Chapter 146: [ Book 2 ] Chapter 6: Trouble

Dash stepped out of the maintenance access hatch wearing a bright-colored safety vest and hard hat. The growing crowd around the lounge saw what they thought was a surly maintenance supervisor emerging from the station’s innards and cleared the way. He didn’t have to act annoyed; the tight-fitting helmet pinching his forehead provided the inspiration. He adjusted the hard hat, hoping for relief, as four other techs followed behind him.

He led his small team up the corridor in the opposite direction of the lounge. More of the crowd began to join in on the chanting, or shout obscenities about the Theocracy.

A palpable energy of anger and rebellion filled the corridor. The mass of bodies compressing into the artificial space amplified the effect like an ancient combustion engine filling with fuel and air. Distracted by the combination of a protest of the Theocracy and a rally for Sisters Celescia, no one took notice of the everyday sight of a maintenance team slinking off to their next tedious task.

One of the techs came to Dash’s side. Her white hazardous material utility hung loose on her frame, her face resembling a filtration mask.

“Your plan worked. Good idea, Captain,” Celescia said from beneath her disguise.

“Don’t thank me yet,” he replied, peering around at the increasingly agitated crowd. He shared his location beacon with Gaius and Wesley as he navigated through the mass of bodies. His crew answered a moment later; they had exited the club and would follow behind. He could only hope his snarky pilot kept his mouth shut to avoid starting an incident.

Ahead, a small procession of Pree emerged from the erratic foot traffic like a military troop on parade. They marched in a two-body-wide formation directly at Dash and his party. On their chests were holo-flyers displaying a colorful graphic of a globe with a hand reaching to the stars above. Their PD interfaces curved over their faces, offering degrees of identity protection.

It took Dash a moment to recall seeing the image on news feeds. It was the symbol of Acculturation, the opposition movement to the Theocracy, the supreme leadership of the Pree.

Arms interlocked, the procession chanted slogans for cultural tolerance.

“Trouble ahead,” Trystais said from behind.

“I see it,” Dash answered, searching for a gap in the crowd to bypass the group.

The entire corridor had grown congested now. The mass of supporters and casual observers who wanted to see what all the fuss was about had created a traffic jam.

“Coming through,” Dash said with the brusque enthusiasm of a seasoned supervisor. Some people responded while others either didn’t care or understand the concept of moving aside for station personnel.

Dash stepped around a Manore—earning a scowl from the towering Humanoid—and almost walked into a bot cart. He swerved in the other direction and found himself staring into the eyes of the pair leading the parade.

Their gaze shifted to Celescia.

Dash struggled to keep a grimace off his face. He’d seen enough to know that her supporters would mob them if they discovered Sisters Celescia standing out in the open. He feared the already-hyped up bodyguard could overreact further. Even though the mob was there support of the troupe and Acculturation, there was no telling what chaos sudden violence could cause. It was a recipe for a disaster.

One that he somehow found himself in the middle of.

He made a mental note to himself to not play the fucking hero next time and leave the club.

Remembering his disguise, Dash forced his expression into the perpetually-annoyed glower of a crusty supervisor. It seemed to have an effect. The pair leading the protest procession glanced back at him, hesitation masking their faces. They veered off their collision course enough to pass by a meter to the side of Dash.

Still, as they neared, the closet leader decided to test his boundaries.

“Are you with us, Human? Do you support Acculturation’s campaign of freedom from the tyranny of the Theocracy?” he shouted at Dash and the techs walking with him.

Dash froze. Every member of the procession appeared to be staring at him.

“Friends, we are with you!” Celescia said beside him. Her voice sounded deeper than normal. Dash wasn’t sure if it was the mask or her own efforts at deceit, but no one in the procession acted as if they recognized her.

“Join us after your shift to celebrate our movement! Our collective voices will be heard!” the leader said as the column continued their march toward the lounge.

Dash let out a tightly-held breath and kept navigating through the thinning crowd.

“You really rile the people up, don’t you?” he said to Celescia.

“All I did was speak the truth which lurks in the hearts of most Pree,” Celescia answered.

