The Akaraks talked among themselves. Rosemary dug her nails in harder, hoping the pain would quiet the tremors beneath her skin. Her entire offer banked on a tiny piece of possibly erroneous info that she’d tucked away during one lone semester of Intro to Harmagian Colonial History. If she was wrong… well, she’d find out soon enough. At least they were all still breathing. Ashby was breathing, right?
“Rosemary?” Sissix said. “How are we doing?”
“We’re okay,” said Rosemary. I hope. “Hang on.”
“We find this acceptable,” Captain Big said. “What sort of fuel do you use?”
“Algae.”
“We will take some of that as well.”
“Are they asking about fuel?” Corbin said. “Because I just siphoned off the skim yesterday, and it’s taken five tendays for this batch to get—”
“Corbin,” Dr. Chef said with deadly calm. “Be quiet.”
And for once, Corbin had nothing further to say.
“What did the pink man say?” Captain Big asked.
“He is our algaeist,” Rosemary said. “He is merely… concerned about the product he has worked so hard to produce. But you will have fuel. There is no trouble.”
Captain Big tapped xyr chin within xyr mech suit. “If we take ten barrels, will you have enough to reach your next destination?”
Rosemary asked Corbin the question. He nodded sullenly. “Yes, ten barrels will not be a problem,” she said. The conversation had gone from frightening to bizarre. The inflections that Captain Big was using didn’t have a parallel in Klip, but in Hanto, they were downright polite. She would expect to hear this kind of talk in a shop or a restaurant, not while standing at gunpoint. It was as if the Akaraks thought of her as a merchant, with the threat of violence serving as currency.
“We will require technical supplies as well,” Captain Big said. “Our engines are in need of repair.”
Rosemary gestured understanding. “Kizzy, do you know anything about the ship they’re flying? Would any of our tech be compatible?”
“Some of it, maybe. I dunno.”
“Our tech believes some of our equipment may work with yours, but she can make no promises. She will help you find what you need.”
“Very well,” Captain Big said. “You will accompany me, along with your tech, so that you may translate our needs. She—” xe gestured at Blue Suit—“will go with one of your crew to gather food. The others of my party will stay with the rest of your crew here. You seem to be a reasonable people, but we will not hesitate to kill you should you try to overthrow us.”
“You have our complete cooperation,” said Rosemary. “We do not wish for either of our crews to come to harm.”
Rosemary began to explain the deal to the rest of the crew. Everyone nodded, looking a little less tense, though still afraid. The humming of the guns had stopped. We might just get out of this, Rosemary thought, just before the fourth Akarak reappeared and threw Ohan into the room.
The other Akaraks went nuts. A frenzied conversation took place, with the Akaraks all talking over one another and Rosemary trying to interject where she could.
“What the hell is going on?” Sissix asked.
“They want to take Ohan,” Rosemary said.
The Wayfarer’s crew exploded.
“What?” said Kizzy.
“My ass!” said Jenks.
“For what?” asked Sissix.
“To sell them,” Rosemary said.
“What?!” Kizzy cried.
“A Pair would fetch a fine price on the right planet,” Dr. Chef said.
“If it keeps you all from harm…” Ohan began.
“No,” said Jenks. “No way. Rosemary, you tell those fucking birds in their fucking hackjob suits that they can shove—”
“Jenks, shut the fuck up,” Kizzy said, holding Ashby’s head protectively. His blood looked sticky on her hands.
“Stop it, stop it, all of you, you’ll get us all killed,” Corbin said.
“You shut up, too, Corbin.”
“Calm your crew,” said Captain Big. “Or there will be violence.”
“Shut up, everybody, shut up,” Rosemary yelled. She turned toward Captain Big. “Ohan is part of our crew. We have cooperated with all your other demands, but this—”
“This man could end our poverty,” said Captain Big. “He would be of great use to us. You would do the same in our place.”
“No, I would not.”
Captain Big pondered this. “Perhaps. But even so, you have little choice right now.”
“Offer him something else,” said Sissix.
“Like what?” Rosemary said.
“Ambi,” said Kizzy. “Give him the ambi cells.”
The Akaraks froze. At last, a word in Klip they understood. “You have ambi aboard your vessel?”
“Yes,” said Rosemary. “We will give you the ambi freely if you leave the Navigator with us.”
“What is to stop us from taking both the ambi and the Navigator?” Blue Suit asked, raising her rifle.
Rosemary felt her stomach sink. Fair point. “They want to know why they can’t take the ambi and Ohan.”
“Shit,” Jenks said.
“Why do I ever say anything?” Kizzy moaned.
Dr. Chef spoke. “Tell them that Ohan is of no value to them.”
Rosemary translated. The Akaraks demanded an explanation. “Why?” she asked Dr. Chef.
“Because Ohan is dying.”
The Wayfarer’s crew turned to stare at Dr. Chef. Ohan closed their eyes and said nothing. Rosemary collected herself. It was a bluff, surely. She relayed the news to the Akaraks.
The Akaraks shrunk back. The one who had thrown Ohan into the room recoiled. “Is he contagious?”
“I… don’t think so,” Rosemary said. “Dr. Chef, some help, please.”
“Ohan is in the final stages of a Sianat Pair’s life,” Dr. Chef explained. “They will not last more than a year.” He paused, and added: “Any buyer who might consider purchasing a Sianat Pair would be familiar enough with the species to know the signs.”
Rosemary translated.
“You may be lying,” Captain Big said. “But the risk of wasting fuel and food on useless cargo outweighs the possible gains, especially in light of the ambi. We will leave him, then, but you will give us your entire stock of ambi cells.”
Rosemary agreed. “Ohan stays,” she said to the crew.
“Oh, stars,” Kizzy said.
“But they want all the ambi.”
“Fine,” Sissix said.
“Good thing the GC’s got our tab on this one,” Jenks said.
Rosemary and Captain Big discussed logistics. Groups from both crews split up, leaving Jenks, Ohan, and a barely conscious Ashby—stars, his eyes were finally open—under guard in the cargo bay. Rosemary took Kizzy’s hand as they walked out the door with Captain Big. Kizzy squeezed back so hard that one of Rosemary’s knuckles popped.