The Fringe Wars

1.8

"For the record, Vym wanted to bring you in," Critch began. "Not me."

"I promised Vym I'd come out here and meet you. I did that. You don't want me here, so how about I make it easy for you." Reyne pushed to his feet, and started heading toward the door. "See you around. Though, hopefully not in this lifetime."

He heard a glass set onto a table, and he prepared for an attack.

Instead of attacking Reyne from behind, Critch said simply, "The Uprising isn't over."

Reyne turned slowly around to face the other man. "The Uprising ended twenty years ago."

Critch shook his head. "The battles that took place there may be over, but the spirit of the Uprising, the need for an Uprising, is stronger than ever."

Reyne's brows rose. "You're thinking about starting a full-out Uprising again? Then, you'll get yourself killed along with every fool who follows you. The CUF is stronger than they were when we ran the first Uprising. Myr and Alluvia will squash any rebellion—"

"You're wrong. Relations between Myr and Alluvia have fallen apart during Myr's recession. Myrads are jealous of Alluvians because they're thriving. The two are butting heads, and the fringe are stuck in the middle."

Reyne brushed the air. "Nothing's changed. They've always used us—first, to satisfy their greed for our resources, then, for our labor. As every year passes, they take away more and more of our rights. There's a reason the Uprising happened, but there's also a reason no one's instigated one since. We don't have the resources to fight them."

"This time is different. We don't have a choice. They're moving from oversight to outright ownership. Vym believes Myr is making a move to seize control of all the fringe stations."

The runner chortled. "That's impossible. The CUF would never let that happen."

"The CUF is splitting apart from the inside. Most warships and military units are now either all-Alluvian or all-Myrad. We're on the road to another war between Alluvia and Myr. Only this time around, there are colonies in the mix. Imagine what would happen if Myr managed to gain control of all the fringe stations."

"They'd have control over all space ports in the fringe," Reyne said.

"Meaning..."

"Meaning they would own anything going to or coming from a fringe planet," Reyne finished.

Critch nodded. "If they take control of our space docks, the colonists are out of this fight before we even have a chance to throw a punch."

"Myr may be powerful, but you're talking about fringe stations. These are large cities. Myr would have a rebellion on their hands at the first station they made a play for."

"Not if all the colonists there are already dead."

Reyne sobered. "They'd never go that far."

"You underestimate the situation. If Myr and Alluvia start a war, we all know where the battlefields will be."

After a pause, Reyne spoke. "On the colonies."

Critch nodded.

Reyne eyed Critch a long moment before he frowned. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because Vym wants you to join the cause."

"What?" He almost choked on the word.

"That was my first reaction, too," Critch said drily. "Somehow, you've conned her into trusting you. That don't mean shit to me, but she made a valid argument. Out of every runner in the fringe, you are the only captain who could go anywhere, anytime, without suspicion. You can run all four fringe stations and the Coast, and the CUF would never bat an eye. All my crews are on watch lists, but no one would ever suspect the traitor of Terra to have any involvement in a new Uprising."