They passed through a wide pressure door spanning the corridor, signaling the end of the one-hundred-meter block. Ahead, Dash spotted a small group of security officers approaching and swore under his breath. They might question unfamiliar faces of station personnel.

He scanned the corridor for a way out. Spotting an open door, he veered toward it.

Dash pivoted so his back was towards the approaching officers. “Everybody inside, now,” he barked. His posture allowed him to screen the four tech as they entered. Sensing the security officers closing in, he shook his head at imagined disgust and stepped in after his fake maintenance team.

---

Dash stepped in last. The empty conference room had a rectangular table in the middle surrounded by eight chairs.

“Step aside. I need to ensure we weren’t followed,” Trystais said, pushing past Dash.

“You’re welcome,” Dash said, and let the bodyguard pass.

Dash closed the door, then stepped beside Trystais at the wall-spanning privacy window. The foot traffic was of normal cadence. Sanctum security would’ve started to address the chaos by then, and other civilians could bypass the jam by taking alternate corridors. Most of those who did pass by continued to head in the direction of the lounge. No one lingered or took an active interest in the maintenance team.

It appeared their escape had been a success.

He turned to face the troupe. His eyes met with Celescia’s as she removed her borrowed safety vest. At such close proximity, he could see the lack of physical contours in the filtration mask because it wasn’t the real thing. The details of the illusion began to fade seamlessly, replaced with an almost translucent glass-like look of an artistic interface. The blue shade of the skin beneath appeared, hints of eyes, lips, and olfactory slits. But the fine details were distorted for identity protection. Very few knew her actual face.

He glanced down lower as the illusion continued to dissolve; her clothing shifting and tightening from the faux display of technician’s garb to stylish but muted casual wear. It was fascinating and disconcerting all at once, like she were some shapeshifting creature.

Her companions stepped beside Celescia, undergoing a similar transformation.

“We thank you for your help, Captain. It was very kind of you,” Ruki said as their garments resolved to resemble Celescia’s.

But the words were lost on Dash, his attention drawn to the far wall of the conference room. The mounted displays flashed a breaking news banner flashing along the bottom. A vid of Sisters Celescia performing at the lounge appeared. Several patrons of various races mobbed a drone outside the club, praising the performance and criticizing the lounge for shutting it down.

“That was fast,” Dash said.

“What else did you expect from me?” a voice said from behind.

Dash turned to see Gaius and Wesley step into the conference room. The bodyguard drew his weapon and aimed it at them.

“They’re with me!” Dash said in a hushed voice.

“That doesn’t change anything since I don’t trust you either,” the bodyguard replied, still not lowering his gun.

“Put that away before someone sees you,” Celescia said. Though her normal voice was infused with lyrical warmth, her words held an added air of authority.

Trystais hesitated but then slowly reholstered his pistol.

Wesley and Gaius closed the door and moved into the room.

“Nice to meet you too,” Gaius grumbled as he came beside Dash.

“I’m a medtech. Does anyone need attention?” Wesley announced.

“No,” Yanna said curtly. Ruki appeared to smother a wry grin between her lips, her gaze lingering on the medtech.

The watchful bodyguard said to Celescia, “We need to get moving.”

“Not yet. We don’t know the location,” she replied. She noticed her companions confused expressions and changed the subject. “We will rest here for a few minutes to let the crowd disperse. Then we’ll all be on our way.”

“Agreed,” Dash said. He waved his hand over the panel near the door, reserving it for the next fifteen minutes, then returned his attention to the corridor. “I hope you don’t plan on any more performances here after what happened."

“No, it was only that show. We will depart before the next shift change.”

Wesley approached Sister Celescia and bowed his head. “Sister, since we have a few minutes to spare, I would like to praise you for your activism. The plight of the Pree has only recently come to my attention, but I admire your efforts to stand for the individual rights of your people.”

Celescia smiled at him. “Thank you…”

“Wesley. My name is Wesley.”

“…Wesley, that’s very kind of you.”

Dash said, “He told me in the lounge that you were famous. Wasn’t sure I believed it, but I see it now. Makes sense why everyone went stir-crazy over your speech.”

