Galactic Gale

Chapter Two

A Done Deal

Ramerela's bright lights flashed across the cargo hold as Amara pulled the Rapid into its designated landing space. Rusted metal crates containing the goods Kael and his companions had stolen from the pirates wrestled against their restraints, the ship's condition making its landing rough.

Planting a hand on a particularly wobbly box, Kael craned his head to see out the window. The landing bay was almost full thanks to several long cruisers. He had never seen ships of their style before – low and sleek with four wings each.

The Rapid stopped bumping around and Kael set to work. As he started unbuckling the cargo for its departure, he could not help but peek at their neighbouring vessels. He wondered who owned them, what their business in the city was, and most importantly, who they were working for.

Since leaving the palace, Kael had learned rather quickly those in outer space often did not rest their loyalties with the royals of their cities, or even to their homes. People worked for the highest bidder, and it was always good to be aware of who that person was.

A groan echoed around the hold. At the other end of the long room, Amara and Cyre clambered down the stairs. Each wore a mask to cover the lower half of their face. Amara never liked anyone catching sight of her with the Rapid.

"Get rolling them," Cyre snapped on passing. She went straight to the door locks and opened the lower entrance way.

Kael grunted but did as he was told. Their cargo – several shipments of stolen hot asteroid rock – was not easy to move. His feet slipped on the floor as he started pushing the first box along, and Amara's gloved hands stopped the crate from rolling over the top of him.

"Not the way you'd want to go out," she said.

"I wasn't planning to be squashed." Kael took hold of the crate again. The metal ridges around the top were supposed make helpful handholds. He failed to imagine how anyone could cling onto the tiny edging.

"Get Valour and Meri down here to help," Amara called to Cyre. "Ry should get his fast fingers patching up the Rapid."

"Aye, aye, Captain." Cyre saluted Amara on the way past, then took the stairs two at a time, her long legs gracefully tackling the challenge.

With their lower ramp lost thanks to a lucky shot from a pirate ship, Kael and Amara had no choice but to leave the boxes by the door. The man who had employed them would have people coming to collect his prize and their help would be required to get the boxes onto the city's streets.

"Mask," Amara said with a clap of her hands.

Not many people in Ramerela would recognise Kael as the former Prince of Uterca. He pulled a black mask identical to Amara's over the lower half of his face all the same, knowing it was better to be safe than sorry. The last he had heard; princes could sell up to ten million credits.

They swung through the open door. Amara landed gracefully in a crouch and Kael stumbled on his feet before finding his balance. He checked the distance between the ground and the ship's opening, calculating how the cargo could be passed through with minimum strain on the crew.

"Galzan Bryey," Amara said in greeting. A strand of her hair slipped from under her hood, a white line against a dark background. "You have my money?"

The tall alien at the end of the Rapid's tail stopped admiring the ship and turned to them. Kael had met her twice before to negotiate prices of various goods, but Galzen Bryey never failed to take him aback.