The Jupiter Pirates by Jason Fry

Author:Jason Fry
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2013-03-10T16:00:00+00:00

11

RETURN TO CERES

Once the engineer verified that the Comet had taken only minor damage in her encounter with the Hydra, Diocletia ordered Carlo to plot a course back to Ceres—their next court date with Judge Quence was just a couple of days away. Besides, she explained, the Jovian Defense Ministry would need time to consider her report of the close encounter with Mox.

As they went about their duties, Tycho noticed that Yana looked preoccupied. After Carlo calculated the proper course for their trip to Ceres, she asked Vesuvia to replay the transmission from the Hydra.

“Why do you want to look at Thoadbone’s ugly mug again, missy?” asked Huff. “Once is one time too often to have to see that vacuum-hearted traitor.”

“Just watch,” Yana said. “Vesuvia, play it back.”

Once again Mox was on the main screen, demanding that the Comet submit to boarding by his thugs.

“There!” Yana said. “I know that man.”

“We all know Thoadbone Mox,” Carlo said with a snort, though Tycho was pretty sure his brother had gotten his first look at the scarred old pirate at the same time Tycho and Yana had.

“Not Mox,” Yana said, irritated. “Vesuvia, freeze the image. That man.”

She pointed to one of the crewers over Mox’s left shoulder, a spacer who struck Tycho as much like any other, aside from his choice of company.

“Remember him from Ceres?” Yana asked.

“You mean the guy we followed from the courtroom—Suud’s aide?” Tycho asked. “Sorry, Yana, but it’s not him.”

“Would you wait a second?” Yana asked, tapping at her mediapad. “Vesuvia, split the screen in two. Leave the man from the Hydra on the left and put this image from my mediapad on the right.”

“Rendering image,” Vesuvia said.

A moment later the new image came up on the screen. It was the picture Yana had snapped of Suud’s aide when she’d pushed Tycho into the Martian spacer. There were two men next to him, who’d also turned to see what had caused the commotion. The man in the middle was the one on the quarterdeck of the Hydra.

Mavry whistled.

“I don’t think I want to know how you wound up taking a picture of a crewer on Thoadbone Mox’s pirate ship,” Diocletia said.

“You’re right—you don’t,” Yana said.

Mother and daughter stared at each other for a moment. Then Diocletia sighed.

“Okay, Yana, well observed,” Diocletia said. “Now what does it mean?”

“It means Threece Suud is working with Mox,” Yana said.

Mavry cocked an eyebrow. “Does it?”

“Okay, someone working with Threece Suud is also working with one of Mox’s bridge crew,” Yana said. “Is that better?”

“Much,” said Mavry.

“It’s an interesting connection, isn’t it?” asked Yana.

“All they were doing was walking together,” said Carlo. “What if they’re old friends? Or brothers?”

That seemed ridiculous to Tycho, and he started to say so, but then he stopped. Huff was an old pirate, but during his career he’d come to know Jovian Defense Force officers, judges on Ceres, and nobles from Ganymede. The solar system was a big place, Tycho thought, but human connections could make it feel small.

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