Page 61 of The Last Hunt
Some time later, Aethon wakes to TAI calling Maeve’s name.
“Maevey?”
Aethon feels the bed move and opens his eyes to Maeve jolting upright.
“Did you hear something?” she says, her voice scratchy. She raises her right hand and Aethon sees she’s clutching a pulse gun. He sits up and scans the room, but sees nothing out of the ordinary.
“Maevey-pie!” TAI says. Aethon feels Maeve relax next to him. He strokes a hand across her shoulders and she puts the pulse gun down on her bedside table. “Sorry to wake you,” TAI says. “But we’re getting a call from a secure channel. I think it might be that Bell Sylar woman!”
At the name of the CHASA contact, they spring from the bed and quickly get to the front of the Archer.
The call is pulsing on the viewscreen. It’s from a blocked number, and there’s a white box at the bottom of the screen proclaiming: ENCRYPTED CHANNEL.
“Let’s do this,” Aethon says. Neither of them even mention changing their clothes - there’s no time. Maeve just shoves her hair back and into a messy bun before she sits down in the captain’s chair. Aethon scrubs a hand over his face and pushes his hair back over his head before standing next to her. She nods at him and instructs the AIs to be silent before tapping a button to pick up the call.
Bell Sylar’s face pops up on the screen. Her hair is a little longer than her picture, the perfect white blonde curls framing her face. She wears a white sweater and has pearl earrings that are perched on her ears like tiny bird eggs. She sits in a chair in front of a completely non-descript tan wall. Her blue eyes are kind, but she narrows her gaze as she looks at Maeve.
“Did you hear about the resurgence of starlings back on Earth?” Sylar asks.
Her question makes Aethon blink and rub a hand over his head. Starlings? Had he heard her right? Maeve opens her mouth, pauses, and glances briefly over at Aethon.
“No -” she starts.
Realization snaps into place and Aethon interrupts. “I heard the population has doubled since last winter.”
Sylar nods and sits back in her chair. “I barely recognize you, young Trell. But your mind seems just as sharp as ever if you remember that old Freehail code.”
Aethon smiles and sighs in relief. “Took me a second - but then it hit me. Good to see you, Ms. Sylar.”
She waves a hand. “Just Sylar.” She tilts her head and nods at Maeve. “And who’s this?”
“Maeve Bladesbearer,” Maeve says, nodding at Sylar. “Thank you for calling us.”
Sylar inclines her head in greeting. “Bladesbearer.” The older woman leans back and her gaze flicks between Aethon and Maeve. “Two prominent members of the Guild of Two Roses - contacting me together?” She tilts her head to the side. “Must be something interesting going on.”
Maeve shoots Aethon a narrow look. He crosses his arms and gives Sylar his most charming grin. “I know your time is valuable, so I’ll cut right to it,” he says. “We need a favor, but first we need some information about Daik Montrose.”
Sylar doesn’t outwardly react aside from a small shrug. “Am I supposed to know every lowlife in the quadrant?”
Maeve tenses and leans forward but Aethon rests a hand on the armrest of her chair and she pauses. She bites her lip and glances over at him, her gaze already stormy. Aethon doesn’t want this conversation to get contentious. They need Sylar’s help.
“Sylar - I know you have your finger on the pulse of mining corps activity,” Aethon says. He winks at her and she waves him off with a snort.
“You know everything going on with the corps,” he says. “Especially when it comes to corps potentially receiving intel that might shake up the power balance of the system.” He shrugs and watches as Sylar continues to look at him with a faint smile.
“You seem to think quite highly of me,” Sylar says.
Aethon nods. “I do. I remember the help you gave us on Freehail all those years ago.”
Sylar leans forward and raises her brows. “Then you should remember that messing with powerful corps brings nothing but pain and death.”
Devan’s face flashes through Aethon’s mind and he swallows hard. His brother had been so young when Brimstone had him killed. For a long time, Aethon had wanted revenge on Brimstone. Part of him still does, but he also doesn’t want to get on the corps’ shit list. Still, he needs this bounty. And Maeve needs it too.
Aethon nods to Sylar. “I know how dangerous the corps are - you don’t need to remind me. But Maeve and I need information about Daik Montrose.”
“I can’t help you,” Sylar says, her gaze turning steely.
Sudden unease begins to filter through Aethon’s body. Had he and Maeve made a mistake in their presumption that Daik Montrose is bringing stolen information from Brimstone to Dreadnought? It makes sense, but they haven’t been able to confirm their suspicions yet. If they’re wrong, Sylar really won’t be of any help.