“It was a mistake.”

Isi glanced over at Genvass, pausing between bites. “What was?”

The Dharmist pushed his food off to the side. “Going to that ship. I should have stayed behind.”

“Probably,” the purser shrugged. “Rough way to lose your cherry.”

The rest of the crew was at their posts, leaving the two of them on their own. “I’ve been trying to find common ground between my clan and the others, but I’m beginning to think there isn’t any.”

“Course there is,” Isi disagreed. “We’re Terrans. Everybody hates us.” He considered that for a moment. “Well, maybe not as much as they used to,” he amended.

“I just don’t know what I’m doing here,” Genvass sighed. “I feel like I’m spinning my wheels.”

The Corsair eyed him curiously. “You want some advice?” he asked the other man.

“Sure,” he answered.

“Seems like you’re trying to be something you’re not,” Isi said thoughtfully, “instead of figuring out who you are. Gotta be something you can bring to the table the rest of us can’t.”

The Dharmist looked up at him in surprise. “I mean, take me,” he continued. “I can’t pilot the ship like Xui, or fix the engines like Mairead. I’m no gunner like Slavko, and I sure as hell couldn’t run things like the captain. But that still leaves a lot I can do. It might not seem like much, in comparison, but I’m not ashamed to say this crew would be lost without me,” he grinned. “None of them can cook worth a damn, for starters. I’m good at getting Gyr loaded and unloaded, making sure we have all the bits and baubles we need for a journey and keeping an eye on everyone so they don’t burn themselves out. It ain’t flashy,” he said with a shrug, “but it still makes a difference.”

“I couldn’t help but notice how loaded the ship was when I boarded,” Genvass observed. “Must have been a challenge.”

“It wasn’t easy,” Isi admitted with a shrug, “but it all worked out.”

“So, what’s it for?” he asked. “You on a trade run?”

A wary look appeared on his face. “Just delivering some supplies,” the purser said casually. “You know, because of the war.”

Genvass cocked his head, regarding him for a moment. “Of course,” he said politely. “I should probably get back to my cabin,” he announced, abruptly standing up. “It was a good talk. You’ve given me a lot to think about.”

“Anytime,” the Corsair smiled, as the Dharmist gave him a nod and headed back towards the cabins… only to detour at the last minute and make for the cargo hold instead. Something about Isi’s sudden shift in demeanor bothered him. He’d always seemed a pleasant enough sort, even on the first mission, but the moment he’d asked about the cargo, he shut down. He couldn’t prove it, but Genvass was all but certain Isi had lied to him about their mission, and if that was true, then the question “Why?” loomed rather large in his mind. Captain Hadad and his crew were dangerous enough under the best of circumstances, but if they were up to something more nefarious, what did that mean for him?

After twenty minutes spent crawling around the boxes and crates, he’d learned very little. The labels and stencils on the containers were cryptic, none were familiar. He suspected they were intentionally vague, placed there to lull the casual observer into lethargic disinterest, and the only way he’d learn anything more would be to open one up. That gave him pause; if he did, it was likely they’d discover his snooping. If they’d already delivered him to Sivor Uq’ish, it was all well and good, but what if they hadn’t? How would the captain react then?

Badly, he thought with a grimace. Genvass remembered vividly what happened when he crossed swords with Maggie on the first trip. He’d ended up nursing a knife wound and sprained knee, but it could just as easily gone the other way. He was no fighter, he’d certainly proved that aboard the Tu’udh’hizh’ak ship, remembering the incident with embarrassment. And what exactly did he hope to find, anyway? That they were up to something? Gyrfalcon was a Corsair ship, which meant they were almost always “Up to something”.

If he wanted to survive, then the best way to do that was to remain in blissful ignorance.

Clambering out of the hold, he carefully checked the corridor to ensure he hadn’t been spotted before making his way back to the passenger cabins. What the hell had he been thinking? What Captain Hadad and the crew did on their ship was their business, and most definitely none of his. In a few days, he’d be off this boat, so until then, he needed to stop prying into their affairs. Shaking off whatever strange compulsion had come over him, he reached for his cabin’s hatch release, when the clatter of something hitting the deck whipped his head around. What the hell was that? he wondered, moving deeper into the ship as he tracked the sound.