Celescia’s expression shifted beneath the mask. Yanna beamed her fury with a fiery gaze.

“My words were not the rant of a narcissistic entertainer seeking fame and wealth,” Celescia said, ice in her voice. “We fight for a just cause with monumental consequences. The future of our people.”

For a moment, Dash thought he’d bruised a sensitive ego. But then he registered the conviction in her voice and her distorted expression, even through the mask.

“This isn’t your first time getting thrown out of a venue, is it?”

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“I’m afraid not. Since we’ve spoken out against the Theocracy, we’ve gained many supporters and as many detractors. You saw one of those rush the stage tonight.”

“This goes far beyond one individual rushing the stage,” Yanna said. “We’ve been attacked in the media, labeled as fools, provocateurs, and traitors. We’ve had financial assets seized, been threatened with arrest and death. At this rate, it’s only a matter of time before the Theocracy declares us as official criminal dissenters and places a bounty on our head.”

“We have been blessed by the Spirits with talent, health, and fortuitous circumstance. We chose to leverage these blessings to serve a greater purpose. It is our greatest challenge, but also the most rewarding. We won’t give up, especially now that the end is in sight,” Ruki said.

“The charter vote,” Wesley said. The troupe nodded.

“Ratifying the charter will bring needed oversight to the Theocracy, limiting their absolute power. As they are diminished, the people grow stronger,” Celescia said.

Dash peered at her. He noticed then a subtle weariness, the aura of a tremendous burden weighing down even her polished performer’s facade. “I thought captaining a ship was hard. I can’t imagine dealing with all that,” he said, trying to throw some empathy her way.

“Uh, Cap? Maybe you better ask our new friends here for some pointers,” Gaius said. The tone of his voice filled Dash with dread.

He followed the pilot’s gaze to the conference room display and felt his stomach drop at what he saw.

The news feed showed a low-angle POV vid. A lone figure was draped in smoke and darkness. A performer atop an elevated stage. Another figure slipped around her in a flash. The POV shifted, catching the figure intercepting a malevolent form. The would-be attacker flew off the stage, swallowed by darkness, as the performer flailed her arms, teetering on the brink. The mystery savior pivoted to her, swept her back, and twirled her to his front as they dipped low over the stage.

The haze swallowed them both as the POV shook. It was replaced with a still image showing the familiar profile of the savior and the performer.

He was staring at a vid of himself rescuing Celescia.

A clip that was currently beaming across the system at the speed of light, to be seen by billions of Pree embroiled in a contentious political battle for the future of their race. Not to mention the hundreds of thousands of non-Pree haulers, contractors, scientists, admins, and Commonwealth liaisons. None of which considered that once it reached the channel boosters, the clip would broadcast across the entire known galaxy.

Only one thing popped into Dash’s mind at the moment.

Fuck.

“Refrain from speaking of fornication in front of Sisters Celescia,” Trystais said.

Only then did Dash realize he’d spoken out loud.

He glanced between each person in the conference room. Varied expressions greeted him. Ruki bubbled with appreciation as if she might rush over to hug him. Yanna seemed to have her perpetual glower. Trystais still held that distrustful stare, though it might’ve been tinged with jealousy at that moment. Dash had saved his protectee, after all.

Wesley beamed with pride and genuine admiration. Dash’s punk ass pilot smirked devilishly at the loads of smack-talk ammunition he’d just been able to stockpile against his captain.

Dash found Celescia last. She stared back with a neutral expression.

“Uh, sorry,” he said. Somehow, his embarrassment grew stronger.

“Those were legit dance moves, Cap. I didn’t know you had it in you,” Gaius said.

Dash opened his mouth to respond but then realized his pilot was being serious. Complimentary, even.

“Your pilot is right, Captain,” Solari said. “It was a bit rusty, but have you had formal training?”

“Yes. I … uh … had some back in the day."

“I cannot believe what I’m hearing,” Gaius said. “This is amazing. Why are we only finding out about this now?”

“Does this seem like something I’d voluntarily tell you?”

“There’s nothing to be embarrassed about,” Ruki said.

