Two days later, Zack was back on Lucre Station. Sara was inbound, and she was set to dock in about ten minutes. Zack looked around to get a feel of the mood in the air. There was a problem: No one in the Guild liked the Pathfinders. Virtually all of the captains and crews were Nexus outcasts and rejects, even more so after the banishment. Another Pathfinder, even if the organization technically didn't exist anymore, was not a welcome person.
Per Zack's orders, Sara had abandoned the shuttle and transferred to a Guild one. The Nexus probably knew where Lucre Station was and what Sara was doing, but best not to risk it. Zack walked back on forth on the station, and was a bit embarrassed. Lucre Station was not a very pretty station. It looked like what it was – a hastily thrown together station, built for utilitarian reasons. Even when the Vagabond was docked, he usually stayed in his cabin on the ship. Most of the accommodations were barracks-style for crews and small apartments for officers; the station was not built for visitors. Maybe he ought to spruce the place up a bit if they got another big haul. But building more combat ready ships was far more important, as there were still some 'unshipped' captains, and they were angsty. The Guild had numerous shuttles, but no one wanted to be shuttle captain.
Zack looked out of one of the viewing ports. Lucre Station had been expanded to have a small internal docking bay for shuttles and an external docking arm for everything else. It wasn't sophisticated, but it didn't need to be. Another expansion added more things to do for crews on leave, other than drink. At least it kept the station crew busy too. Then they added some offices to keep the place organized after some bookkeeping discrepancies were found. Lucre Station was cheap and ugly, but it was growing.
Zack walked back to his apartment on the station. He hadn't been here in weeks. It was slightly larger than his cabin on the Vagabond, but a lot less decorated. Bare walls, a bed, a desk, a small couch, a small dining area, and not much else. A divider separated the bed from the rest of the apartment. He sat on the bed for a moment. It was larger and a bit more stiff than the one on the Vagabond. He changed into a Guild uniform that he hadn't worn in months, and headed over to the Guild offices.
Lucre's Station Guild Hall was probably the nicest part of the station. Some offices, some conference rooms, and so on. Pay your dues here, sell your wares there, it was all strictly functional in nature. Still, they had actually tried to make the place look nice: wall photos of captains and ships, relatively uniform paint, and so on. He walked into his office. Again, it looked deserted. In his absence, the office bunch had been using a chunk of his office as a closet. It didn't matter much. He didn't need it.
Zack's omni-tool lit up. A message. Sara had just entered the hangar bay on one of the Guild shuttles. Zack entered the hangar bay as the shuttle's door opened up, and she stepped out. She was wearing combat armor, and had a couple duffle bags. She looked around, then she looked up and surveyed her surroundings. She made no comments, but she was visually displeased with what she saw. She then turned towards Zack and walked towards him.
"Pathfinder Sara Ryder, requesting to board your station!" she said. Her tone was formal, but tired.
"Come on board. I had the crew prep a room for you. You can drop your stuff off there, and then we should go to the Guild Hall," Zack said. He motioned for one of the dockworkers to take her to the apartment area. He then received another message: Lilianus, the second captain of the Guild and technically his second in command of the Guild, was inbound. She had not indicated her cause, but rumor had it she was not happy about taking in one of the Ryders.
Zack walked back to the Guild Hall. He stretched a bit, and then opened up on the conference rooms. Time for things to get interesting.
Sara walked into the Guild Hall. She had changed into a Nexus civilian clothing, which earned her a few dirty looks. Zack motioned over to her, and she headed into the conference room. She sat in one of the chairs on the far side of the table. Zack shut the door, and sat down diagonally from her across the table.
"Thanks a lot for taking me in, Wolfe, but, um, this place is a dump," Sara said.
"We built it in a hurry, and cash flow hasn't been great recently," Zack said. Both statements were true. The Kett were still minding their own business in only a few systems. The loss of one of their cruisers had them spooked, and they were being very careful about moving their larger ships. The situation was good for everyone except the Guild: fewer Kett supply lines meant less to pirate.
"I know I can't just stay here and do nothing. So, I was thinking about what could do here," Sara said.
Zack nodded. He honestly hadn't considered that. He was too preoccupied with figuring out who to trade to the Nexus.
"If you got ideas, it can't hurt anything to shout them out," Zack said.