No one was about, which made him even more curious. Something had made that noise, though he supposed it could be rats. Still, he was moved to investigate, despite his resolution not to get involved. The sound of movement drew him towards one of the empty cabins, pausing for a moment before pressing an ear against the hatch. Listening closely, he could hear someone moving around inside. Taking a deep breath, he checked the control panel before slowly opening the hatch and peering within.

Genvass screamed when he saw an insectoid Eleexx staring back at him.

“Would someone mind telling me just what the hell triggered this fiasco?”

Remi glared at each of his crew in turn. Genvass and Doctor Axchxairx were both safely locked in their cabins, though it had taken some time to calm down the Dharmist. With the situation contained for the moment, the captain was now looking for answers… and possibly someone to pin the blame on.

Mairead just shrugged. “Beats me. I was in Engineering running a diagnostic.”

Slavko held up his hands. “Cap’n, I was on the bridge. Me and Xui both were.” The pilot nodded in agreement.

The captain’s attention swung over to Isi, who sighed in resignation. “Look Cap’n, I don’t know what made him do it. We were talking, sure, but not about anything that would explain this.”

“And why exactly was the Doctor’s hatch unlocked?” he demanded.

“Said he needed to grab something from storage real quick, and figured he could sneak out and not be spotted,” the purser shrugged. “I guess he forgot to lock it when he got back. He’s a scientist, Cap’n. Unlocking the hatch is a piece of cake for him.”

“Fantastic,” he sneered, with every over-enunciated syllable dripping with sarcasm. “As if we didn’t have enough to worry about.”

“So, what do we do now?” Xuilan asked.

“I’ll deal with the good doctor at my leisure, but first, I need to have a chat with our Dharmist friend,” Remi said darkly. “What happens next will be up to him. Isi, retrieve our ‘guest’, if you don’t mind?”

The rest of the crew shared nervous looks as the purser hurried to comply, returning a few minutes later with Genvass in tow. The captain barely glanced at him as he pointed to an empty chair. “Have a seat.”

He fidgeted anxiously as he stared wide-eyed at the Corsairs. “Why is there an Eleexx on board?” he asked them, his question framed in equal parts fear and betrayal.

Remi ignored the question. “I have a problem, Genvass,” he said calmly. “You see, I’m under orders to deliver our passenger… our other passenger, I mean… safely to a specific location, in the hopes he can develop a weapon that will help us defeat the Yīqún. I think I can safely say ending that threat is a laudable goal, wouldn’t you agree?” he asked pointedly.

“Well… I mean… of course, it is,” the Dharmist stammered.

“Excellent,” Remi smiled, though there was no warmth in his expression. “However, given how those in the Perseus Arm feel about his race, we were also ordered to keep this mission confidential. You understand, I’m sure.”

Genvass looked at him warily. “Just what exactly are you saying, captain?”

“I’m saying that you being aware of the doctor’s involvement is a complication for me,” Remi answered, his words now smooth as silk. “Just how much of a complication, that remains to be seen.”

“You want to know if I’ll keep my mouth shut,” he said in dawning realization.

“I couldn’t have said it better myself,” the Corsair beamed at him. “However, I’m afraid I’ll need something a bit more concrete than just an assurance. If news of this mission leaks, it could be very bad for my clan.” He leaned in, eyeing Genvass carefully. “So tell me… why should I trust you? Because frankly, making this as plain as I can, I have the means at my disposal to ensure you never speak of this.” His mien grew swiftly frigid, the room’s temperature bottoming out to Absolute Zero.

His jaw dropped as the implication of his words struck home, while the others stared at him in abject horror. “Cap’n, you can’t mean…” Xui began, the rest of her words succumbing to a gruesome death as he turned his attention to her.

“You were all briefed on the mission’s objectives,” he said caustically, “and you all know what’s at stake. So I’m afraid I must insist on an answer, Genvass Shaafvaazif of the Dharmist Clan,” he snapped, redirecting his focus away from the crew, “and I’m going to need it now.”

“Or what?” he challenged the pirate, his voice threatening to break as Remi glared at him. “You’ll throw me out the airlock like you threatened Maggie?”

“Do you really want to know the answer to that question?” Remi fired back at him. “If you think for one moment I’ll hesitate if you fail to convince me, think again. I have far bigger concerns than a single Dharmist’s bravado.”

