Book 5
Siha: Rise of Rakhana
Part III
"Silver and Fire"
Casnar strides back into the cockpit and grabs the back of the pilot chair, turning it to himself so he can sit down with a heavy whump into the frayed leather padding. Braith comes in after him, "…Casnar, you can't just threaten to use the nuke—"
Feron is quick to enter after her and interrupt, "…You know there's probably a code on that nuke, Casnar."
Casnar gives a flip of his hand to dismiss Feron and Braith's concerns as his other hand rapidly works up the keyboard and changes the displayed items on the screens.
"We don't need to let them know that part, and yes, I'm contacting them…There's a channel here," he shows them the window onscreen containing the available networks within range of the ship, "…I'm going to open it." Turning his face to Braith suddenly, his eyes widen, "…Braith, get in the back. They're expecting drells on a ship out of Kahje. They see you they'll be suspicious, or think something worse…" He pats her bottom as she slips out of the cockpit, taking his advice to heart. Casnar turns back to the screen, trying to pull up the rest of his uniform and successfully managing to zip up the front without it ripping. Feron stands behind his seat, tense and listening as the channel static starts to increase and then there is some language being spoken.
"Casnar, switch it to universal translation," Feron leans around him and points at the controls. Casnar modifies the language input-output translators and looks up again.
"It's just someone with a thick accent, this is already on—"
"—Who's this?—Trying to—get—"
"You've picked up our ship. We want you to let us go," Casnar demands confidently, "…You reading this?" He raises his voice, "…Hello!"
The coarse voice busts back into the cockpit out of the speakers, "…Hell you want us to let go, this ship's been procured for her majesty, the Shadowbroker…You got that, pretty boy?"
"Pretty boy," Casnar grumbles, covering the mic and looking at Feron.
"Tell him we'll set off the nuke," Feron pats the back of his chair with suave finality.
"—Set off what?" The voice snaps back and rises through a wave of static crawl.
"Set off a nuke here," Casnar shouts for there to be no mishearing, "…Let go of the ship—or we set it off."
The voice comes back harshly, "…You got one too many extra life signs on there. Sides," the voice cackles and drawls drily, "…You wouldn't want your gal to be upset her rescue gets blown to smithereens, you cunthole."
"Cunthole," Casnar repeats, pointing at the screen and squinting at Feron, "…Who the fuck talks like that?"
Braith reenters the cockpit and leans over Casnar's chair, her hand on his shoulder as she looks up at the gnarly static display, "…That Zaeed?"
Casnar stares at her, "…Who the fuck is Zaeed?"
She blinks back at him and wrinkles her nose, a smile in her eyes, "…Zaeed Massani, biggest screwup in the Terminus," her gaze returns to the screen, "…Zaeed, your camera sucks."
"I know," the voice growls back, "…Some jackoff gone and smashed his ugly paw on it, love," he chuckles in a low and throaty rasp, "…Saved you a pretty mugshot o' m'self, I can give you a kiss with it later…You tell this gold hackmouth 'bout us or not yeah?"
She shakes her head, enjoying the joke and Casnar fuming beside her as Feron chuckles into a hand. "Zaeed, meet one of my husbands…Casnar Soterios, father of my kids, Jenner and Jaspin."
"I heard's'much…Wanted to give him a ringa', toots, yeah he was pissing ready to fight the display there…Liara said something about you getting settled and whammied with two little 'oiks."
"What the Hekelah's an oik," Casnar mutters, Braith sliding her fingers down his firm cheek to comfort him.
"The twins, Baby."
"Ah."
They look back at the screen, "…Where we headed, Zaeed?" Braith asks.
"Most random fucking place your blue friend wanted us to head into…Omega, that bucket of hell…I just left that place with some foul dysentery a while back too."
"Beautiful," Casnar mumbles, setting his hands on his thighs and leaning backwards, "…Why Omega."
"Easy to hide if you're in trouble," Braith looks at him and Feron—who nods his agreement above Casnar's crests, "…And if Liara thinks we need to go there before we head to Rakhana, she must know something we don't."
Casnar follows her with his eyes as she straightens and moves into the bridge, then he turns back to the screen, "…So abducting us is just a coverup?"
"You bet your pretty scales, Sweet Cheeks."
"Don't call me that," Casnar shakes his head and shuts off the channel, "…Why do I feel like I'm going to hate this guy."