"You've got a couple ships building out there. I want to captain one of the them," Sara said.
"I already have all the ship captains I need," Zack said casually.
"Then I want to join your squad for a bit. Let me put in some time on your ship," Sara suggested.
Zack cringed at the statement. That was a terrible idea. His crew all hated the Ryders. He did not like the Ryders. That would not work at all.
"Sorry, I can't do that right now. I already have enough crew to look after," Zack said.
"What do you expect me do then?" Sara said.
"I don't know. I guess keep your head down for a bit, and hope for this to blow over?" Zack said.
"Has it blown over for you?" Sara asked.
"What do you mean?" Zack asked.
"The banishment, and criminalization, and all that stuff. Has that blown over for you?" Sara said.
"No, I guess it hasn't," Zack admitted.
"Then what makes you think it will blow over for me?" Sara said.
"You got your brother on the inside, and Tann seems on course to destroy himself," Zack said.
"What makes you think my brother will be able to clear my name?" Sara said.
"Isn't he basically Mr. Credible on the Nexus?" Zack said.
"Tann took away the Tempest after I left. My brother's not the captain anymore, and he's been suspended from duty. He's under house arrest pending investigation," Sara said.
Well, fuck, Zack thought. This was really all going to shit, wasn't it? Zack had always assumed the Ryders were untouchable. Scott and Sara Ryder were well known, well loved, and respected on the Nexus and the colonies. They were respected on Aya and Kadara, if only begrudgingly. The only ones who didn't like them were the Roekaar and the Guild. The Guild only didn't like them after the banishment. Even after the Pathfinders were closed, the Ryders, de facto, ran the Nexus's military. They were the face of the war against the Kett. They were a cornerstone of Tann's regime. And Tann had just removed both of them. Man, this situation was fucked.
"How's Tann going to manage the Nexus, without you or your brother?" Zack said.
"I don't know. All I know is I'm out and my brother's in deep shit right now," Sara said.
"That plank of wood couldn't betray the Nexus if his life depended on it. What does Tann think he did?" Zack said.
"That's my brother, Wolfe, and it's called being loyal. You know, what you were supposed to be before you went profit-monger," Sara said. She sounded offended and a bit condescending.
"If I didn't go 'profit-monger,' Tann would have killed me. My 'profit-mongering' bought my ships and this station. You're on my station, aren't you?" Zack asked.
"Yes, I am," Sara sighed.
"So what's going to happen with your brother? Is there anything Tann can beat him with?" Zack said.
"My brother helped me escape, and I'm keeping in touch with him through back channels," Sara said.
"Ah," Zack said. Say what you want about the Ryders, they were family.
"I think he should be fine though, Tann doesn't know about some of the resources we have," Sara said.
"So the plan for him is to wait this out?" Zack said.
"Looks like it, not much else to do right now," Sara said.
"You're in a worse spot than I thought," Zack said.
"Don't get all high and mighty on me. I never did anything to screw you over," Sara said.
"I'm not getting anything. I think you need to seriously consider the Nexus isn't on your side anymore," Zack said.
"The Nexus is on my side. Tann is not. The Nexus is on my side because I was always on the Nexus's side. I didn't sell out like you did," Sara said. She was getting confrontational.
"You can believe whatever you want. If Tann figures out how to replace you, you're out and you're gone. The Nexus doesn't need you or care about you. You can only go away on your own terms, or end up dead or in a cell," Zack said.
"That's not true. This is a big misunderstanding, and one day, I'll be exonerated. Everyone will know that I did the right thing, and move on," Sara said.
"Ok, so until this misunderstanding of yours goes away, what are you going to do?" Zack said.
"What do you mean?" Sara asked.
"You can't stay here for long. I'm sorry, but I can't do much. My hands are tied," Zack said.
"How are your hands tied-" Sara started. She was cut off by someone forcefully opening up the door. It was Lilianus.
"What is this bitch doing here?" Lilianus said.
"Shut the door and sit down, Lilianus, and we'll discuss it" Zack instructed calmly.
"I said, what is this bitch doing here?" Lilianus said again. Her demands pissed Zack off.
"Either shut the door and sit down, or get the fuck out of here!" Zack said.
Lilianus raised her chin, and then shut the door. She sat down a distance away from Zack and Sara.