“And the rest of you will just stand by and let him?” Genvass said frantically. The crew was having a difficult time meeting his gaze, not to mention each other’s, while each of them wrestled with their own conscience. Defeated, he looked back at the captain. “Then you might as well do it,” he said quietly, “because we both know there’s nothing I can say to convince you. You’ll never trust me to keep your secret.”

The compartment went dead quiet as the captain regarded him. “You know, I suspect you’re right,” he agreed, his hand dropping casually to the weapon at his waist.

Genvass swallowed nervously as he awaited his fate… when the sound of a chair being pushed back drew everyone’s attention.

“Cap’n, you can’t do this,” Mairead announced, her voice quavering. “It ain’t right.”

His eyes zeroed in on her with a laser’s focus. “What did you just say?” he snarled.

Her body trembled with apprehension, but the engineer stood her ground. “Cap’n, you know I’m loyal. I’ve been part of this crew going on ten years now, and as far as I’m concerned, you’re all my family.” She took a deep breath while Remi glared at her. “But the thing is, I’m not a Corsair. Maybe that gives me a different perspective. I dunno.” she shrugged. “I don’t have any problems with us being pirates. It’s a hard old universe, and we all gotta hustle to get by. I don’t give a damn about taking down a Troika ship, or any of the other races that pissed on us… but I draw the line at killing a fellow Terran.”

The rest of the crew’s attention darted back and forth between the two as Remi rested his hand on the butt of his weapon. “You need to think very carefully about what you’re doing, Mairead,” he informed her, his voice suddenly raspy and constricted. “I don’t tolerate mutiny aboard my ship. And while you may not be a Corsair, you agreed to our regulations and customs when you signed on… and my clan has an established method of handling shipboard revolts.”

“You want to put me off your boat, that’s fine,” she answered, licking her lips as she watched his gun hand. “But a Tinker’s obligated to resolve disagreements between clans, which is what this is when you get right down to it. Maybe I’ve done little of that in the past, but I’m here now.” She met his gaze, refusing to cower. “And being completely honest, Cap’n, you need me. Cause without me, we’re not going anywhere.”

“I see Maggie’s rubbed off on you,” he sneered, drawing his sidearm, though he kept it low against his thigh. “You are making a dangerous mistake, Mairead. And because I’m feeling especially generous today, I’ll give you thirty whole seconds to reconsider.”

“Please, there’s no need for any of this,” Genvass said frantically. “I’ll keep your secret, captain. You have my word. I never intended doing anything else.”

“I’m afraid we’re past that now,” Remi answered, his gaze still locked on his engineer. “It seems I now have a mutiny to deal with.”

The sound of another chair scraping across the deck whipped everyone’s head around as Slavko slowly stood up. “Cap’n, I’m begging you, don’t do this,” he beseeched him, moving to Mairead’s side. “This is getting out of hand.”

His eyes whipped back and forth between them. “Did the two of you plan this?” he hissed.

“Of course not,” the Tinker answered gently. “You’ve always had our allegiance. We’re just saying that maybe there’s a better way. That’s all.”

“And the rest of you?” he growled, turning towards the others. “Do you stand with me… or with them?”

Isi slowly rose to his feet before joining the other two in solidarity. “Cap’n, just maybe take a step back,” the purser said carefully. “You know, come at this fresh, after everybody’s calmed down.”

Remi stared at him before slowly pivoting to the remaining holdout. “And you, Xuilan? I suppose you have some words of wisdom you’d like to share.”

The pilot gave him a mournful look. “This isn’t you, Remi. I don’t know what’s driving this, but I implore you, please put the gun away. Let’s just talk about this. No one is trying to unseat you or undermine your authority, I swear. We’re still loyal, still your crew, if you’ll have us. But…” She hesitated for a moment, struggling with her emotions.

“... you’re still Terran,” she pleaded. “We’ve lost so much since the Yīqún destroyed Earth. Don’t let anger and pain and a hostile universe strip away what makes you human, Remi. Please.” Tears filled her eyes as she gazed up at him, her chin quivering.

The pirate looked at the others with barely controlled fury, a spring under tension begging for release… and then he shoved his sidearm back into its holster and stormed off, leaving the others to gasp in relief.