Captain Lee stares at me for a whole, long ten seconds before roaring with laughter.
His three men look downright confused. The woman behind him—Kel—twists her mouth in a grimace. Yeah, same good ol’ hostility I remember. Just because I know it’ll make her uncomfortable, I smile at her. A whole, huge, mocking grin that stretches against my scars and protruding metal.
Her grimace deepens, and she glares at the wall instead of me.
“How the hell are you not dead?” Lee ask, still chuckling to himself. He shoulders past his still-surprised men, hands on his hips, to stand right below the airlock, looking up at me.
“Well, it’s not for lack of people trying to kill me. But as I was explaining to your idiot here, I’m hard to kill.”
Lee takes a glance at Cocky only to wave a dismissing hand as if he’s nothing to worry about. The look of pure insult on the crew-member’s face nearly makes me choke on a laugh.
“Nice beard,” I tell him.
“It’s rather nice, isn’t it,” he says, smoothing it down.
Weirdly enough, I almost missed the guy. Not really, but he always appreciated my skills and wasn’t outright rude, which is a lot to someone like me. I offer him a less offensive smile.
“Looks like you’ve got your hands full,” Lee leans sideways, taking a look at the other ship cooling its engines beside mine. Good thing Zane and Lalia are keeping to themselves.
“Yeah, it’s about time. Had a rough streak.”
Kel snorts, and I’m just petty enough to flip her off.
Ignoring her, Lee’s eyes trail the other ship, and a problem that’s been nagging at the back of my mind. “That ship’s marked for a bounty. Why are they just following you?”
I tap my finger on the side of the airlock. Don’t know how to answer. “It’s kinda complicated.”
Lee raises a bushy eyebrow.
I shrug. “Really complicated. Do I get to leave now, or is this going to become a thing?”
Lee shifts from one foot to another, and I can already tell this is going to be a thing. “You’ve got a 300,000 credit bounty with you.”
Yeah, and a 3 million one in my ship behind me. “Looks like I need it more than you do.”
He snorts. “I’ll give you that. You know that’s not how we operate.”
I knew. But it was worth a shot. “I don’t suppose we can call it even for all the jobs I did for you without splitting the credits.”
Kel scoffs, louder this time. “Gee, I wonder why that would be.”
It’s been long enough I don’t recognize the sound of her voice. Wish I wasn’t being reminded.
With a neutral expression, Lee turns and looks at her. Keeps looking her. She folds her arms. Then unfolds them. Then waves a dismissive hand and stomps away.
I feel better already.
Lee turns back to me, still expressionless. “Let’s make a deal. Stay for a meal, fill me in on everything, you can leave with your bounty. I’m sure you busted your ass on it.”
I blink. That seems…suspicious. Lee isn’t particularly a sneaky person—at least, he never struck me as one—and I’ve never known him to try to trick people when he could just take what he wants by force. And this is a situation where he could. I might have freaked out his crew member a bit, but he knows I won’t win in this situation.
At my expression, Lee grins beneath the beard. “You’re still a suspicious ass. I suppose that would get worse with time. Let’s go.”
“You really want me to parade my bounties around in front of everyone?”
“Doubt my crew will obey me, Aaron?”
Not really. “Never know.”
He folds his arms. “I don’t think I’m asking for a lot here.”
He’s not. Not at all, really. Which is freaking me out. But what else is my option? Shoot him?
But parading Yvonne around is going to be even worse. Her face in on the bounty charts, someone here will recognize her. And I’m not sure Lee’s good will is going to extend into a 3 million bounty.
Glancing at his suspicious men behind him—the big beefy third guy has joined them after snooping around our ships—I slide down from the airlock so I can speak softly. Lee gets what I’m doing and bends his head so I can whisper closer to his face.
“I have two bounties with me. The second one is…larger. I don’t think them walking around here is going to be a good idea.”
Lee raises an eyebrow, looking back up into my airlock, but they’re still out of view. Throwing a glance over his shoulder at his irritated men, he says, “Get.”
I nearly laugh at their insulted faces. I can imagine how strange this is for Lee to be left alone with a freaky unregistered cyborg who isn’t cooperating. Sucks to be them.
Once they’ve left the door they came out of, Lee says, “How big a bounty?”
“Er, a lot?”
“Aaron.”
“Lee.”
“That’s still ‘Captain’ to you.”
Internally, I wince a little at the unexpected similarity. Hard to take the term captain seriously anymore when the cyborg who runs Amerov takes to the word.
“Sure, whatever.”
He chuckles good-naturedly. “I want to know.”
