Read The Catalyst (Targon Tales) for Free Online

slept at all. Why is your ship so noisy?"
    He looked around the silent cabin. The only sounds were the ventilation system, little more than a soft whirring noise from the overhead vents, and the usual blips and squawks from the cockpit as he monitored nearby transmissions. The crossdrives had been powered down since he had set the Dutchman into a high orbit above Aikhor. Not even the music that usually accompanied his days aboard the ship was playing today.
    "Take whatever you want in the cabin," he said. "Something there should fit you."
    She nodded and rose again. "Neatness was never your greatest virtue," she mumbled, surveying the interior of the ship. "How do you find anything?"
    "Did you want to express gratitude for my hospitality or just comment on my housekeeping?"
    She waved a hand tiredly and returned to the sleeping cabin.
    When she emerged again she seemed a little more alert. Seth handed her a strong cup of tea laced with a mild stimulant made of some sort of bean. "I see you found my favorite shirt."
    She sipped the drink, sighing when she felt a soothing warmth move through her limbs. She had topped the loose black shirt with a long vest made of intricately knotted leather strings that she suspected was made on Shaddallam and worth a small fortune. A leather belt was casually roped around her waist a few times to gather the shirt, somehow imbuing the outfit with femininity and style.
    "It looks better on you, I think," he added.
    "Thank you. When are we landing?"
    He raised an eyebrow. "In a hurry? We can go down any time. You should eat something first. The food there isn't any better than what I have on board, believe me."
    "What is that place?"
    "Aikhor?  It's a dump. Frontier no-man's land but it's right in the middle of a few crucial jumpsites. We'll head to Magra in the morning. I have to tell you that the only female things that aren't native here are rebels or hookers." He inspected her with exaggerated appreciation. "Given your choice of attire, I see you’re not a working girl."
    She sneered at him. "I want a gun."
    "Of course you do." He went into the ship's galley and rooted around a few bins. He found a tray that looked like it hadn't been in there for too long and inserted it into the heater. There was a ledge by the galley with two tall stools and she came to perch on one of them. "I'm afraid we'll have to stay overnight,” he said. “By the time we get down there we won't find a mechanic. I ripped two pogs when we left the freighter. That’s going to take some time to replace."
    "I want to send a message," she said.
    "Oh?"
    "My father will have heard about the attack on the Dyona . He'll be worried. So would be my CO I want to let them know I'm on my way back."
    "You can send a packet from Aikhor. Not from this ship. I don't want it tagged. Besides, last time your father caught us holding hands he promised to transfer me to Chitta Moor to shuttle miners for the next three years. I remember that well. You might not want to tell him that you're aboard my ship."
    "I think the report Archer sent was about more than just holding hands." She watched him pull the tray back out and peel the lid back. "So are you really a rebel?"
    He made a sound somewhere between a laugh and a cough. "I thought I was a pirate."
    "You're no pirate."
    "If you thought I was a rebel you would have shot me yesterday. It's how you Air Command types deal with them. You don't ask questions and you don't have tea, first." He handed her the tray.
    She inspected, with trepidation, the stringy bits of something floating in a gray mash. Nutritious, wholesome and not likely to offer anything remotely resembling flavor. "Let's just say I'm not sure you're not a rebel."
    "I could do something rebellious, if you’re looking for clarity."
    "Why are you mocking me? When did you get so turned around? You used to be Union as much as I am."
    He shrugged and picked up his tea cup. "I've been on ground level for a while. That's when you