch. Zack was angry, but he still needed the money to get into the auction. What could he do? Now would be a good time for TIUO to call up, but nothing. His ship was on lockdown, and his crew still in quarantine shelters. Zack needed a hail mary.
Finally, it came to him. Zack decided to visit the Privateer's Guild. Zack himself was not a member – as a Pathfinder, he was forbidden from joining most civilian organizations. The Guild represented most freelance privateers, but were bitter about not having Privateer #1 in their ranks.
The guildmaster was a Turian who went by Barbaros. Barbaros was significantly behind Zack in terms of numbers, only privateering about two thirds as much revenue on a typical month. Barbaros was also vocally critical of Zack on numerous occasions, but voices on the Nexus were easy to ignore when underway on the Vagabond.
"Well, well, well, if it isn't the former Pathfinder Zack," Barbaros said. He sounded as if he was getting ready to enjoy this conversation.
"Technically still a Pathfinder, and still a better privateer than you," Zack said.
"Without a ship you aren't. Why are you here?" Barbaros said in an uncomfortable way.
"I would like to join your guild, but on one condition," Zack said.
Barbaros looked intrigued. "And what would that be?" he asked.
"I get a large signing bonus," Zack said.
"What makes you think you're any good to the guild?" Barbaros asked arrogantly.
"Just give me the damn signing bonus," Zack said, frustrated.
Barbaros stood there for a moment, motionless. Then he looked at Zack with a sinister grin.
"I will give you the signing bonus, but the Guild wants its share. Until you come up with a ship, you will perform janitorial duties on my primary ship, the Armada," Barbaros announced. Barbaros really enjoyed saying that.
Oh no, Zack thought. Back to janitorial duties? Tann wanted him to perform janitorial duties, and now Barbaros wanted him to perform janitorial duties? What was with all these people and janitorial duties? The Vagabond was a refit, but at least it was a well-done refit. The Armada was an abandoned Kett ship held together with tape and glue.
"Fine," Zack said.
Before long, Barbaros presented him with a byzantine mess of legalese contracts. Some of the stuff was pretty straightforward, i.e. respond to other privateer's SOS calls, but others were not as clear. Still, while sitting at a bar with Barbaros, Zack signed the dubious contracts. Barbaros opened his omni-tool interface, and gave him the signing bonus.
"The guild owns you now, Wolfe," Barbaros said. "Welcome to the family."
Guild-owned or not, Zack now had the money to get into the auction for the Vagabond. Zack gladhanded Barbaros, and left the bar. It wasn't long before he was able to secure a ticket into the auction. The only problem was that Zack had to actually win the auction for the Vagabond.
Still though, Zack relaxed for a moment. He was well on his way to taking what was his-his ship, his crew, and his life. He decided to relax and take it easy until the auction-drink a few too many drinks, bed a few too many questionable flings, and otherwise give himself a chance to breathe.
It was not long before the day of the auction came up. The Tempest was up for auction first. There were a lot of interested buyers for the Tempest. Barbaros was there, as well as several others. Zack looked around, and wasn't particularly surprised by the clientele. However, he saw two distant figures, a bit far away. Zack squinted. It was the Ryder twins. Oh boy.
The Ryders were going to get the Tempest back at auction, just like he planned to get back the Vagabond. Damn it, why didn't these two just go away? Zack turned, at looked back at the display. The Tempest was a nice ship, no doubt about that. But he was not interested. But the Ryders bid, and bid, and bid some more. It seemed like they could top anyone else.
"Going once, going twice, sold to the Ryder twins!" The Ryder twins stood up and smiled. Scott Ryder turned to Keri, who was apparently running media for the event. Is Keri the only reporter in Andromeda? Zack thought. The auctioneer held a sign up. The auction was in intermission.
"We are pleased to have won this auction and gotten a ship that has already been such a huge part of our lives," Scott said.
"Now, that we own the Tempest outright, we will have greater flexibility in what we do with the ship," Sarah followed up.
"What are your new plans for the Tempest, Ryders?" Keri asked.
At this, Zack began to zone out. The Ryders were going on about humanitarian this, and training that, and search and rescue, and all this other stuff that Zack didn't care about. Basically, it sounded like the Ryders were dancing around the fact that after the Pathfinders were officially disbanded, they'd be freelance mercenaries. At least they wouldn't be privateers. When Keri asked how they were able to afford it, Sarah brought up inheritance money. Classy.
Soon the Vagabond came up on the display. The auctioneer began to prattle out a select few details.
"This is the Vagabond, former ship of Pathfinder Wolfe! The best Privateer in Andromeda! It is a salvage refit of a small Angaran freighter, and was rebuilt on Eos with Milky Way avionics and weapons!" said the auctioneer.