I hate the position I’m stuck in. “Three million.”
He stares at me. I stare back.
“Quite a lucky streak,” he comments.
“Yeah, well, I haven’t mentioned the amount of times I’ve gotten shot, broken bones, general gashes and bruises, two ship crashes, and multiple bad run-ins with other cyborgs. But sure. Lucky streak.”
Lee looks like he’s biting his cheeks trying not to laugh. “Well, you’re definitely more beat-up looking.”
“Thanks. And might I say how gracious you are with your manners.”
“Uh huh. It’s the princess isn’t it? Yvonne? I’ve been keeping my eye on that bounty.”
I grimace. “Yeah…”
“We stopped at Amethyst. I suppose you beat us to it.”
“I was lucky. Was there already.”
He nods. “Join me for lunch. Fill me in. Bring your bounties. You can leave in a few hours.”
Still? I squint at him.
“You don’t believe me one bit, do you?”
“No.”
Something pinches his expression, but it can’t be pain, so I’m not sure the expression. But I suppose I don’t have much choice.
“You two, come on down. Bat, you might as well too.” I wave at the tinted viewport of the sibling’s ship until their airlock cycles open.
“Bat…?” Lee asks before his eyes go comically wide as Bat peers at him around the corner. I grab the pack anyway and hold it open for him to jump in.
Yvonne rounds the corner, suspicious, trying to catch my eye. I give her a nod. She leans on my shoulder to jump out the airlock, helping Anya down silently. Lee watches the whole interaction without a word. Anya’s face isn’t on the bounty, but Yvonne’s is, and she has my old jacket back on, hood up, looking a little silly in the big jacket and her shorts. At least she put on some shoes.
“Princess,” Lee says.
“Nice to meet you,” Yvonne says in such a pleasant, neutral tone I almost laugh.
“Good to know you’re only rude to me,” I mutter, and she elbows me in the side.
Zane and Lalia join us. Zane stands so close to me I’m sure Lee is confused as hell. I have three bounties with me, none of which are cuffed. Who all, quite frankly, seem to like me. They’re definitely comfortable around me.
Indeed, Lee looks just about ready to explode with curiosity. “Let’s go.”
I expected the hallways of the massive ship to be packed, but we only pass a few people, none of whom I recognize. For once, I’m grateful for my looks. No one stares at Yvonne, they’re too busy eyeballing me and trying not to get too close.
More small miracles.
This ship was just been purchased by the time I left, so I’m not entirely familiar with it. But I had an old room here, and I vaguely recognize the small mess hall he leads us to. It’s empty, and Lee hands me a tablet. A list of food. Zero appetite on my end. I let the others order their food, but Lee stares at me so much I order the first thing that comes up on the menu despite how my stomach doesn’t feel like it’ll keep anything down. Bat shifts in his backpack. The ensuing silence is awkward.
I’m uncomfortable in my skin, uneasy in the room. We’re vulnerable in here, even if it’s just Lee. And I’m still not sure what’s going to happen with Yvonne. I can’t be sure he’ll keep his word, though he’s never broken it before.
“So you just get your food served to you now?” I ask, wandering around the table and taking a look out the vast window along the opposite wall. Not much to see in the part of space, but I love the emptiness. The pinpoints of light.
Lee snorts. “Not really. But it’s a feature if anyone needs it.”
“Fancy ship.”
“Fancy.”
The rest of the humans are easing into the empty chair, eyes flickering about. Not a single one looks comfortable. I can’t blame them—I still want to crawl out of my skin. Anya sits on Yvonne’s lap and stares at the captain.
“So what crime did you commit?” Lee asks. When I turn back, he’s still looking at me.
“What?”
“Well, I know what these two did—” he points at Zane and Lalia, who shift. “It’s on their bounty charts. I’m figuring the princess here didn’t actually do anything illegal.”
That he knows of.
“I don’t know who the kid is but based on looks I’m going to guess the younger royal. That leaves you.”
“What makes you think I did anything illegal?” Past the normal amounts of bounty hunter blurring the lines between legal and illegal. He’s not one to judge.
Lee cocks his head at me. Something about his expression makes my chest tight with nerves. “When’s the last time you checked the bounty charts?”
The tightness becomes a sinking feeling. “Day before yesterday, I think.”
Pulling a tablet from the pocket of his leather jacket, he scrolls momentarily while I feel Zane trying to catch my eye. I ignore him, pushing down the urge to grab my own tablet and start looking.
Lee hands me his with a bounty chart pulled up. From the screen, my face stares back at me.