“I’m not embarrassed,” Dash lied. Judging by the expressions around him, he failed at convincing any of them.

“This is going to cause an uproar,” Yanna said.

Dash peered at the testy singer. “What’s the big deal? I thought Acculturation was all about openness and integration with other species?”

“It is, but it’s more complicated than that,” Celescia said. “We must be delicate in our messaging. Pree society is shifting, but still very conservative overall. The Preservationists will find some way to twist this to a perverse context."

“You could’ve fooled me with some of those lyrics and suggestive moves.”

“I know it will be a net positive. It was a real moment of compassion,” Ruki said.

“I didn’t mean to cause such a problem,” Dash said.

“There’s nothing to apologize for. Your actions were warranted and you saved Celescia from harm,” Ruki said. Trystais’s face tensed. He was clearly still raw about his failure.

“What about me? Do I need to go off the grid for a while?”

“Judging from the vid we’ve seen, there’s no need to fear your identity bing discovered. We can barely make out that you’re Human.”

Outside the window, a security bot and two officers walked in the direction of the lounge. They politely but firmly urged the crowd to disperse enough for traffic to resume.

“The crowd’s thinned out. Now’s our chance,” Trystais announced.

The troupe nodded at him, then faced their Dash and his crew.

Dash found himself staring into Celescia’s eyes once more.

“Captain, this is where we say goodbye,” she said. “May the Spirits guide you in your travels.”

Dash nodded, then cleared his throat. He thought of many things to say but found himself questioning each one. “Same to you.”

Celescia offered a polite smile and stepped behind Trystais by the door.

Yanna eyed the Stardancer crew and then followed Celescia without another word. Ruki offered a blessing then turned her attention to Wesley.

“It was so nice to meet you,” she said.

“And you as well,” Wesley said, and bowed.

Ruki made a noise that sounded like a giggle and joined her group by the door. Trystais opened the door and took the lead, having said nothing to the crew which saved his ass back in the lounge. The singers followed him and they all disappeared from sight.

Dash stepped to the window, watching them go.

“That was quite the little adventure,” Wesley said.

“Too bad it didn’t earn us any cred,” Gaius said.

“Not everything is about getting paid.”

Dash tried to clear his thoughts of the incident but knew it would take time. The rush from the lounge misadventure couldn’t be switched off like a light above his bunk. Once he wound down, he'd get to work on their next move.

Across the corridor, his eyes were drawn to an older Pree walking away from the direction of the lounge. He wore casual business attire and carried a few pieces of luggage. There was nothing out of the ordinary about his appearance or behavior, but for whatever reason, Dash kept his eyes on the Pree.

Without warning, the Pree stepped to the side of the corridor just beyond a water dispenser station. He peered out from his bit of cover, surveying the corridor behind him. Subtle angst was evident in his expression. He reminded Dash of an animal hiding from a predator.

Several civilians passed in either direction. A form slid into Dash’s periphery, a serious-looking Human who was right outside the conference room. His brow lowered, and he had that unfocused gaze of someone interacting with their interface.

The man pivoted to face the meeting room and pulled out a datapad. He stopped close to the one-way glass of the expansive window. Standing less than a meter away, Dash watched the man scroll through his datapad as if he were checking a cargo manifest.

Behind him, across the corridor, the old Pree continued to scan the crowd. After another few heartbeats, he stepped away from the wall and continued on his original heading at a brisk pace.

The datapad man still had his back to the Pree, but his eyes kept lifting to stare into the glass. For a moment, Dash thought the man was looking directly at him, but then he remembered the glass was opaque from the outside. The man wasn’t trying to look into the room. He was watching the Pree in the reflection of the glass.

Dash recalled Celescia’s comment about needing a location. He thought of the old Pree and the shady Human tailing him.

If Dash hadn’t learned to trust his gut, he would’ve been a dead man long ago. Conceding to his intuition, he said to his crew, “You two head back to the ship and prep for immediate departure.”

“I know that look,” Gaius said. “What’s going on?”

“Trouble,” Dash answered over the knot of dread in his gut.

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