Haunted Visions
"I have some more bad news," Demes said as they neared Playa's orbit.
"Do you ever have good news?" Reyne asked.
"Plenty of times. Just not when it comes to you."
Reyne sighed. "What have you got?"
"The message never got through to Vym. The CUF's quarantined Ice Port. Oh hey, I do have some good news."
"And that would be?"
"No CUF ships are in orbit. Looks like a patroller dropped off a drone blockade and left. But, there are dozens of the little buggers out there."
"You call that good news?"
Demes shrugged. "Drones are easy to sneak by. They sense power readings. All we have to do is power down everything and sail right on by them."
"One problem with that," Reyne said. "We still have a tracker transmitting outside the ship. Even if we powered down, it will still transmit. If the drones pick up that reading, they'll turn their EMP blasters on us."
"Uh oh," Demes said, no longer paying any attention to either Reyne or Throttle. "We've got bigger problems than the drones. A warship is dropping out of jump speed. They're flagging us now."
"Ignore them," Reyne said. "Wait, which ship is it?"
"It's the Trinity. The CUF's very finest."
"Definitely ignore them."
"Like there's a CUF warship you'd want to talk to?" Demes asked.
Reyne scrambled to pull up the ship's location on his panel. "Throttle, how much juice do we have?"
"Not enough to enter jump speed again."
"I was afraid of that. Looks like we're heading down to the surface. Throttle, keep jump shields up and take us down the approach path as fast as you can."
"Are you crazy? The drones will blast us with EMPs," Demes said. "We'll be dead in the water if we try to fly past them with power."
"I have a hunch they won't," Reyne said. "Throttle, remember flying down Tulan Canyon?"
"Sure, why?"
"I need you to bring us right over the space dock and then keep us low as you take us down the canyon. We need the Trinity to think we've docked at Ice Port."
Throttle snapped around. "The canyon? I—yeah, I can do that, but the Gryphon is a spaceship, not an airplane. She'll fly like a rock once we hit the atmo."
"I know. You won't have to fly in the atmo for long. I'm entering the canyon landing coordinates now."
Her eyes grew even wider. "We can't land in the canyon. We need a long runway or at least landing grapples. We'll crash."
"Just focus on getting us to the canyon," Reyne said. "I'll guide you from there."
"I'm with Throttle," Demes said. "If we don't die in a fiery crash at the space docks—which in all likelihood is going to happen—without a launch pad to help us break gravity, the Gryphon is just big hunk of metal sitting on the surface of a shithole planet that I'd prefer not to live out my days on."
"Hey, Playa is my home," Reyne countered.
"We're coming up on the drones now," Throttle interrupted.
"The Trinity is arming her photon guns," Demes said.
Reyne watched as they cut in between a wide blanket of drones. The drones transmitted instructions—his instrument panel was aglow with warnings, but no EMPs came—and Throttle continued forward.
The Trinity fired a warning shot across the Gryphon's bow.
"Shit!" Throttle snapped around to see the blast.
"Keep going," Reyne said.
"They're going to kill us," Demes said. "We should use the phase cannon to—"
"Don't you touch that cannon." Reyne wagged a finger at Demes. "What is it with everyone and the cannon?"
A second shot fired, this one even closer, and Reyne found himself gripping the panel. "Just keep going, Throttle."
Once they made it past the drones, they broke through the atmosphere. If the Trinity fired now, it risked hitting the surface, though Reyne wasn't convinced the CUF would care. It wasn't until they'd traveled a few more seconds that he allowed himself to relax.
Throttle let out a breath. "We did it."
"I can't believe we're still alive," Demes said. "You, Reyne, are the craziest man I've ever met. We just flew right through a drone blockade like a Sunday walk."
Reyne grimaced. "The drones are here to prevent anyone from leaving Ice Port. They aren't stopping anyone from landing."
"How'd you know that?" Throttle asked.
"Just a hunch. And I'm guessing we do not want to be in Ice Port right now."
"You ignored the Trinity," Demes said and used his hands for embellishment. "The Trinity. You do realize that we're all dead men, don't you? They'll never let us get by with this."
"Speak for yourself, pirate," Throttle said, before adding, "We're running out of time to land at the docks."
Reyne looked at her. "You learned to fly in Playa's atmo. You can do this." He grabbed the comm and broadcast to the ship. "Hold on tight. We're on approach for landing."
He turned back to Throttle. "Remember, make it close," Reyne said. "Don't break from approach until you get below the cloud cover. The drones are jamming all communications, but their onboard cameras will be running. We need the drones to record us on final approach so that the Trinity thinks we're at Ice Port along with whomever else they're after. We don't want them to send down chasers."
"We're breaking through the clouds now," Throttle said as the Gryphon entered Playa's low, heavy cloud layer. The ship rocked and bucked as Throttle fought the winds.