"So, what can I do you for Lilianus?" Zack asked, trying to keep his cool.
"This bitch you brought here imprisoned our crews and stole our ships! What were you thinking to bring her here?" Lilianus said. She was clearly in a state of blind rage.
"She just got kicked off the Nexus, so I thought I'd hear her out," Zack said.
"You couldn't do that over the comms?" Lilianus said angrily.
"No. I wanted to get her away from Nexus equipment," Zack said.
"I still don't what this Nexus kissass here," Lilianus said.
"I'm right here. We can talk this out," Sara called out.
"No, we can't. You need to get the hell off our station," Lilianus yelled at Sara.
"Your objections are noted, Lilianus. Now get out of here. We can talk about this later," Zack said. At this point, he was just hoping to get her out of the conference room. Lilianus wasn't here to reason.
Lilianus sneered, and stood up.
"The rest of the Guild is going to hear about what you brought on this station," Lilianus said.
"I'm sure they will. Now get out," Zack said.
Lilianus spat at the ground, and walked out of the conference room. Zack stood, and closed the door behind her.
"I can't guarantee your safety on this station. You need to find somewhere else to go," Zack said.
Sara sunk into her chair a bit. Her situation was beginning to strike home.
"Just give me a ship, and let me find a crew. Then it won't be a problem," Sara said.
"I don't have a ship to give you. You know that. Stop asking for a ship," Zack said.
"I'll give it back when I am done with it," Sara said.
"Which will be when, if ever? I don't care what you can offer me, I can't get you a ship," Zack said.
"I can pay for a ship," Sara said.
"You don't have the Nexus backing you. How much do you really have to pay?" Zack said.
It turns out Sara had a lot more than Zack thought she did. Her and her brother had been hoarding credits after Tann went Inquisition mode on the Nexus. After Sara left and went to the apartment she was given, Zack held a meeting with the other captains. After much argument, they agreed to sell Sara one of the ships they were building. The only captain who voted against was the one slated to receive the ship. Sara was able to choose which one. What she had offered would more than pay for a replacement. For the first time ever, a Ryder had given him a good deal.
Guild ships were all refits. Of the two being constructed, one was a heavy Kett transport and one was another Angaran freighter that had seen better days. The Kett transport had been nearly blown to pieces by Lilianus when she pirated it, but was intact enough for her to tow back to Lucre Station. The old freighter was showing a bit of rust around the edges, but was otherwise largely functional. The Guild did not have either the skill or the materials to build ships from scratch, so this would have to do. Sara chose the Angaran refit, so she probably chose wisely. Kett ships were a bit reckless in design. In the meantime, she would be stuck on the station.
Zack took the short walk back to his apartment. He sat in the chair he had, which was too stiff just like the bed was. He began to scroll through the news. Tann was doing a tour of the colonies; apparently there was mass unrest over what Keri called 'the Ryder Situation.' Forcibly removing Sara and Scott from duty was having a backlash. Was this chaos, nothing, or an opportunity?
Another message lit up. TIUO wanted a chat.
"Captain Wolfe! Congratulations on killing that Kett capital ship! And congratulations on making contact with the Second Nexus Rebellion, even though you took your damn time with that one!" TIUO stated.
"Cut the crap. What do you want now?" Zack asked.
"The Ryders have been removed from their positions. This is excellent for my organization," TIUO said.
"Good for you and your organization. Do you have a contract?" Zack said.
"I have received word that you have taken Sara Ryder into your custody," TIUO said.
"I have. She's a paying customer," Zack said, trying to sound casual.
"I need you to neutralize her," TIUO said.
At this Zack stood, and looked into the hologram.
"She's already 'neutralized.' She's got no ship, no crew, and no support from the Nexus," Zack said.
"I heard you're working on getting her a ship. I can't allow that. Kill her, Wolfe," TIUO ordered angrily.
"She's not a threat to whatever you're doing, and won't be for a while. I'm not killing the Ryders," Zack said.
"So what are you going to do then?" TIUO.
"I'll build her the ship she bought, and then send her on her way," Zack said.
"I can't allow you to do that, Captain Wolfe," TIUO said.
"What are you going to do, send the Nexus Navy after me?" Zack asked sarcastically.
"I will destroy Lucre Station," TIUO said.