Captain Lee stares at me for a whole, long ten seconds before roaring with laughter.
His three men look downright confused. The woman behind him—Kel—twists her mouth in a grimace. Yeah, same good ol’ hostility I remember. Just because I know it’ll make her uncomfortable, I smile at her. A whole, huge, mocking grin that stretches against my scars and protruding metal.
Her grimace deepens, and she glares at the wall instead of me.
“How the hell are you not dead?” Lee ask, still chuckling to himself. He shoulders past his still-surprised men, hands on his hips, to stand right below the airlock, looking up at me.
“Well, it’s not for lack of people trying to kill me. But as I was explaining to your idiot here, I’m hard to kill.”
Lee takes a glance at Cocky only to wave a dismissing hand as if he’s nothing to worry about. The look of pure insult on the crew-member’s face nearly makes me choke on a laugh.
“Nice beard,” I tell him.
“It’s rather nice, isn’t it,” he says, smoothing it down.
Weirdly enough, I almost missed the guy. Not really, but he always appreciated my skills and wasn’t outright rude, which is a lot to someone like me. I offer him a less offensive smile.
“Looks like you’ve got your hands full,” Lee leans sideways, taking a look at the other ship cooling its engines beside mine. Good thing Zane and Lalia are keeping to themselves.
“Yeah, it’s about time. Had a rough streak.”
Kel snorts, and I’m just petty enough to flip her off.
Ignoring her, Lee’s eyes trail the other ship, and a problem that’s been nagging at the back of my mind. “That ship’s marked for a bounty. Why are they just following you?”
I tap my finger on the side of the airlock. Don’t know how to answer. “It’s kinda complicated.”
Lee raises a bushy eyebrow.
I shrug. “Really complicated. Do I get to leave now, or is this going to become a thing?”
Lee shifts from one foot to another, and I can already tell this is going to be a thing. “You’ve got a 300,000 credit bounty with you.”
Yeah, and a 3 million one in my ship behind me. “Looks like I need it more than you do.”
He snorts. “I’ll give you that. You know that’s not how we operate.”
I knew. But it was worth a shot. “I don’t suppose we can call it even for all the jobs I did for you without splitting the credits.”
Kel scoffs, louder this time. “Gee, I wonder why that would be.”
It’s been long enough I don’t recognize the sound of her voice. Wish I wasn’t being reminded.
With a neutral expression, Lee turns and looks at her. Keeps looking her. She folds her arms. Then unfolds them. Then waves a dismissive hand and stomps away.
I feel better already.
Lee turns back to me, still expressionless. “Let’s make a deal. Stay for a meal, fill me in on everything, you can leave with your bounty. I’m sure you busted your ass on it.”
I blink. That seems…suspicious. Lee isn’t particularly a sneaky person—at least, he never struck me as one—and I’ve never known him to try to trick people when he could just take what he wants by force. And this is a situation where he could. I might have freaked out his crew member a bit, but he knows I won’t win in this situation.
At my expression, Lee grins beneath the beard. “You’re still a suspicious ass. I suppose that would get worse with time. Let’s go.”
“You really want me to parade my bounties around in front of everyone?”
“Doubt my crew will obey me, Aaron?”
Not really. “Never know.”
He folds his arms. “I don’t think I’m asking for a lot here.”
He’s not. Not at all, really. Which is freaking me out. But what else is my option? Shoot him?
But parading Yvonne around is going to be even worse. Her face in on the bounty charts, someone here will recognize her. And I’m not sure Lee’s good will is going to extend into a 3 million bounty.
Glancing at his suspicious men behind him—the big beefy third guy has joined them after snooping around our ships—I slide down from the airlock so I can speak softly. Lee gets what I’m doing and bends his head so I can whisper closer to his face.
“I have two bounties with me. The second one is…larger. I don’t think them walking around here is going to be a good idea.”
Lee raises an eyebrow, looking back up into my airlock, but they’re still out of view. Throwing a glance over his shoulder at his irritated men, he says, “Get.”
I nearly laugh at their insulted faces. I can imagine how strange this is for Lee to be left alone with a freaky unregistered cyborg who isn’t cooperating. Sucks to be them.
Once they’ve left the door they came out of, Lee says, “How big a bounty?”
“Er, a lot?”
“Aaron.”
“Lee.”
“That’s still ‘Captain’ to you.”
Internally, I wince a little at the unexpected similarity. Hard to take the term captain seriously anymore when the cyborg who runs Amerov takes to the word.
“Sure, whatever.”
He chuckles good-naturedly. “I want to know.”
