the Druckers? They’re pirates, not mercenaries. It’s not like Jorg could hire them to help us, even if he would consider lowering himself to speak with them.”
“We care only if they become a threat to the Kingdom because somebody else hires them.”
“Is that likely to happen?” Asger asked.
“Probably not. We’re just keeping an eye on them for now. Once we complete our mission at Stardust Palace, we’re going to have to join that queue for the gate, along with those pirates and a lot of the mercenaries that Dubashi almost hired to attack us.”
“Ah. It could get tense.”
“Yes. I want to wish that the gate is repaired before we’re ready to go through it, but if we can leave, Dubashi can leave.”
Lieutenant Meister returned to Ishii’s side. “I’m done, sir.”
Ishii nodded to Asger and his father, and the officers left.
“Did you have anything useful for him?” Asger asked his father.
“Not really. I promised to send all the technical details I can for the two Drucker ships. I spent a few months on the Jian, so that one is easy, and I have some specs on the Scimitar.” His father looked thoughtfully toward one of the view ports.
“Fondly reminiscing about your time there?”
“Hardly that. I was thinking of… what we discussed earlier.” His father switched back to chip-to-chip messaging to admit, I’m worried about Bonita. And her first mate.
Qin. Asger was prepared to bristle if he called her a freak or said anything derogatory.
Yes, Qin. They never would have been captured if Jorg didn’t have all those crushers. She’s quite a fighter. His father smiled briefly. They both are. Jorg has somewhere around a dozen crushers and numerous men on that ship. I need to think about a way to free Bonita and Qin.
He tossed his towel in the recycler and headed for the door.
You mean we need to. Don’t forget I’m coming with you.
His father looked back. Very well. We. But do not blame me when we’re both ostracized from System Lion and your second cousin is running the estate.
Asger didn't point out that he was likely already ostracized. Only their travels in another system had kept that from being made official. Well, even if his own life was a shambles, maybe he could fix someone else's.
"We're coming for you, Qin," he murmured to himself after his father was gone. "One way or another."
3
In Basilisk Citadel in Zamek City, Princess Oku was wedged between the rumpled, gray-haired Senator Boehm and the stout, authoritative Senator Andrin, one of her father’s cousins. A dozen other senators sat at the table with them, though this wasn’t an official meeting.
Her father, who was pacing to one side with his hands clasped behind his back, had invited these men for an “informal chat,” as he’d called it. More likely, he wanted their opinions before the next vote. Her father hadn’t invited Oku, but he also hadn’t kicked her out when she’d slipped in.
She was listening, taking notes, and getting the gist of who was an unquestioning supporter of her father and who was more likely to speak out instead of nodding and going along with anything he said. This was her third time coming to one of these meetings, though she rarely said anything, only observed, trying to get more of a feel for the politics both in the room and in the Kingdom as a whole. And also trying to be, as Casmir’s mother Irena had suggested, a confidante for any of the men who wanted someone largely apolitical to speak with. Her own mother, Queen Iku, had also suggested she be more involved, so she hoped nobody thought her presence at these meetings was suspicious. Her younger brother Finn was also there, not because he wanted to be but because their father ordered it.
“Forseti and Vidar Stations have been attacked this week,” her father said without stopping his pacing. “You’ve seen the footage that made it out and onto the media. You know how many have died, how much damage has been done, and how many others are without homes. Even though the bombers haven’t gotten through Odin’s orbital defenses again, we remain on high alert as construction crews repair the damage already done here. The blockade remains in place, and we are now further cut off from Prince Jorg and the reinforcements he is gathering, because something has happened to the System Stymphalia gate. Nobody knows what. It’s been almost a week since any messages have come out of that system. We