who had a grudge against her, and it was a big list already.
They seemed to have made enemies with the Aligned World's justice system, the powerful Du, and a criminal enterprise with its tentacles stretched into every corner of the Aligned Worlds. It seemed, quite literally, that the entire universe was against them.
A thought occurred to her. "Tev, how do you know Zywth has put a bug on this ship? Maybe his changes aren't in the hardware at all. He may have this vessel for a long time. Is it possible he changed the SOFTWARE so he can track us? Is there a software bug in here?"
The brothers looked at each other. "It's certainly possible. I'll add that on my list of things to check as soon as I'm done."
Tracy turned to Rev. "You should get some sleep. You too, Tev. There's no telling what is going on at your home, but one thing for sure is that you need to be as close to your best as possible."
Tev shook his head. "Go, Rev. You sleep. I need to find this bug."
Tracy bit back her answer. Tev would probably find it better if he wasn't so fatigued, but it wasn't her place to say.
"Come on," said Rev. "We'll sleep for a while, and then Tev can get some rest."
She didn't even remember her head hitting the pillow.
----
Once again, Tracy woke to the sound of a warning klaxon.
"What the fuck," she said, sitting up suddenly. "Don't aliens have alarms like regular people?" Rev was snoring next to her. "Rev, Rev, there is something wrong! Wake up, Rev!"
Rev woke and scrambled out of the bunk. He lumbered out of the cabin, and Tracy followed him.
"Damn it!"
They were over a planet filled with blue water, like Earth. Tracy noted the land masses were much different from her home planet.
It was lovely.
What was not lovely was the armada of space ships.
Tev stared at the ships without saying anything.
"Who's piloting these ships?" asked Rev.
"It seems both of our troubles have followed us here. There are Aligned World ships, but also those of Quargan's pirate fleet. I recognize some of them."
The screen flickered and Ja-Idin Du's face filled the screen.
"Ar-Teven, I address my remarks to you. I hope you will be reasonable. Your status as a tracker will not be affected if you turn over Ar-Reven and Noc Walsh to us. If you do not, your nation's status as an Aligned World member may suffer. Even now, there is a petition before the Aligned Worlds congress to interdict the Kerdos Empire."
"I see," said Tev coldly. "I should turn over my brother to you because of what?"
"The crimes he committed," said Du.
"If he was given the information I asked to be sent to him, the crimes would not have committed."
"I cannot answer for the actions of the Enforcement Wing, and I do not respond to hypothetical scenarios."
"Oh, you can't?" said Tracy. "Can you answer why there are these pirate ships here, and your fleet is doing nothing about them?"
"I do not see any pirate ships." said Du innocently. "Those are merely trading vessels."
"They have an awful lot of guns for trading ships," muttered Tracy. "Rev, you are recording this, aren't you?"
"I am getting every word."
Du's dark skinned face lost some of its color. "If you refuse to co-operate, you will all die."
With that the screen blinked off.
"The Aligned Worlds ships are retreating," said Tev.
"Yeah," said Tracy. "To leave the pirates to do his dirty work."
The viewscreen flickered on again, only this time it was filled with the ugliest, meanest face Tracy had ever seen. His skin was a deep black scored with scars. His right ear clung to his head in tatters and his lips curled into a scowl.
"So Tev, Zywth was right about you after all. A traitor."
"Hello, Quargan, a pleasure, as always."
"Until now. Pray to your gods and prepare to meet them."
"Pray? Pray?" said Tracy incredulously.
Quargan's gaze turned to Tracy. "So this is the piece of Non-Aligned trash that has the Aligned Worlds all in an uproar. You seem like such a little thing. Hardly a threat to anyone, yet I
They seemed to have made enemies with the Aligned World's justice system, the powerful Du, and a criminal enterprise with its tentacles stretched into every corner of the Aligned Worlds. It seemed, quite literally, that the entire universe was against them.
A thought occurred to her. "Tev, how do you know Zywth has put a bug on this ship? Maybe his changes aren't in the hardware at all. He may have this vessel for a long time. Is it possible he changed the SOFTWARE so he can track us? Is there a software bug in here?"
The brothers looked at each other. "It's certainly possible. I'll add that on my list of things to check as soon as I'm done."
Tracy turned to Rev. "You should get some sleep. You too, Tev. There's no telling what is going on at your home, but one thing for sure is that you need to be as close to your best as possible."
Tev shook his head. "Go, Rev. You sleep. I need to find this bug."
Tracy bit back her answer. Tev would probably find it better if he wasn't so fatigued, but it wasn't her place to say.
"Come on," said Rev. "We'll sleep for a while, and then Tev can get some rest."
She didn't even remember her head hitting the pillow.
----
Once again, Tracy woke to the sound of a warning klaxon.
"What the fuck," she said, sitting up suddenly. "Don't aliens have alarms like regular people?" Rev was snoring next to her. "Rev, Rev, there is something wrong! Wake up, Rev!"
Rev woke and scrambled out of the bunk. He lumbered out of the cabin, and Tracy followed him.
"Damn it!"
They were over a planet filled with blue water, like Earth. Tracy noted the land masses were much different from her home planet.
It was lovely.
What was not lovely was the armada of space ships.
Tev stared at the ships without saying anything.
"Who's piloting these ships?" asked Rev.
"It seems both of our troubles have followed us here. There are Aligned World ships, but also those of Quargan's pirate fleet. I recognize some of them."
The screen flickered and Ja-Idin Du's face filled the screen.
"Ar-Teven, I address my remarks to you. I hope you will be reasonable. Your status as a tracker will not be affected if you turn over Ar-Reven and Noc Walsh to us. If you do not, your nation's status as an Aligned World member may suffer. Even now, there is a petition before the Aligned Worlds congress to interdict the Kerdos Empire."
"I see," said Tev coldly. "I should turn over my brother to you because of what?"
"The crimes he committed," said Du.
"If he was given the information I asked to be sent to him, the crimes would not have committed."
"I cannot answer for the actions of the Enforcement Wing, and I do not respond to hypothetical scenarios."
"Oh, you can't?" said Tracy. "Can you answer why there are these pirate ships here, and your fleet is doing nothing about them?"
"I do not see any pirate ships." said Du innocently. "Those are merely trading vessels."
"They have an awful lot of guns for trading ships," muttered Tracy. "Rev, you are recording this, aren't you?"
"I am getting every word."
Du's dark skinned face lost some of its color. "If you refuse to co-operate, you will all die."
With that the screen blinked off.
"The Aligned Worlds ships are retreating," said Tev.
"Yeah," said Tracy. "To leave the pirates to do his dirty work."
The viewscreen flickered on again, only this time it was filled with the ugliest, meanest face Tracy had ever seen. His skin was a deep black scored with scars. His right ear clung to his head in tatters and his lips curled into a scowl.
"So Tev, Zywth was right about you after all. A traitor."
"Hello, Quargan, a pleasure, as always."
"Until now. Pray to your gods and prepare to meet them."
"Pray? Pray?" said Tracy incredulously.
Quargan's gaze turned to Tracy. "So this is the piece of Non-Aligned trash that has the Aligned Worlds all in an uproar. You seem like such a little thing. Hardly a threat to anyone, yet I
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