Read Online Pursue the Past: Samair in Argos: Book 1 by Michael Kotcher - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Michael Kotcher
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chest.
He turned to her. “I think it looks pretty,” he answered noncommittally. “All the parts look shiny and new, but I think it takes a lot more than that to make a ship fly.”
She nodded. “You’re absolutely correct, Captain. Which is why once we’re done here, I’m going to be taking my baby for a test flight and shakedown cruise.”
“Good.” He pointed to the far bulkhead. “Those cargo doors open, though they might need a little grease.” He chuckled. “I haven’t had them opened in about what, Xar, two years?”
The zheen chittered. “Longer.”
Tamara hauled herself up off the pallet she was sitting on. She groaned as she did, then stretched, trying to ease the kink in her back.
The captain watched her. “You could sleep before this test run, Moxie,” he said, turning away from the fighter. “Come to think on it, have you slept at all since you got out of the pod?”
“I’ve slept,” she replied indignantly.
“Tiny naps,” Ka’Xarian put in. “Only one or two hours at a time, no more than ten or eleven hours total.”
She glared at him. “Tattletale.”
He hissed back playfully.
“I don’t need to sleep yet,” Tamara told them both. “I’m fine.”
The captain eyed her, his head tilting to one side, as his eyes studied her face. “No. You’re not. You crash that ship because you’re exhausted and then I’m out a starfighter and all of the credits for the fix.”
“It’s my fighter!”
The captain’s face seemed to tighten, as though the skin was covering iron rather than bone. “No, Moxie, it isn’t. It isn’t your fighter until my ship is fixed up. That was the deal we struck. Plus, you owe me for the use of my replicator, though I’ll discount you because you fixed it, but then there’s power consumption, raw materials, and labor costs.”
Tamara felt her hands clenching to fists. “Labor costs?” she demanded. “ I did the labor!”
The captain nodded, a smug grin on his face. “And so did my assistant chief engineer. He doesn’t work for free. And he certainly isn’t working on the Grania Estelle , like I hired him to.”
She stood there fuming. “So now what?”
“Now?” the captain replied. “Now, you are going to get some rest. Xar, get her some quarters. There should be a room on deck eight.”
The zheen nodded. “Got the cleaning bots going over it now. Should be ready by the time we get there.” He turned to Tamara. “Look, Tamara. You can argue with the captain, which isn’t smart, or you can follow orders like a good soldier and then get to play with your toy.”
She glared at them. Her feet felt as though they were glued to the deck.
The captain sighed. “Look, Moxie, things are very simple. You either play nice and we’re all happy, or I rescind my deal, and I sell you, your pod and that shiny new Perdition fighter to the next merchant I see.” His voice had dropped, low and dangerous. “Why do you think I didn’t ask about your name? You’re not my friend. You’re an asset. You’re a way to put credits in my account. You’re a way to keep my ship running. That’s it. You start acting reckless, taking chances with my property? With my bottom line? You will not be living free for very long, Moxie.”
His lavender eyes flicked to the
He turned to her. “I think it looks pretty,” he answered noncommittally. “All the parts look shiny and new, but I think it takes a lot more than that to make a ship fly.”
She nodded. “You’re absolutely correct, Captain. Which is why once we’re done here, I’m going to be taking my baby for a test flight and shakedown cruise.”
“Good.” He pointed to the far bulkhead. “Those cargo doors open, though they might need a little grease.” He chuckled. “I haven’t had them opened in about what, Xar, two years?”
The zheen chittered. “Longer.”
Tamara hauled herself up off the pallet she was sitting on. She groaned as she did, then stretched, trying to ease the kink in her back.
The captain watched her. “You could sleep before this test run, Moxie,” he said, turning away from the fighter. “Come to think on it, have you slept at all since you got out of the pod?”
“I’ve slept,” she replied indignantly.
“Tiny naps,” Ka’Xarian put in. “Only one or two hours at a time, no more than ten or eleven hours total.”
She glared at him. “Tattletale.”
He hissed back playfully.
“I don’t need to sleep yet,” Tamara told them both. “I’m fine.”
The captain eyed her, his head tilting to one side, as his eyes studied her face. “No. You’re not. You crash that ship because you’re exhausted and then I’m out a starfighter and all of the credits for the fix.”
“It’s my fighter!”
The captain’s face seemed to tighten, as though the skin was covering iron rather than bone. “No, Moxie, it isn’t. It isn’t your fighter until my ship is fixed up. That was the deal we struck. Plus, you owe me for the use of my replicator, though I’ll discount you because you fixed it, but then there’s power consumption, raw materials, and labor costs.”
Tamara felt her hands clenching to fists. “Labor costs?” she demanded. “ I did the labor!”
The captain nodded, a smug grin on his face. “And so did my assistant chief engineer. He doesn’t work for free. And he certainly isn’t working on the Grania Estelle , like I hired him to.”
She stood there fuming. “So now what?”
“Now?” the captain replied. “Now, you are going to get some rest. Xar, get her some quarters. There should be a room on deck eight.”
The zheen nodded. “Got the cleaning bots going over it now. Should be ready by the time we get there.” He turned to Tamara. “Look, Tamara. You can argue with the captain, which isn’t smart, or you can follow orders like a good soldier and then get to play with your toy.”
She glared at them. Her feet felt as though they were glued to the deck.
The captain sighed. “Look, Moxie, things are very simple. You either play nice and we’re all happy, or I rescind my deal, and I sell you, your pod and that shiny new Perdition fighter to the next merchant I see.” His voice had dropped, low and dangerous. “Why do you think I didn’t ask about your name? You’re not my friend. You’re an asset. You’re a way to put credits in my account. You’re a way to keep my ship running. That’s it. You start acting reckless, taking chances with my property? With my bottom line? You will not be living free for very long, Moxie.”
His lavender eyes flicked to the
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