Page 73 of The Last Hunt
“I’m in the digital docking queue, Maevey,” TAI says, her voice tight. “I’m trying - but we’re ninety-sixth in line - they’re examining our Two Roses credentials.”
“According to my research,” CAL says. “Lightways are always located at the top of starbases due to -”
“At the top?” Aethon interrupts, gesturing out the viewscreen. “So if Daik had to dock his ship near the bottom we could still get to him before he gets to the Lightway?”
“Definitely,” CAL replies. “There’s no fast way to get from the bottom of the starbase to the top - except for lifts exclusive to security. All starbase visitors are restricted to floor to floor lifts, or stairs.”
“I wouldn’t put it past Daik to sneak onto a security lift somehow,” Maeve growls. “Where are we in line now?”
“Still ninety-sixth, Maevey - they’re as slow as molasses.”
“Shit,” Aethon growls. He locks eyes with Maeve, his lips pressed together.
“Fuck it,” Maeve snaps. They can’t wait any longer. She grabs the joystick and accelerates into traffic, heading for the top of the silver starbase.
“Hell yeah!” Aethon says, sitting down hard in his chair as Maeve whips the Archer around a small, Ursa-class ship. Maeve feels her lips spread into a snarling kind of grin, adrenaline flooding her veins. There’s no real order to the chaos of the traffic this far from the starbase. Ships of all sizes are waiting for clearance to dock, or moving back and forth in computer generated holding patterns. Maeve weaves through the traffic and up over a huge Yacht-class ship, barely missing the decorative dorsal fin along the top. The ship’s captain sends them a swear-ridden hail that TAI quickly swipes off the viewscreen.
There are billboards hanging in space, advertising different services and stores onboard Scimitar Starbase. A huge blinking sign with an image of a grinning person with fangs and unnatural silvery blue eyes proclaims that Scimitar has a fully equipped mod-medical service. The words splashed across the top say - “Change your look, change your life!”
“Wow Maevey - that billboard organic is setting off my sexuality subroutines!” TAI chirps.
“You have weird taste in organics,” Maeve replies. Aethon lets out a bellow of a laugh and Maeve smiles, swerving underneath the billboard. The banter and laughter feels frenzied. They know that this is their last chance to catch Daik. Everything rides on this. Pressure to catch the smuggler compels her. If they don’t get this bounty, all of their work and sacrifice will have been for nothing. But if they do get the bounty - what happens then?
Every thought flies out of her head as Maeve banks hard to the right to avoid another Yacht-class ship decked out with blinking party lights. This is no different than piloting through the drones and ships around Tellamar, or through the Keidar Belt. Except this time, Maeve isn’t moving slowly, or very carefully. She jolts to the side as the Archer’s port wing clips a billboard advertising a clothing store. Aethon grips the dash and hauls himself back upright.
As they get closer to the starbase, the chaos of ships morphs into clogged lines waiting to dock.
“Anything from Scimitar yet?” Maeve asks. They’re zooming past a line of ships waiting to dock at one of the higher bays closer to the Lightway.
“We’ve moved up one space in line, Maevey,” TAI says. “I told them about Daik, but they don’t seem to care that they have a criminal on board!”
“Fuck,” Aethon snaps. “What are you going to do?” he asks, spinning toward her in his chair.
The starbase is approaching quickly, the structure taking up the entire viewscreen, but Maeve doesn’t let up on the Archer’s acceleration. Her gaze flicks across the line of ships waiting to dock. There’s a garishly decorated Yacht-class ship up next. It looks like the galaxy’s ugliest bumblebee, painted with gold and black stripes.
“How do you feel about pissing some people off?” Maeve asks, raising one brow.
“I’m obviously for it,” Aethon replies, his nose scrunching as he gives her that huge, charming grin. “Let’s go, Bladesy.”
Maeve laughs and accelerates the Archer even faster, the ships next to them nothing but silver and black blurs. Hails from Scimitar Starbase are popping up on the viewscreen now, blinking urgently, but she ignores them. She sees when the bright blue forcefield drops to let the bumblebee Yacht-class ship into the bay. When they’re almost level with the ship, Maeve decelerates hard and slips the Archer into the sliver of space between the edge of the bay doors and the gigantic ship.
“Fuck yeah!” Aethon says, pumping a fist.
Maeve feels a rush of pride at his approval. The bay is full of ships docked in designated spots all over the floor. There are oxygenated walking tubes that go from each spot to a larger hallway and into the center of Scimitar Starbase. Maeve makes for a small spot near the main entrance to the starbase, ignoring the increasing number of hails clouding her viewscreen.
Aethon stands and starts rushing around the ship gathering things. Maeve feels it when he slips a portable oxygen unit around the back of her neck, but she doesn’t thank him, too focused on landing the Archer without hitting any of the approaching starbase guards or dock workers.
There’s a crowd of people waiting when she lands the Archer gently in the marked off space. Maeve shutters the viewscreen, the metal sliding down, leaving them in darkness. The internal lights immediately flick on. Maeve jumps up from her chair and checks over her weapons - her pulse gun in her shoulder holster, a knife strapped to her thigh, another in her boot. She tucks the portable oxygen unit under her jacket against her skin.
“They’re not allowing us to connect the ship to the oxygenated walking path,” CAL says.
“We figured,” Aethon replies. “Keep the ship ready, you two.”
A fist bangs on the door of the Archer - likely one of the starbase guards. Maeve ignores them for the moment.
“Keep your tabs on you!” TAI says. “None of that disconnected stuff like on Valley Starbase! And once you get through this cattywampus, I want you to turn these earpieces on.”
“We want to be able to speak with you and keep track of you,” CAL adds.