Just get to the damn auction already, Zack thought. Zack's heart was in his throat. He just wanted to get this bidding over with. Zack wanted his ship back.
"Bidding will start at 550,000 credits!" Zack did not have that money on hand, but he did have potential creditors lined up. So, he bid. And so did others. Too many others. He looked around to see who the bidders were. There was that hack, Barbaros, who Zack had just signed his life over to through the Privateer's guild. Tann was also bidding, for reasons unknown. What would Tann want with a ship? There was also one more. A lone woman. Zack looked at her again, as he bid. The woman looked familiar for some reason. Too familiar. Zack was outbid, and bid up again. Suddenly, it clicked.
This lone woman who was bidding to buy his ship was the eager lady TIUO had thrown at him a few times, all those months back. Was she directly connected to TIUO? Was TIUO trying to buy his ship? What would TIUO want with his ship? Now was not the time though, it didn't matter. First thing to do was to secure the Vagabond.
As the bidding continued, Barbaros stopped bidding. He looked furious, and had been sending Zack threatening messages since the beginning of auction. The nerve of some people, Zack thought. Barbaros's actions were almost certainly illegal, but law enforcement on the Nexus was something of a running joke. Soon the only interested bidders were him and the lady.
"One Point Six million credits! Going once! Going twice! Sold!" yelled the auctioneer. The numbers were a bit terrifying, but the Vagabond was his again. The Nexus was dreadfully short on ships, and the price reflected that. Still, he had two weeks to come up with the money, and already had bankers of various sorts walking up to him. Lots of papers to be read before the Vagabond could leave port again.
Keri cut Zack off while he was walking out of the auction hall.
"Pathfinder Wolfe! Congratulations on your acquisition!" Keri said, in that artificial reporter tone.
"Keri... I heard the Ryders wanted to talk to you," Zack lied. At this point, he just wanted to be rid of Keri.
"The Ryders said they were going to do such wonderful things with the Tempest! What will you do the Vagabond?" Keri said. Keri never really internalized the fact that Zack was not the Ryders.
"I will privateer Kett supply lines." Zack said plainly.
"But... isn't that what you did before?" Keri asked. She sounded a bit disappointed.
"The more things change, the more they stay the same, Keri. Pathfinder Wolfe, out."
Zack returned to the bar, and called Killal. Killal walked up to him.
"You now have my partial subservience, Ryder!" Killal said, happily. Partial subservience, whatever that means, Zack thought.
"Killal, can you get the crew out of Tann's shelters?" Zack asked.
"Can I kill Tann?" Killal asked joyfully.
"No, Killal, you can't kill Tann. I got the ship, so you can't kill Tann," Zack said, annoyed.
"Fine, I'll get the crew back on board," Killal scoffed. Killal turned and left the bar.
Soon after, a message appeared on Zack's omni-tool. It was TIUO. Of all times, TIUO wanted to talk now. Zack walked into a secluded area, and activated hologram.
"Wolfe, a pleasure to see you!" TIUO said. TIUO seemed genuinely optimistic.
"What do you want TIUO?" Zack asked.
"Wolfe, I wanted to congratulate you on re-acquiring the Vagabond," TIUO replied.
"Like I had a say in the matter," Zack said, his voice frustrated.
"You didn't. A strong agent knows when they don't have a choice, and acts accordingly," TIUO said.
"What all that bullshit about the Ryder's clout? What was that about TIUO? The Pathfinders soon won't exist anymore," Zack said. It looked a lot like TIUO led him to the Nexus on false pretenses.
"The elimination of the Pathfinders will greatly diminish their public image over time. Soon they will be irrelevant," TIUO said. "We will have propaganda control."
"The elimination of the Pathfinders nearly cost me my ship, and I'll lose a lot of the intel I need to pirate the Kett," Zack said.
"You'll be fine, Agent Wolfe," said TIUO calmly. Agent just didn't have the same ring to it as Pathfinder.
"I have to finalize the financing for the Vagabond, and then I have to go out privateering. Duty calls," Wolfe says. At this statement, TIUO smiled.
"Speaking of duty, we heard that you've joined up with the Privateer's Guild." TIUO said.
"Yes, that's true. It was a necessary step to establish ownership of the Vagabond," Zack replied.
"Your membership will almost certainly exclude you from most public sector positions," said TIUO, "but it will not mean you cannot expand your usefulness to our organization."
At this, Zack nearly swore at TIUO. "My ship is locked down, my crew is in shelters, and I will have to pay off the Vagabond again."
TIUO looked at him dismissively, and continued. "We plan to make you Guildmaster of the Privateer's Guild."
"What the fuck? Barbaros is the Guildmaster, I've literally just joined within the last week, and I'm not sure if I even like the guild," Zack retorted. "How will I do that?"
TIUO grinned again, and cut the transmission.
