I figured." He pulled out the data pad the Nymarian had given him. "Do you recognize these?"
Kaida's head came back around. For a moment, she thought he meant the data pad, but on closer inspection, she saw he was talking about the figures on it.
"It's Tharitian mathematics. Yes. I know it," she answered.
"Well, neither I nor Trevor can make sense of it. We need to figure out what's on here, and seeing as we are in this together, we could use your help to unlock its secrets."
Kaida hesitated for a moment and then nodded. "Of course I'll help." She took the data pad in her hands, and then she added, "Please don't tell Daphkalian. I don't want him any more involved than he already is."
"Agreed," Nathan replied. He turned to Trev. "I need you and Boost to take care of the Nymarian."
Trevor was ready to object, but he decided it was more important to appear united as a crew. "C'mon, Booster."
Trev left with Boost in tow. They respectfully carted Cleph’s encased body across the landing area toward the trade city and disappeared.
"How much you need?" a voice yelled from outside the ship. It was one of the refuelers.
"Full!" Nathan barked back.
In the passenger compartment, Nathan realized he had just gotten himself alone with the enticing redhead. His fingers lightly touched the ring around his neck. She was eyeing him too; whatever weight she had been carrying with her was suddenly gone. The feeling of familiarity returned.
"Can I ask you something?"
Nathan knew he had to stop this now, before she got ideas. She would just keep coming if he didn't keep her in her place, business only. But for first time in eight years, he couldn't.
"Since we'll be together a little longer, I was wondering something. What is the deal with you and your copilot? Are you family?"
Nathan allowed himself to breathe again. Crisis averted. He was getting too old for these games.
"He's my sister's kid."
"And you look after him?"
"Since the end of Earth, yes." He sat down at the table in the middle of the compartment and sipped what was left of his coffee. "He's the only one in my family who survived."
"I lost a lot of family too." Kaida didn't want to bring up Gastoff. She needed never to think of him again and to move on with her life, so she shifted the conversation. "I was wondering one more thing."
"Shoot."
"Why does he carry that sword? He doesn't look like he knows how to use it."
Nathan released a long sigh before answering. "His father was killed with it. Trevor said he found his father with that sword through him as the murder was happening. When he stumbled upon the scene, he fired on the killer. According to Trev, the intruder was hit in the face, and the impact flung him out the window. The fall was too great for any man to survive, let alone the shot. He didn't see anyone on the rocks below. Then he says he saw a rogue Ruveran ship take off before it cloaked."
Kaida tried to hide her surprise. "Does he know who did it?"
"After all these years of digging, Trevor can only find rumors and whispers. Whoever the killer is doesn't leave too much of a trace…only appearances of his ship."
"That sounds terrible. I wonder why his father was assassinated. Was he military?"
Nathan shook his head. "That's the mystery. He was an engineer. I think they went after the wrong target. Scott was harmless."
Kaida thought about everyone she had lost. Ruvera murdered at will and without cause. Sometimes, there was no reason to the madness. "So he carries that sword in hopes of using it?"
Nathan nodded. "If I know my nephew, he's looking for the assassin's ship right now."
-o-
"Anyone coming, Booster?" Trevor was just finishing up going through the police data. He had jacked into an access
Kaida's head came back around. For a moment, she thought he meant the data pad, but on closer inspection, she saw he was talking about the figures on it.
"It's Tharitian mathematics. Yes. I know it," she answered.
"Well, neither I nor Trevor can make sense of it. We need to figure out what's on here, and seeing as we are in this together, we could use your help to unlock its secrets."
Kaida hesitated for a moment and then nodded. "Of course I'll help." She took the data pad in her hands, and then she added, "Please don't tell Daphkalian. I don't want him any more involved than he already is."
"Agreed," Nathan replied. He turned to Trev. "I need you and Boost to take care of the Nymarian."
Trevor was ready to object, but he decided it was more important to appear united as a crew. "C'mon, Booster."
Trev left with Boost in tow. They respectfully carted Cleph’s encased body across the landing area toward the trade city and disappeared.
"How much you need?" a voice yelled from outside the ship. It was one of the refuelers.
"Full!" Nathan barked back.
In the passenger compartment, Nathan realized he had just gotten himself alone with the enticing redhead. His fingers lightly touched the ring around his neck. She was eyeing him too; whatever weight she had been carrying with her was suddenly gone. The feeling of familiarity returned.
"Can I ask you something?"
Nathan knew he had to stop this now, before she got ideas. She would just keep coming if he didn't keep her in her place, business only. But for first time in eight years, he couldn't.
"Since we'll be together a little longer, I was wondering something. What is the deal with you and your copilot? Are you family?"
Nathan allowed himself to breathe again. Crisis averted. He was getting too old for these games.
"He's my sister's kid."
"And you look after him?"
"Since the end of Earth, yes." He sat down at the table in the middle of the compartment and sipped what was left of his coffee. "He's the only one in my family who survived."
"I lost a lot of family too." Kaida didn't want to bring up Gastoff. She needed never to think of him again and to move on with her life, so she shifted the conversation. "I was wondering one more thing."
"Shoot."
"Why does he carry that sword? He doesn't look like he knows how to use it."
Nathan released a long sigh before answering. "His father was killed with it. Trevor said he found his father with that sword through him as the murder was happening. When he stumbled upon the scene, he fired on the killer. According to Trev, the intruder was hit in the face, and the impact flung him out the window. The fall was too great for any man to survive, let alone the shot. He didn't see anyone on the rocks below. Then he says he saw a rogue Ruveran ship take off before it cloaked."
Kaida tried to hide her surprise. "Does he know who did it?"
"After all these years of digging, Trevor can only find rumors and whispers. Whoever the killer is doesn't leave too much of a trace…only appearances of his ship."
"That sounds terrible. I wonder why his father was assassinated. Was he military?"
Nathan shook his head. "That's the mystery. He was an engineer. I think they went after the wrong target. Scott was harmless."
Kaida thought about everyone she had lost. Ruvera murdered at will and without cause. Sometimes, there was no reason to the madness. "So he carries that sword in hopes of using it?"
Nathan nodded. "If I know my nephew, he's looking for the assassin's ship right now."
-o-
"Anyone coming, Booster?" Trevor was just finishing up going through the police data. He had jacked into an access
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