Page 251 of Gladiators of the Vagabond Boxset

Da’vi

Hunched over my workbench inside the Vagabond’s engine room, I worked on some of my new acquisitions.

The rescue on Arakon had been extremely fruitful, especially when Akri and Chloe had worked together to break open that safe.

I curled my lip in annoyance, simply for remembering the presence of the Infiltrator First Class.

Here I was, trying to mind my own freaking business, staying as far away from the Kertinal Empire as I could, and I’d run right into a spy.

No doubt this male was going to report my location right away, but there was nothing I could do about it now.

At least Akri was a good ally to have, and he’d gamely agreed not to accept any communications with Kertinal origins.

Tugging a strange-looking com-device closer across the scarred worktop, I checked the charge. It looked like I’d managed to power the thing up, and I was curious to see if it would work. New, alien tech always excited me, and I was happy to lose myself in the task.

“PRRR!” Babbit announced as he leaped onto the table, blue and black fur standing on end as if he’d seen something he disliked.

Maybe he’d just found a live wire again somewhere—who knew?

The Riho had an uncanny ability to get into trouble, and he never seemed to want to leave me alone.

His long, slinky body wove over my table, under my chin for a rub, before he settled down on the pillow in the corner.

I flicked the strange com-device on, pretty sure I’d identified the right button for it.

Like some of the other things I’d scavenged from Arakon, this device had been in a box tucked inside the massive safe.

There had been dozens of datapads filled with dirt on all the Crimelords and their operations in that safe.

That data had gone with the spy when we’d dropped him, and his new shadow, Uron, off on Yengar Space Station a few days ago.

I happened to know that Sunder had pulled copies of that data and used some of his old contacts to get it to the Tarkan government and the Aderian, just to level the playing field a bit. I couldn’t let the Kertinillian Army have all the fun, obviously a message I wholeheartedly approved of.

We’d also gotten away with a good deal of money and stuff to trade, so I was pleased that Kitan and Chloe were flying us toward Strewn.

We’d finally get this ship all the parts I needed so I could restore her to her full glory, including all the guns I could cram into her.

My prosthetic-clad hands itched to get started on kitting her out; she was going to be beautiful.

The lights blinking on the small com screen seemed to indicate that it was working, and I eagerly pulled a transparent screen over it.

The flat surface lit up with symbols, scrolling through options until it settled on the right translation.

Startled at what I could now read on the strange device, I muttered out loud, “Accept call?”

Static crackled and echoed through tinny speakers, followed by a female voice panting for breath: “Oh, thank God, finally! Whoever you are, I need a rescue, please!” Shocked, I shifted back in my seat, my hand instinctively slamming on the ‘end call’ button.

What the fuck? I lifted my head to look at Babbit, meeting his blue eyes, which seemed to be looking at me with disdain.

Guilt flushed through me; that female voice had sounded genuinely in distress.

No, it was probably just a recording. I tried to tell myself I could just toss that com-device in my basket of discards and ignore it.

I didn’t want to talk to anybody, and this was probably fake.

She’d answered that call so quickly, it had to be a recording.

Babbit kept staring at me, and I couldn’t do it. “Fine!” I snapped at the Riho male sprawled on my good pillow on the workbench, daring to judge me. But I wasn’t going to call back without some preparations, so I hurriedly got to work.

THE END