Maniacs The Krittika Conflict - By Nick S. Thomas Page 0,8

were few commodities. Each side were the entrances to what must be the crew quarters. There were no names on the doors, only numbers. A small corridor at the far end from where they had entered seemed to lead to the bridge. A simple kitchen lay just before it. She guessed the table and chairs they were sitting around were the closest the ship came to a mess hall.

It was small for a transport ship, with a small payload, and surprisingly fast. The room was just three metres high, and mementos from a hundred worlds hung from the ceiling, flags, tapestries, models, and old pre-laser weapons. A police riot shield, and even the door to what looked like a bank vault was up there.

"I'm guessing you don't do a lot of commercial transport?" Erin asked.

"We do whatever jobs we can get. If that's moving something from A to B, we'll do it, but the kind of people who pay us to move stuff expect us to fight like hell to protect it. Not give up the goods at the first sign of trouble."

"Which side do you fight on?"

"Our own."

"Come on, you're soldiers. You must have some allegiance. The war’s been going for what, six years, and you're telling me you're not involved?"

"Wars come and go. Life goes on. You know what the military pay you for putting your ass on the line for their cause?"

"And the pension policies suck," Liu added, smiling.

She looked over to him, still wincing in pain from his wound.

"Let me help you with that."

She walked over and helped him out of his armour. She reached for Wizard's med kit and pulled out a pair of scissors.

"You know what you're doing?" Mason asked.

"The basics, yeah."

She cut around his shirt and prised it from his skin. She was surprised to see a police tattoo on his upper arm. It was obvious that she recognised it.

"You are a Veni police officer?"

"Yeah, I was," he replied in a sad tone.

"And you aren't any longer?"

He looked up at her as if to ask if she was serious.

"I guess it's a long story of how you ended up here."

"It ain't that interesting. You're familiar with Veni?"

She hesitated for a moment. "I was there for a while some time ago."

"And anytime recently?" asked Mason.

"No," she replied. Her tone was sombre.

"We don't have much cause to ever go near a capital like Veni. We get plenty of jobs from there, but god forbid our employers would ever want us setting foot there," said Mason.

"So where are we meeting Mr Thompson?"

Her sudden subject change did not go unnoticed, but they were willing to entertain it.

"Luthien V, it's an IPA station. One of the only places we can safely meet him in the area. The girl's father is a key investor in USV worlds, and we're deep inside Alliance territory. God knows what she was doing out here in the first place. She'd be worth a fortune to any Alliance officials who knew she was here."

"We're in Alliance territory?" she asked with surprise.

"Sure are. The fact you didn't know that gets me curious. How did you end up in that cell?"

"I was on a research mission to a frontier world when our ship was attacked. That was the last thing I remember. But we were still in Vasi territory when that happened."

It sounded as if she was telling a half-truth.

"It's possible," added Liu. “Kidnappers working on the border and taking Vasi civilians back within Alliance worlds. It would give them a layer of protection from official responses."

"Sounds like you're making shit up. There's been something not right about you since we found ya down there. But fuck it, what do I care? Another few hours, and you're a bonus for us in what was already a fine pay day."

"Nice to see I can bring some sunshine to your day," she snapped.

Mason smiled as he walked away and muttered, "Sunshine, hell I've had enough of that for one day too."

They were all tired, and most managed to get some sleep en route, but were glad to hear the Boss’ voice over the intercom.

"Luthien V is up ahead, arrival in fifteen minutes. Have the girls ready for departure."

Mason stepped up to the deck to join the Boss who had become such a lifelong friend.

"This is it, you're really gonna call it a day here?"

"It's been a long time coming. My body ain't up to this work anymore. I've worked decades to amass enough money to retire to a