Chapter 32
Varik clenchedhis jaw and glared at his screen on the deck of the Harlan Johnson. The Treasure wasn’t moving, and it wasn’t back on Cassan. They weren’t moving at all. If they were incapacitated in space, they would still be drifting.
“Jarn,” Varik barked at his lover who occupied the navigator’s chair. “What is at these coordinates?” Varik called out the numbers and repeated them. A few of the crew glanced over, but as long as Varik sat in the captain’s chair they could all keep their opinions to themselves. Especially if they wanted to make it back to the station and get paid.
Credits, or really the threat of losing them, did a lot for maintaining order on the commandeered ship.
“There’s a tiny planet, Arbotriz, there, Captain.”
Varik enjoyed his lover calling him by his title. Even better than sir. But the pleasure was quickly dissipated with the information he found on the planet. Female ruled. Agrarian. Monarchy. With a full service space port.
How the fuck had they managed to get The Treasure there? Or even known the planet was there? Varik had no idea. According to his calculations, they should have taken the only alternative and turned back to Cassan. The effort to turn the ship would have caused them to run out of fuel nearby and he could have retrieved The Treasure easily.
“Program a course to take us there,” Varik told Jarn.
“What?” The communications officer tossed off his headset and stood. “This is too much. First you take over as captain. Then you don’t return immediately to the Cassan. Now we’re heading to some unknown planet. I didn’t sign up for this.”
Varik narrowed his eyes. “You’re welcome to go. Take anyone with you. I’m happy to open the airlock.”
The communications officer strode across the deck to get in Varik’s face. “Don’t you dare threaten me. I’ve already sent a message to the authorities about Twalley’s passing and notified the grant committee. If you know what’s good for you, you’ll turn this ship around to Cassan.”
Varik stood. “Get off my deck. You’re relieved of duty.” He shot out his arm pointing to the exit. “And you’re confined to quarters.”
“And how do you think you’re going to enforce that?”
At that moment, the two junior engineers, Varik’s people appeared at the entrance to the bridge. “Problem, Captain?”
Varik smiled. “Your escorts are here. They’ll be happy to enforce my orders.” He glanced over the other crew on deck. “Anyone else?”
All heads turned to their screens.
“Good. Jarn? Is the course for Arbotriz laid in?”
“Aye, Captain.”
At least someone on the ship had the right attitude.
“I’m just worried, that’s all.” Jarn paced the length of Varik’s quarters. He really should take over the captain’s lodgings. They weren’t much bigger, but it was the principle of the thing. Later. After he got rid of the mutinous busy-bodies.
“Did you hear me?” Jarn paused and glared down at Varik.
Varik stroked his cock to keep from letting the situation soften him. “Do we have to keep rehashing this? I’d much rather listen to you gagging on my cock than lecturing me about what I should do with my ship.”
“But that’s the point.” Jarn put his hands on his hips. “It’s not your ship. Technically.” Nice save, but Varik caught the chastisement. “The grant committee was notified.”
“The comms officer sent a message. This far into space that’s not the same as the grant committee receiving the message. It could take cycles for that message to be received by some low-level clerk. By that time, if you do what I tell you, we’ll have The Treasure.” In fact, they would land on Arbotriz in the next two cycles, depending on approvals and space at the landing port. “Don’t worry.” Varik tugged his lover into his bed and freed him of his clothes and his ability to speak. Much better. Varik thrust his cock deep into Jarn’s throat until he found his release.
The next cycle they received word that they would be allowed to land at the auxiliary spaceport on the far side of the planet from where The Treasure was docked. Varik fumed.
“How did you not know they had two space ports?”
Jarn’s cheeks turned shades of red. “It’s not documented in our databases on this planet. Probably a recent build. I don’t know. This is my first time being the lead navigator and I’ve never worked in this galaxy. Why is it always my fault when your plans don’t work out?”
Varik saw red. “Just get us docked.”
It wasn’t like he had any choice. The rebellion had seethed through all the crew Varik hadn’t personally contracted. He had to get them off the Harlan Johnson. There was no way he could rely on them to do what needed to be done to overtake The Treasure. Landing held its own risks. They had to report the captain’s death and the brief quarantine. Medical officers swarmed the ship dressed in bio-hazard suits, swabbing everything and everyone.
While they waited for results, Varik went to his former comms officer’s quarters. He was the lead rebel. If Varik swayed him, the rest would follow. As soon as he opened the door to his quarters, Varik said, “I’ll pay you the full price of your contract if you get off this ship as soon as were cleared and take your buddies with you. No accusations, no filing of reports, no bullshit.”
“Why would I do that?”
Varik stepped into the man, forcing him inside and close the door. “Because if you don’t, you’re going to become very ill, could be life threatening.”
A glance at the syringe in Varik’s hand made the man back up, hands raised. “I don’t want any trouble.”
“Good. Then we agree. Your contracts, paid out and you go away quietly.”
The man’s head bobbed in agreement.
“I’ll deposit half of what you’re owed now. In ten cycles, if I have no…trouble…you’ll get the rest.”
That would give Varik plenty of time to catch up to The Treasure according to the routes he’d calculated with Jarn using ER Bridges. Hell, he might get to Kolben before The Treasure, be ready and waiting to take her back. He had to assume she was fixing the fuel problem he’d given her and that she would resume her path to Kolben. The deadline was looming. If she’d bothered to read the contract, she’d be in a hurry to get there, but would she get over her aversion to using a wormhole? There were too many fucking variables. And once she delivered the mining slave, she’d have the funds to keep his Treasure from him and there would be nothing he could do about it.