Pixie Hazard by Archibald Bradford (top young adult novels .txt) 📕

“Donnie I told you-”

This time it was Kyle that interrupted her, placing his hand on her shoulder to still her complaints.

He and Bunny had come from the common room at all the commotion, now they watched the drama unfold, the K’or-Macka’s ears flat to her head and her tail puffed up in the face of the tense confrontation.

“Let it play out Billy.” Kyle murmured; “I’m not getting my Bunny killed for some kid who’s been lying to us.”

Donnie ignored the exchange, once again prompting Bryan to talk.

“Never mind Maria, or Billy, or any of the others. What is it the Junkers want?”

Bryan finally turned to face her, a look of fearful resignation on his face.

“I don’t know.” She opened her mouth to argue but he rushed on; “I don’t! The whole project was classified, so there is that, but I don’t know why. I’m just a botany tech student, whatever it is they’re after, I don’t know.”

Silence reigned on the ship at that point.

“Classified?” Maria asked.

Not a one of them missed the note of hurt in her voice.

Eva and Davie had let her up, though they were ready to subdue her again if necessary.

Bryan’s expression of remorse would have been funny if it hadn’t been so tragic.

“I swear Mary, I don’t know what this is about.” He begged.

“What corp?” The bruiser asked simply.

Her tone was cold now: she’d shut down her emotions as only a soldier could.

He flinched as if she had struck him, then hung his head and told them.

“O-Outerlight Union.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

Donnie finally backed off of him and his hands clasped together as he hunched up shamefully.

“I signed a lot of papers when I got the internship. I-I didn’t know what to do.”

It was a long time before anyone said anything; eventually though, Eniella’s voice crackled over the coms unit on the wall and in the ears of those wearing them.

“Um, guys? Are we leaving or what? Mung Central is being a tad waspish. I tried pretending I only spoke Spanish, but now I have some puta translator jabbering away in my ear and I can’t understand a word of it.”

Donnie pinched the bridge of her nose before looking to Davie.

“Those Iowa boys aren’t going to start anything within range of the station, but it seems we can’t stay docked much longer. Get back up to the cockpit and get us out of here.”

The pilot nodded and brushed past her in the crowded room on her way to the hatch.

Afterwards the captain looked between Bryan and Maria.

“Outerlight is the real deal, they wouldn’t associate with pirates. Best theory I got right now? Someone involved in the project broke their NDA before you just did and hung you and the others out to dry when whatever backroom deal they made blew up in their face.”

“But all I was working on was a sweet corn hybrid with a shorter gestation period! Nothing worth killing over, or, or selling to criminals!”

Maria turned and stormed after Davie, ducking through the hatch into the passageway and turning to go into the common room.

Bryan’s pleading expression followed her, then settled on the floor.

“I’ll go and make sure she’s okay.” Bunny said quietly before scampering away as well.

With all the tension, her tail remained puffed up and her ears were still flat to her head.

Eva pursed her lips as she considered their forlorn passenger.

“What’s the play Skipper? Drop him with Outerlight and let them sort it out?”

“And admit that we know about one of their classified projects?” Kyle shook his head; “I like my nards attached thanks.”

“Stow it beardy, the women are talking.” Eva said while still watching Bryan.

Most men would do what she asked, but Kyle wasn’t most men.

“You don’t want my opinion? Stop making stupid suggestions.”

Now Eva looked at him.

“Don’t test me. I have no problem hitting a girl.”

Kyle held his arms out to either side and smirked.

“Take a swing small-fry, your sister has.”

That got her attention.

“Oh you mother-”

But Donnie had finally heard enough.

“Both of you shut up or it’ll be me doing the swinging!” She snapped, staring them down before relaying further orders; “Davie will be making another jump as soon as we’re clear of the station. You both have jobs, go do them.”

A familiar series of clunks marked the Pixie’s docking clamps retracting, the noise punctuating the captain’s words as her crew moved to follow their orders.

Alone in the airlock save for Bryan and her first mate, Donnie looked him up and down, her brow furrowed as she puzzled over the problem that he posed.

After several seconds where she watched him, Billy watched her, and he watched the floor, she finally made a decision.

“You two get your asses to medical.”

“I’m not hurt.” Bryan said miserably, still talking to his feet.

She ignored him though, turning to Billy.

“Give him a complete workup. The more I think of this the less sense it makes.”

“You think he’s carrying something and doesn’t know it.” Billy nodded as she picked up on the captain’s intentions; “I’ll get going on a dermal scan.”

“Be thorough, if the project was classified, any tech they’re using would be cutting edge.”

The doctor nodded and put a comforting hand on the kid’s slumped shoulder.

“Come on Bryan. Maria will calm down, for now you and me have a mystery to solve.”

He nodded numbly and allowed her to lead him away.

__________

Aboard the Iowa Clan’s flagship cruiser, the Howling Dragon, a pair of Junkers had just finished dragging the last of their fallen comrades off of the station and into the airlock where they laid them at the feet of the wide-eyed navigator, Dwight.

“Commodore ain’t gunna be happy.”