They popped below the clouds. The space dock was directly below and coming fast. He held on and grunted as Throttle banked the ship in a high-g turn to glide near-parallel to the surface below. They flew over the fringe station, kicking up snow and flying too fast to make out any distinct features.
"Remember the old cave I never let you check out in the hovercraft?" Reyne asked.
"Yeah."
"Now's your chance."
"This isn't a hovercraft," she countered.
Reyne continued. "As soon as that cave comes into view, line up for landing. Be sure to touch down just beyond the entrance. You'll have only ten thousand feet of runway ahead of you. You'll need to have the Gryphon slowed down enough for a short landing."
She sucked in a breath. "The winds aren't going to be any help today."
"You can do this landing in your sleep," he added and meant every word.
She chortled.
He kept analyzing their speed and rate of descent. As soon as they were within one hundred kilometers of the Tulan Canyon, he brought down the landing gear. "Slow down. We're coming in too fast. I'll drop the flaps."
"Not quite yet," she said. "We'll need the speed once we hit the canyon."
As soon as they reached the valley, Reyne pointed at the black dot in the distance. "There's the cave."
"It's a lot smaller than I remembered," she said. "Okay, drop the flaps now."
He hit the switch, and the ship lurched at the sudden loss of speed.
Throttle talked through her landing checklist. When she'd finished, she blew out a breath. "Here we go."
Right before they reached the cave entrance, Throttle slipped the ship to bleed speed. She straightened the ship out just as it crossed into the darkness. The ship's landing lights were all that lit up the cave, revealing a runway.
She settled the ship down onto its landing gear, which made a metallic cry as the rilon skids came into contact with the surface. The air brakes sounded, and Reyne found himself nearly thrown from his seat as the ship abruptly slowed, coming to a stop three-quarters down the underground runway.
Throttle lifted her hands from the panel as though the controls burned her. "I can't believe I just did that."
"I can't believe it, either," Demes concurred.
Reyne grinned. "I knew you could do it."
Throttle spun to face Reyne. "Why didn't you tell me about this place?"
"Because this is one of those places that law-abiding folks are better off not knowing about," Demes answered for Reyne. "Strange. I had no idea Playa had a smugglers' dock."
"It wasn't built for smugglers," Reyne corrected. "It was the first torrent base ever built, and, to the best of my knowledge, the last remaining one. That is, assuming the space dock is still operational."
"I'm surprised Critch never flew the Honorless into here."
"This base was built before he joined the torrents, when the Uprising was just the Playans against the Collective."
Reyne grabbed the comm and broadcast to the ship. "This is your captain speaking. Welcome to Playa. The home of weak gravity, cold temperatures, and strong winds that take pleasure in sucking you into the abyss if you're not careful. I need you to stay on the ship until we work out the local situation."
Reyne turned to Demes. "Head down to electrical and grab Boden. He'll help you bundle up for Playa's temperatures. I need you two outside to get that damn tracker off this ship and thoroughly destroyed."
"Sure thing, cap." Demes stood with a look of utter distaste before trudging off the bridge.
"Why is he being helpful?" Throttle asked. "Demes, I mean."
Reyne's jaw tightened. "My guess is Critch is paying him quite well to cozy up and learn everything he can about us to relay back."
"We should leave him here."
"His tech skills might come in handy. Still, you'd best keep an eye on him."
"That is something I can do," she said, sounding enthused at the idea. "So, what do we do now?"
"We wait," Reyne said. "Once the CUF finishes searching Ice Port for whomever they're looking for, they'll leave. The Trinity isn't going to waste time around Playa too long." I hope.
"Think they're here for us?" she asked.
He shook his head. "I don't see the CUF blockading an entire fringe station for a single runner. There's something bigger going on, and I need to find out what it is."
He opened up the frequencies, but all he heard was dead silence.
"Uh oh," Throttle said. "We've got incoming."
Reyne looked out the view screen to see a hovercraft landing not far from them. When it stopped under the Gryphon's landing lights, Reyne could make out the ship.
He grabbed his comm. "Sixx, I need you with me on the surface now. We've got company."
"Friend or foe?"
"Sometimes I wonder."
"Who is it out there?"
"Vym."
*
A few minutes later, Reyne and Sixx were bundled up in thick coats, wearing gravity belts and an arsenal of guns and knives. As they climbed down from the ship, the newcomers stepped out. It was impossible to make out which one was Vym due to the thick insulation covering them from head to toe, but Reyne guessed she was the shortest of the group.
Sure enough, the most petite member stepped forward and motioned to the base's entrance.