"Best guess, I'm your best contact. The Guild is one of wealthiest entities-"Zack started until TIUO cut him off.
"Was one of the wealthiest entities. You've been surviving on scraps since the banishment and the Kett withdrew. You are broke and alone," TIUO said.
"Then I've still got the best Navy that isn't Kett," Zack said.
"Until the Guild replaces you," TIUO said.
"Make all the threats you want. Tann's threats, Kett threats, Roekaar threats, my life is threats, threats, and more threats. Your dumbass threats are a dime a dozen, and always have been," Zack said.
There was a knock on the door.
"You're making the wrong choice," TIUO said, and cut the transmission.
Zack was angry and tired. He walked up to the door and opened it up. It was Sara Ryder again.
"Hey Wolfe! Can I come in?" Sara asked.
Zack considered refusing, and then nodded. Sara walked in, and Zack closed the door behind her. Sara sat down on the small couch in front of the divider. Zack walked over and sat down in his desk chair.
"I just wanted to say, I'm really impressed to see what you've done with this place. I mean, the Nexus always makes the Guild sound like a bunch of glorified criminals. You've got a decent organization here, with your own station and everything," Sara said.
"I already got you one of the ships. Why the flattery?" Zack asked.
"I haven't really been civil with you from the start. You know, I think we should be friends," Sara said.
"Why's that? You want to go legit, and that's not an option for me," Zack said. Zack had long given up on the Guild being readmitted to the Nexus.
"Well, we were both Pathfinders," Sara said.
"Emphasis on were. I'm over the whole Pathfinder era. It is gone, and I've moved on," Zack said.
"That doesn't mean we can't be friends. Besides, we are in the same boat right now," Sara said.
"I know as soon as you get back inside – if you get back inside – the Nexus administration, you will target me and my organization almost immediately. We are allies of convenience, and convenience rarely lasts," Zack said.
"I don't think that's true," Sara said.
"Tann has passed so much crap against me. Both me personally, and against my organization. Even if Tann were to go away, all the stuff he put in place against me would not," Zack said.
"That doesn't mean you have to hate the Nexus and the Initiative. The Nexus is the home of the Milky Way species in Andromeda," Sara said.
"Actually, the colonies out-populate the Nexus right now, by about 3 to 1," Zack said.
"The Kett are still out there, and we have to stick together," Sara said.
"It's easy to push cohesion when you are at the top. I am 'out' because I was pushed 'out.' I don't hate the Nexus, but the Nexus administration is my enemy, and they made it that way," Zack said.
"So you turned down the legit positions because you thought we'd just take them away?" Sara said.
"When I was on the bottom, I was mocked for it. When I was promoted to Pathfinder, I was given virtually no support. When I became Guildmaster, I was driven out for reasons that were ultimately artificial and not my fault. I rose to where I am in spite of the Nexus, not because of it. I don't 'think' the Nexus will take future positions from me, they've already taken previous positions from me. What do you think I think about the Nexus's promises?" Zack replied.
"Now's not the time for petty grudges," Sara said.
"Which again, is easy to say when you have the most to gain, and I have nothing to gain," Zack said.
"How do I have the most to gain?" Sara asked.
"Well, if Tann were to be ousted tomorrow, it wouldn't be hard for you and your brother to be put in charge of the place," Zack said.
"So you think this whole thing is power grab by me?" Sara said. Her tone sounded surprised and disappointed.
"Where else would you be doing? It's probably the only for you to clear your name at this point. And you did just buy a combat-capable ship," Zack said.
"I hope you'll reconsider, Wolfe. We could really use you," Sara said.
"I recommend you keep your head down until your ship is finished. My organization usually recruits from the colonies, so you might be able to find the people you need there. After that, I recommend you head for the hills and don't return to Lucre Station," Zack said.
"We can make this right, Wolfe, but you have to work with us," Sara said.
"You need to seriously consider what 'us' means. Now get out of my apartment," Zack said.
Sara looked as if she were going to say something else, but then stood up quietly. She headed towards the door. Zack stood up, walked over, and opened up the door. Sara walked out. Zack looked out of the apartment. Fuggla was standing in the hall nearby, scowling. She turned away and stomped down the hallway to the bar. Zack closed the door, and went to bed. Ah, warmth.