I hate the position I’m stuck in. “Three million.”
He stares at me. I stare back.
“Quite a lucky streak,” he comments.
“Yeah, well, I haven’t mentioned the amount of times I’ve gotten shot, broken bones, general gashes and bruises, two ship crashes, and multiple bad run-ins with other cyborgs. But sure. Lucky streak.”
Lee looks like he’s biting his cheeks trying not to laugh. “Well, you’re definitely more beat-up looking.”
“Thanks. And might I say how gracious you are with your manners.”
“Uh huh. It’s the princess isn’t it? Yvonne? I’ve been keeping my eye on that bounty.”
I grimace. “Yeah…”
“We stopped at Amethyst. I suppose you beat us to it.”
“I was lucky. Was there already.”
He nods. “Join me for lunch. Fill me in. Bring your bounties. You can leave in a few hours.”
Still? I squint at him.
“You don’t believe me one bit, do you?”
“No.”
Something pinches his expression, but it can’t be pain, so I’m not sure the expression. But I suppose I don’t have much choice.
“You two, come on down. Bat, you might as well too.” I wave at the tinted viewport of the sibling’s ship until their airlock cycles open.
“Bat…?” Lee asks before his eyes go comically wide as Bat peers at him around the corner. I grab the pack anyway and hold it open for him to jump in.
Yvonne rounds the corner, suspicious, trying to catch my eye. I give her a nod. She leans on my shoulder to jump out the airlock, helping Anya down silently. Lee watches the whole interaction without a word. Anya’s face isn’t on the bounty, but Yvonne’s is, and she has my old jacket back on, hood up, looking a little silly in the big jacket and her shorts. At least she put on some shoes.
“Princess,” Lee says.
“Nice to meet you,” Yvonne says in such a pleasant, neutral tone I almost laugh.
“Good to know you’re only rude to me,” I mutter, and she elbows me in the side.
Zane and Lalia join us. Zane stands so close to me I’m sure Lee is confused as hell. I have three bounties with me, none of which are cuffed. Who all, quite frankly, seem to like me. They’re definitely comfortable around me.
Indeed, Lee looks just about ready to explode with curiosity. “Let’s go.”
I expected the hallways of the massive ship to be packed, but we only pass a few people, none of whom I recognize. For once, I’m grateful for my looks. No one stares at Yvonne, they’re too busy eyeballing me and trying not to get too close.
More small miracles.
This ship was just been purchased by the time I left, so I’m not entirely familiar with it. But I had an old room here, and I vaguely recognize the small mess hall he leads us to. It’s empty, and Lee hands me a tablet. A list of food. Zero appetite on my end. I let the others order their food, but Lee stares at me so much I order the first thing that comes up on the menu despite how my stomach doesn’t feel like it’ll keep anything down. Bat shifts in his backpack. The ensuing silence is awkward.
I’m uncomfortable in my skin, uneasy in the room. We’re vulnerable in here, even if it’s just Lee. And I’m still not sure what’s going to happen with Yvonne. I can’t be sure he’ll keep his word, though he’s never broken it before.
“So you just get your food served to you now?” I ask, wandering around the table and taking a look out the vast window along the opposite wall. Not much to see in the part of space, but I love the emptiness. The pinpoints of light.
Lee snorts. “Not really. But it’s a feature if anyone needs it.”
“Fancy ship.”
“Fancy.”
The rest of the humans are easing into the empty chair, eyes flickering about. Not a single one looks comfortable. I can’t blame them—I still want to crawl out of my skin. Anya sits on Yvonne’s lap and stares at the captain.
“So what crime did you commit?” Lee asks. When I turn back, he’s still looking at me.
“What?”
“Well, I know what these two did—” he points at Zane and Lalia, who shift. “It’s on their bounty charts. I’m figuring the princess here didn’t actually do anything illegal.”
That he knows of.
“I don’t know who the kid is but based on looks I’m going to guess the younger royal. That leaves you.”
“What makes you think I did anything illegal?” Past the normal amounts of bounty hunter blurring the lines between legal and illegal. He’s not one to judge.
Lee cocks his head at me. Something about his expression makes my chest tight with nerves. “When’s the last time you checked the bounty charts?”
The tightness becomes a sinking feeling. “Day before yesterday, I think.”
Pulling a tablet from the pocket of his leather jacket, he scrolls momentarily while I feel Zane trying to catch my eye. I ignore him, pushing down the urge to grab my own tablet and start looking.
Lee hands me his with a bounty chart pulled up. From the screen, my face stares back at me.