He grabbed the handle and pushed. Ice cracked and fell off as the door opened. He and Sixx stepped inside. Sixx spun to keep an eye on the others, while Reyne searched for a light switch. Vym found the switch first, and greenish hue filled the base's control room. Heat leached down from the radiant heaters in the ceilings and began to thaw the frozen room.
Vym flung off her hood, revealing a glowering woman. "Aramis Reyne, what the hell are you doing on Playa?"
"I missed the weather."
"You shouldn't have come here. Playa is not safe. The CUF has decided I am the leader of some imaginary bioterrorist organization that seems to include everyone from Ice Port."
"Listen, I didn't exactly have many options. Every runner is on their watch list, and the CUF are attacking anyone who tries to flee to the Coast."
She sighed. "Well, you were smart to dock here instead of at Ice Port—assuming they didn't see your Ice Port flyover act."
"They didn't," Reyne said, confident.
"You'll be safe here, and the launch pad is fully operational so you can get back into the air after you wait out this mess. Just be careful to not be seen and don't head into Ice Port. If they're after me, they'll come after anyone and everyone who's ever worked for me. In fact, I'm surprised they haven't dispatched chasers to the surface already."
Reyne watched her. "Why'd they single out you, Vym?"
Her lips thinned. "It seems I've pissed off the wrong people one too many times."
He sighed. "Why is it that when it comes to you, all I get is headaches and problems? First the package, then the guns, then the tracker. What next?"
She seemed taken aback by his words. "You know I would have absolutely nothing to do with that horrible blight. As for the guns, I want all torrent ships weaponized. We need to be ready for the Uprising. I would've told you, but I wanted you to meet with Critch first."
"You should've told me. And the tracker?"
She shrugged, her brows raised. "That wasn't my doing. I think you need to ask a particular CUF commandant about that."
Reyne watched her for a moment before accepting her response. "Tell me, what's your part in all this?"
"My part?" Her normally direct gaze skipped to the wall. "I'm simply the stationmaster of Ice Port, the fringe station that has always been the bane of the Collective."
"I'm not talking about that job."
She pursed her lips. "Everything I do—everything I've ever done—is to unite the worlds of the Collective, with colonists treated equally along with citizens. I've been forced to make compromises in the past, but I've taken a stand. I give you my word, my heart beats only for the Uprising. And there are those who will go after me because of that."
A quake rattled the control room, soon following by the sound of thunder.
Everyone shot furtive glances around.
"I didn't know Playa had quakes," Sixx said.
"It doesn't," Reyne replied, his heart freezing within his chest. "That's the sound of a phase cannon."
"That doesn't make sense." Vym frowned. "The Arcadia would never fire upon Ice Port."
"The Arcadia's not out there," Reyne said. "It's the Trinity."
Her eyes grew wide as she gasped. "It's not her." She threw on her hood. "That changes everything."
"Wait," Reyne called out. "We can form an offensive and buy time for Playans to escape. How many ships with phase cannons do you have at Ice Port?"
She lowered her head. "Counting the Gryphon? One. I sent them all to the Coast, along with nearly all my torrents, as soon as I learned of the attack at Sol Base."
"Shit," Reyne muttered as he racked his brain for ideas.
"However, I have a very large phase cannon set up within the station," she added. "And, I have no problem firing upon a warship to protect my people if it comes to that." She held up a finger. "Give me your word that you will not head out there and take on the Trinity. One small gunship will make no difference in whatever outcome Ausyar has planned for today."
Reyne watched her, his chest pounding.
"I need you to promise me," she said. "The Uprising needs you. Critch needs you, whether he'll admit to it or not. Don't throw away your life and the lives of your crew today. You know there's nothing that can be done against a warship."
After taking another breath, he spoke quietly. "You have my word."
"Thank you." She gave a tight nod. "I need to hurry. Ausyar has made his next move, and it's to take me out of the fight. Let us pray my surrender will be enough to appease his plans. I fear it may be the only way to save Ice Port." She rushed to the door, then stopped and turned to Reyne. "I need you to do one more thing for me."
"Name it."
She pulled out a small tablet and began typing. "With the jammers, I can't get a message out. I asked you to meet with Critch. Now, I must ask you to meet with Commandant Heid from the Arcadia. Give this device to her when you meet with her. It has to be handed directly to her, not to her officers. It's proof that I trust you, and that she can trust you. You and Critch will need her help in the Uprising."
Reyne laughed. "You want me to work with the CUF?"
"I have no time to argue. Our people are being slaughtered out there!" She forced him to take the tablet. "Without support from the Alluvians, the Uprising will fail." She turned and ran from Reyne, her posse trailing her.
Reyne and Sixx stood there in startled silence.
After a long moment of silence, Sixx asked, "What just happened?"
Reyne gave a long, slow shake of his head. "I think my home is being attacked and there's not a viggin' thing I can do about it."