He nodded curtly at the terminal. “I guess this is your show, then. Try to dig us up something useful in the station's databanks without getting caught.”
She shot him a hurt look. “Your faith in my abilities is shaken, if you had to include that last part.” Again, she didn't mention this blasted sync she so clearly wanted to do. But it was obvious, even with that stranger's face she was wearing, that she was trying hard not to once again press the issue. She didn't, though, which was what he wanted.
He patted the top of the terminal impatiently, waiting for her to get to work.
Ali did, directly connecting to the terminal and working without the need for a display. That made it hard to tell she was doing anything at all, and Aiden settled down for a long, dull wait.
Or not; after only a few minutes, long before he had a chance to get bored, his companion abruptly stiffened and turned towards him, watery hazel eyes widening. The terminal went blank, her emergency action to overload the system rather than taking time covering the tracks of whatever she'd been doing.
Without a word, she grabbed his hand and yanked him towards the privacy barrier, then out onto the concourse. Even there, she dragged him along with such urgency she came close to looking suspicious. On top of that she was clutching his hand tighter than was strictly necessary, either to comfort him or in an attempt to show nervousness like a real human would.
Neither was a good sign.
“What is it?” he said under his breath, as he continued to glance around casually.
Ali spoke quickly and urgently. “My tap into the station's computers just warned me that a light cruiser identifying itself as the DMS Vindicator has jumped into the system. It's approaching the station under usual docking procedures, ETA forty minutes.”
Aiden felt his mouth go dry, although he kept his posture relaxed. It couldn't be a coincidence that the ship they'd encountered at Brastos 4 was here, although how they'd known to be was a complete mystery. “Do they show any signs they know we're here?” he asked in a low voice. “Are they contacting Station Control about detaining us? Any ships nearby change their course, or more ships jumping in?”
She shook her head, plain features furrowed in puzzlement. “No, they continue to act as if this is a simple, routine stop for refueling, supplies, ship maintenance, and temporary leave for the crew.” Her ugly, disguised eyes looked up at him worriedly. “But why else would a ship from the task force that's chasing us be here, in this system where we are in an entirely different galaxy? The odds of it being a coincidence are astronomically low.”
That matched his own conclusion. “Can we get to the ship and escape before they reach the station?” he demanded, as Ali turned them down a side corridor that would take them back to the Last Stand by the quickest path.
She shrugged. “If they don't alert the station and mobilize its weapons against us, maybe.”
Aiden cursed under his breath. Why did these blasted Deeks have to show up while they were all off the ship? Even if the Vindicator had somehow gotten word of where they were, this was a quick response. He activated his comm to address the entire crew. “Emergency egress. You have five minutes to get back to the ship.”
Belix was first to respond, voice ragged. “You have got to be kidding me! That's going to be a bit tough considering I'm kind of tied up at the moment. And by “kind of”, I mean “literally.” He could hear the pout in her voice as she continued in a sullen mutter. “I was having so much fun, too.”
Of course she was. He grit his teeth. “Vindicator just jumped in and is headed our way, less than forty minutes out.”
The Ishivi's tone immediately changed. “Well would you look at the time!” she said cheerily, probably not to him. “Guess I'll have to leave this DNA sample in its current organic storage devices instead of taking it with me.”
That, unfortunately, probably was directed at him; he really wished the infuriating woman wouldn't constantly find excuses to hint at what she got up to when they stopped at these stations. Or, even worse, her purpose for doing it. After being on the wrong side of her void-cursed Ishivi breeding program once, he hated being reminded of it. Which was exactly why he avoided the gunner where he could, although Lana seemed determined to make that impossible these days.
Speaking of the lovebirds, they replied they'd be back in time, as did Barix.
After a mad scramble back to the ship that took less than three minutes, they were all aboard and ready to go. Ali had already ordered the station to release the docking clamps by the time Aiden hurled himself into the pilot's chair, maneuvering his beauty away from the dock. His companion also fed him a course that would take them in the opposite direction from the approaching Vindicator, one she'd coordinated with Station Control so it wouldn't look suspicious.
“Do you think for once we could hit a spaceport without running into some kind of trouble?” Barix whined, eyes on his display reading sensor data.
“Yeah sure,” Aiden replied, trying not to sound too sarcastic. “I'll just tell the Deeks to stop having their ships chase us. I'm sure this is all just a misunderstanding.” He turned to the gunner. “Please tell me you got us topped off before we had to go?”
The young man nodded, silvery eyes even more unnerving in that impassive face. “Fuel and material to manufacture railgun slugs is at capacity. I've also taken the liberty of ordering extra emergency rations along with our usual food
