The pursuit crafts followed. But they were slower here. More cautious. One wrong move and they’d hit rock.
I took advantage. Pushed our speed higher. The speeder’s engines screamed in protest.
“Engines at ninety percent capacity,” I muttered, reading the console. “Any higher and we risk burnout.”
We burst from the ravine into open badlands again. More rock formations. More cover. But also more exposure.
All three pursuit crafts opened fire simultaneously.
I dove. Twisted. The speeder responded sluggishly. The damage from the hangar escape affected the handling.
One shot clipped our starboard stabilizer. The speeder lurched. Alarms blared.
“Stabilizer damage,” Carys reported. “We’re losing maneuverability.”
The tactical display updated. Three more contacts appearing. Tarsus was sending his entire private fleet.
“We can’t take six of them,” Carys said, her voice calm. Steady. Not panicking despite the obvious conclusion. “What do we do?”
I didn’t have an answer.
The comm crackled. Different frequency. Encrypted channel.
“Brevan Korven.” The voice was smooth. Familiar. Valdorian. “I believe you could use some assistance.”
Valerius.
I switched to the encrypted channel. “Senator. This is an interesting time for a social call.”
“Indeed. I’m watching your current predicament with great interest.” His tone carried amusement. “Tarsus has mobilized his private ships. Very impressive. Very expensive. And very much against several port authority treaties regarding armed civilian craft.”
Another pulse seared our shields. They dropped to forty percent.
“I appreciate the commentary,” I said. “But unless you have something useful to offer?—”
“Oh, I do.” His voice shifted. “You embarrassed Tarsus tonight. And you stole from him. That’s worth something to me.”
“How much?”
“Enough to make a few calls.” A pause. “You see, Tarsus may own those ships, but he uses the public planetary comms gridto coordinate them. And that grid is... regulated. I’m filing an anonymous complaint about ‘unauthorized weapons discharge’ in this sector. It’s going to flood his comms with static and automated legal inquiries for about ten minutes.”
The tactical display flickered. The three new contacts vanished. They’d been recalled. The three original ships broke formation, their flight paths suddenly chaotic.
“Why help us?” Carys asked. She’d been listening.
“Because watching Tarsus lose is worth the political cost.” Valerius’s voice carried genuine pleasure. “He’s been insufferable for years. Tonight he staged an elaborate trap, mobilized his security, and still lost his prize. I want him to know I helped you escape. I want him to understand that his control isn’t absolute.”
“You’re creating an enemy,” I said.
“I already had one. Now I’m making sure he knows it.”
The comm channel went dead.
The remaining pursuit crafts were scattering. Confused. Their comms were jammed.
“Now,” I said. I dove toward a cluster of rock formations. The damaged stabilizer fought me, but I forced us into a shallow canyon system.
A pulse struck our port side. One persistent pilot, still tracking us by sight.
