The Fringe Wars

4.21

Retribution

Nova Colony within the Space Coast asteroid belt

Critch entered Nova Colony's tunnels. He'd grown up in the colony with his sister and best friend, led it as a pirate for nearly two decades, and could still find his way through the maze-like tunnel system blindfolded. Kora had been killed when the CUF invaded Nova Colony nearly twenty-five years ago. Chutt had at least managed to get off that rock with Critch, only to be killed on Terra. As he walked, faces of those who'd died went through his mind. There'd been so many. Yet he still lived, a soldier of retribution.

He wanted to quit... quit the fighting, quit the killing. But he couldn't; not as long as those lived who sought to suffocate others beneath shrouds of righteousness. He trudged on.

When he arrived at the prison cells, he continued until he reached the maximum security cell at the end of the line.

The guard sitting near the door rushed to his feet as soon as he saw who approached. "Are you here to see the prisoner?"

Critch nodded. "Give me ten minutes alone with him."

"I'm not supposed to—" Critch's hard look cut him off. "Sure, no problem."

"Why don't you take a break?" Critch offered. "Ten minutes."

The guard nodded and then strode away.

Critch looked through the tiny window in the door to see Heid sitting on the bed, his legs crossed in a meditative pose. The older man looked at peace.

Critch made no attempts to be quiet as he opened the door and stepped inside. He set down the small box he'd been carrying and faced the prisoner.

Heid opened his eyes. "You have questions you wish to ask me before my trial tomorrow?"

"Hm."

Heid watched him for a lengthy moment. "Ah, you're not here to ask questions then."

"Remember what I told you the day you killed Demes?"

Heid eyed the scabbard at Critch's hip before returning his direct gaze. "I believe you warned me that you would take my head."

Critch pulled out the sword.

Heid, slowly and methodically, pushed to his feet. He opened his mouth to speak—

Critch swung the sword and took Heid's head off with a single, smooth strike. The head bounced on the mattress as the rest of the body toppled to the floor. Critch set the head upright on the center of the bed before turning back to the body. With another swing, he cut off Heid's right hand. He placed the hand in the box and wiped his sword on the blanket before sheathing it. Then he strode from the cell, leaving the door wide open.

The guard was returning as Critch left, and Critch tilted his head toward him when they met in the hallway. Each continued on their way. Critch wasn't worried about getting arrested. Nearly everyone who worked at Nova Colony was still on his payroll.

He headed back up to the main hallway. There, he stopped by the post office. He set down the box on the counter and wrote a name, Senator Liu, on a slip of paper. He pushed it across the table, leaving a smeared trail of blood. The agent looked at it and then at him with fear.

"Package and ship that out with the next runner," he said.

She nodded and lifted the box as though she was afraid a monster would jump out of it and eat her.

He left and walked to the dock, for the first time bypassing the Uneven Bar. He donned a flight suit and crossed through the airlocks to enter the depressurized space docks. There, in zero-g, he pulled himself easily toward where the Lady Lilith waited, ready for takeoff. By the time he climbed on board and reached the bridge, the engines were powered up.

Domino gave him a nod as he entered. "We have a possible hit. Someone said they saw the Honorless docked at Devil Town, getting restocked.

Critch buckled in. "Let's go get my ship."