Dragon Pearl(54)

I had no idea how to pilot a shuttle. Figuring it out on the fly, while being on the run from a battle cruiser, didn’t strike me as a great move. No, but there was another solution for getting off the ship, if my Charm didn’t let me down. . . .

As far as the Pale Lightning was concerned, I had learned enough about the ship’s meridians to do a little sabotage. Thinking about that made my stomach clench. If I caused even minor damage to the ship as it journeyed through space, I’d put the engineers at risk of injury. I remembered Sujin’s burn and grimaced.

If I tampered with the Pale Lightning’s systems while it was docked, however, people wouldn’t get hurt. (At least I hoped not.) And it would serve as a distraction while I deserted.

Deserted. I rolled over on my side and shivered, staring into the darkness. I wasn’t even a real cadet, and here I was, feeling regretful. Despite all the toilet scrubbing, I’d come to enjoy life in the Space Forces. I had finally gotten used to all the rules and regulations, I’d performed well in the training, and I’d made two good friends.

But none of that mattered. I had come to find my brother, and I hadn’t completed that mission yet.

It wouldn’t take long for people on the ship to notice that Jang was gone. There was no way I could Charm the entire crew into believing he was taking care of important business elsewhere or he had never existed at all. After he was missing for a while, Jang’s comrades would conclude that he’d taken the coward’s way out and left.

I didn’t like smearing Jang’s character this way. I’d seen how my brother’s reputation had suffered after he’d allegedly deserted. But what other choice did I have?

Haneul and Sujin would especially worry about Jang’s disappearance. I couldn’t reassure them in advance, though. Not without revealing what I’d learned about Captain Hwan’s secret mission and, more importantly, risking execution for posing as a cadet.

I could get Jang’s permission beforehand. It might assuage my guilt a little.

“Jang,” I whispered, “are you there?”

Cold air swirled next to my ear.

“I’m going to have to leave this ship in order to get our answers.”

The silence was heavy, expectant.

“I can only do it with the help of the mercenaries down in the brig,” I said. Then I added coaxingly, “I could get more information for you in the process.”

I took it as a good sign that Jang hadn’t stirred up more wind or frozen my fingers off.

“Once we dock at Abalone Spire, will you help me spring them and escape?” I finished.

His voice hissed in my ear. “Yesss,” he said. “Maybe this time I’ll finally get some satisfaction.”

I sighed. Would he ever be satisfied? But I knew I shouldn’t complain, because he was handy to have around. Hopefully he would be even more so in a couple days’ time.





Two nights later, I rose at three a.m., when my bunkmates were still sound asleep. For a moment I listened wistfully to Haneul’s loud snoring, and the softer breathing of Sujin and the others. I might never see any of them again. But I couldn’t delay any longer.

Given the subtle, self-serving consideration with which the interrogator had treated the captives, I doubted she’d be getting them up in the middle of the ship’s night for questioning. All I’d need to do was get past any guards and try to bargain with the mercenaries myself. While I didn’t like the thought of working with pirates, I didn’t have many options if I wanted to get off the Pale Lightning.

First things first. I retrieved a blaster from one of the weapons lockers, along with some extra power packs. I imagined I’d have plenty of use for the blaster in the days to come. It took me a few moments to buckle the holster onto my belt, mainly because my hands shook with nerves.

I headed to Deck 3 with its damaged meridian as Jang kept a lookout. He tickled me with cold air whenever he spotted someone. I held my breath as I approached the restricted area, slowing down so I wouldn’t fall on my face again. I had wondered if bad luck might also make my timing wrong, but no one else was in the passageway. There was less nighttime activity when the ship was docked.

As I expected based on my previous visit, two guards were stationed at the site. This time they were standing together—probably to keep each other awake—back-to-back and facing opposite directions. I had my ruse prepared. I took a deep breath, then nudged them with Charm to convince them my presence was nothing out of the ordinary. I pretended to be distraught and kept glancing over my shoulder.

“What’s the matter, Cadet?” one of the guards asked.

I drew harder on Charm to increase their anxiety. “I saw someone acting strangely down the corridor. One of the privates—a short woman. She had some power tools. I was afraid to stop her because she looked dangerous. Please, you’ve got to go after her. . . .”

If the guards hadn’t been under the influence of magic, they would have called in the incident instead of looking at each other and then breaking into a run. Their footsteps sounded unnaturally loud as they dashed off, and I couldn’t help wincing at the racket. Still, I had bought myself a little time while they pursued a false lead.

Time for some real sabotage. My stomach ached as I ducked under the tape and tried to sense the damage to the invisible meridian. It looked like the recent battle hadn’t done this area any favors. The floor tiles had warped further. Some wiring spilled out from a panel in the wall. It was black with corrosion, making it resemble the tormented branches of a diseased shrub.