Ryann wanted to call out, to warn these figures or plead for help. But he was unable speak. All he could do was look between the Spiner and the group, waiting fearfully for either to make a move, but it was as though time itself had ceased.
And then one of the figures began to move, striding purposefully towards Ryann. He was a mountain of a man, a full head taller than the others, and as he approached he reached up, pulling off his helmet.
Ryann watched transfixed. The man behind the visor was perhaps in his early fifties, his face was heavily-scarred and his close-cropped hair was greying. But it was his skin that was striking — a deep silver-black that reflected the light as though it were covered in diamonds. Ryann had seen others with a similar colouration, colonists born and living off-world in the Borallium fields beyond the Edge Systems. The constant exposure to this particular radiation gave the inhabitants a striking sheen to their skin that sparkled like crystal.
With a deliberate stride, he walked straight past Ryann, his gaze never wavering. To Ryann’s utter amazement, the great man stopped beside Angelique, then bent slowly forwards, extending his hand out to her. At no point did he even acknowledge the terrifying shape of the Spiner looming over them, and the creature itself remained motionless. After a moment’s hesitation, Angelique took the man’s outstretched hand, and he pulled her effortlessly up to her feet. She staggered away from the Spiner in fear, backing into Ryann’s arms, and the pair clung to each other shivering as their adrenaline began to ebb away.
The big man casually took out an object from a pouch at his chest, his eyes never leaving Ryann. The device looked like some small transmitter, with a readout and several buttons. He held it up and keyed in a sequence.
There was a loud screech of metal, as though the Spiner had suddenly been released from a spell, and its front legs crashed down into the floor where Angelique had lain only moments before.
The tall man appraised Ryann for a moment longer, then his mouth curled into a faint smile and he laid a gloved hand gently upon the Spiner’s metal body.
“So,” he began, and his voice was deep and resonant. “It would seem that you have been playing with our pet.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
JEAN-BAPTISTE GRANDE
“This, this machine is yours?” stuttered Ryann in disbelief. “Have you any idea what it’s done here?”
“She does have quite a bite on her doesn’t she?” said the big man with a grin, his gaze never leaving Ryann.“But don’t worry, I have no fight with you. You are not the ones that stole our ship. By the looks of it you’re in need of some rescuing yourselves.”
“The Ibis is your ship?” asked Ryann in confusion, but the big man ignored him.
“You are Grayell Wade’s boy right?” he continued. His accent was thick, but Ryann struggled to place it. “We came to New Eden, thankful to be taken in when the aliens were almost upon us. Your father saved my people, and for that we are in his debt.
“But they wanted to disable our ship. Our whole life is the Ibis. Nobody takes our ship. So we fought back.”
“What have you done to the refugees in New Eden?” cut in Angelique. Her voice still shook, but there was a tone of anger creeping into it. “There are over a thousand people on those ships, what have you done to them?”
Jean-Baptiste turned to appraise her in silence for a moment then gave a wry smile.
“When we took over from those frightened old men and women, we just wanted peace until the aliens had passed by. We locked the leaders up — those that had tried to fight us. But we didn’t harm them — that’s not our way, and any of my crew that took advantage were punished properly.
“But they escaped and took our ship. And there is no greater law to break than ship-stealing where we come from. They took off from New Eden and left us with nothing but a couple of little Flyers. So, I sent out one of my crew with a gift for the ship-stealers. And it seems that they got it.” He patted the Spiner once again and then paused, as though measuring his words carefully.
“Though, our boy never returned to us — I guess there’s a story to tell there — one in which you play a part judging by the state of that little ship docked outside.” Jean-Baptiste looked first to Ryann and then Angelique, holding them in his dark gaze. He had an otherworldly, almost hypnotic stare, and Ryann found the big man’s mood impossible to judge.
“Did you kill him?” asked the big man.
Ryann shook his head nervously, scanning the faces of the rest of Grande’s crew as they approached: they were all rugged veterans, with faces that looked as though they could have been carved from granite.
“The Lumina got him,” replied Angelique. “Out in the wreck-field, off Langstromm’s Point.”
“The biggest ship I’ve ever seen,” added Ryann, edging backwards a little as Grande’s companions came closer, gazing silently upon them. “It almost got us too — if it’s still there you wouldn’t have missed it.”
Jean-Baptiste Grande didn’t reply. He continued to appraise them, silent and impassive, staring deep into Ryann’s eyes as though he could read his mind.
“The beating your ship took,” he said at last. “The aliens didn’t do that to you.”
“Your friend fired on us, unprovoked,” retorted Angelique angrily. “We were running from him when that Luminal appeared.”
The big man smiled at Angelique’s outburst, but didn’t reply. Then he turned abruptly, striding back towards the elevator.
“Bring them up to the bridge, we’ll take them back with us to New Eden,” he called to his crew, and two
