Fraying Edges (Rim Jumper Book 5) by Tim Rangnow

Author:Tim Rangnow [Rangnow, Tim]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Vagabond Publishing
Published: 2022-05-05T16:00:00+00:00

Kole was on his second cup of kaff for the day when light flashed across the viewscreen. The transport that had just come out of an FTL jump was several hundred kilometers away, but he could see the thrusters flare as it immediately began moving quickly toward the two ships floating side-by-side.

During the wait for Riptide’s arrival, he had been tempted several times to cross back over to Wandering Star. Doubts were niggling in the back of his brain, making him wonder if he’d remembered to check in this shadowed corner or that hollow between bulkheads. Kole knew it was just the worry and stress of the situation working at his thoughts, but it was hard to ignore for so long. Especially when he couldn’t help worrying that whoever had taken the crew might return unexpectedly at any moment.

A comm request pinged on his displays, and he tapped the button to accept. The viewscreen changed to an image of the transport’s cockpit and the two people inside it. Ripper, the grizzled pirate-turned-rebel who had been his first contact during the search for Mudamir, was draped casually in the main chair. “Anwynn, I suppose it’s good to see you again.”

“That ugly mug of yours is always a pleasure,” Kole said, raising his cup in salute, “if only because it makes the rest of the galaxy look a little bit sweeter by comparison.”

Ripper snorted, and the dark-skinned woman standing behind him flashed her white teeth in a smile. “Jaeger said you didn’t find any sign of the crew?”

“Nothing. As far as I could tell on entering the ship, they just decided to take a pleasant walk outside the ship and never returned.”

“Ship’s logs?”

“Locked down. Jaeger made it sound like you might be able to get past those security measures.”

Ripper lifted a shoulder in noncommittal answer. “We’ll maneuver alongside the Star and hook up with a docking tube. Do you want to join us?”

“Yes, we do,” Neela said from the doorway of the cockpit. “Hi Brie!”

“Hey Neela,” the other woman said, dipping her head in greeting.

Kole was about to point out that someone should stay on Rim Jumper, but the set expression on Neela’s face told him it would be a wasted argument. “We’ll cross over before you arrive, and that way I can help guide you toward the docking port.”

Which was easier said than done. As Kole and Neela got into their exosuits, he spent the entire fifteen minutes cautioning her about the most common mistakes first-timers made during a tethered crossing. She listened attentively, but he caught her eyes rolling more than once when he turned back to her after fastening some part of his suit.

The airlock was a tight fit with both of them inside, but they didn’t have a long wait before the outer door opened and Kole was able to pull himself onto the hull. He helped Neela get her mag boots locked on the plates, and then smiled at the look of awe on her face. “It’s so beautiful,” she whispered over the comms.

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