“And this one is Angus Contralvo.” She pointed a thumb in my direction, and Li Fei turned his attention to me.
“Angus Contralvo?” he asked, giving me a funny look. I couldn’t say what it was for sure, but I interpreted it as skepticism. It was hard to say, though, because he was grinning.
“Nice to meet you.” I reached out a hand for him to shake, and he paused for a long and awkward moment before taking it. Mike Mitchell noticed the awkward interaction and stared up at the Senior Arbiter in a way that suggested the two of them were communicating via dataspike.
Then Li Fei finally said something. “Nice to meet you too, I’m sure, Contralvo.”
Did he know? I had no way to be sure, but if I had to guess in that moment I would say so. I started to wonder how much of a rogue Li Fei really was. If I moved ahead of him on this mission, was I risking getting shot in the back?
The Commander returned from the bridge. “Command has cleared the mission; we’ve got the green light. Let’s finish this briefing, and then we’ll make our approach to Llyr station.”
“Sounds good to me.” Andrea smiled at the Commander, but it was a smile without any friendliness in it.
“This is a map of Llyr station,” the Commander announced, and the map changed on the briefing screen. “It’s a typical centrifugal gravity station. Approximately two kilometers in diameter. Ships normally match rotational speed on the empty central axis of the station then descend to their cleared dock. You’ll be doing something similar in your drop suits. You’ll jump into vacuum after our ship matches relative rotation, and then you’ll essentially fall onto the dock. Any questions?”
“Yeah—you mean we’re using Arbiter drop suits?” asked Andrew Jones. He seemed nervous at the prospect. Section 9 rarely had a need to operate in vacuum.
“That’s standard on these missions,” the Commander replied. “I assume your people have all been trained in how to use them?”
Andrea looked a little nervous too. “Yes, but for some of us it’s been a long time since we received that training. A crash course would be helpful if we have time.”
“I’m sure some of you remember perfectly well how to use a drop suit,” said Li Fei smoothly, looking directly at me as he said it.
“No doubt,” was Andrea’s reply. “All the same, a crash course would be helpful before going into a hot site.”
“Li will be more than happy to accommodate.” The Commander marked the map on the screen. “This is the dock you’ll use. It’s not the one the Havisham is docked at, but it is the one that gives you a direct path to the station’s bridge. With Llyr Station’s reputation, it’s best to establish secure control of the entire facility.”
“Won’t that give the Havisham time to escape?”
He shook his head. “We’ll be waiting for them. This ship only looks like a merchant freighter. If they try to run for it, we’ll be right on top of them.”
I had my doubts about the ability of any Arbiter drop ship to catch a rich criminal’s private yacht. The Havisham probably had racing thrusters and at least some firepower. Still, it was probably the best we could do under the circumstances.
The Commander went on to give us a rundown of how we were going to take the station quickly enough to then seize control over the ship before it could make a run for it. Once he had finished explaining the plan, he turned to Li Fei. “Li, could you give them all a refresher in how to use the drop suits?”
“Yes, sir. Follow me, everyone.”
Just as I had done when I first got on the drop ship, I tried to fade back into the group as we followed Li to the armory. It wasn’t as effective as I’d hoped, because he kept seeking me out. He’d look right at me while making some comment to the whole group, even if he had to turn all the way around to do it. He even addressed me specifically.
“Contralvo, I think you’ll like these,” he said, pointing at their new drop suits. “Big improvements over the old models.” They did look sleek and lithe compared to the model I’d used when I jumped onto Venus.
I didn’t know how to respond, though, because it wasn’t like I could admit that. “They look expensive,” was all I managed, which earned me a look from Veraldi. I wasn’t sure what he wanted me to say, though. Yes, those look far more comfortable than the familiar model I used to wear before I killed an Arbiter, had my charges erased mysteriously, then disappeared.
“Expensive?” Li Fei grimaced. “I suppose they are, but I was talking more about the practical features. That’s what Arbiters tend to focus on, I guess. Have a look at the water storage setup. Damn efficient, and it weighs less than on the old model, with the weight distributed over the whole suit instead of across the back.”
He went on for a good twenty minutes, showing us all the features while explaining how they worked. The whole time he was rambling, he kept talking to me like I was obviously familiar with the traditional model and would appreciate the new features more than anyone else. It was making Andrea nervous, although she was doing a good job of not showing it. The only reason I knew was her constant dataspike messages.
Don’t let him get to you. And don’t get your suit on too easily.
Wouldn’t it be just as obvious if I struggled with it?
Walk the line.
A series of tones sounded from overhead followed by a synthesized voice. “Entering mission dropzone in ten minutes.” It was the single most welcome thing I’d heard all day. We were finally going into action, and soon it wouldn’t matter what this Arbiter suspected.
As I was stepping into my drop suit, Mike Mitchell leaned in and spoke quietly into my ear. “We know who you are. Don’t think for one second that you’re getting away with this.”
“What?” I asked him, sounding genuinely confused. “What are you talking about?”
He clapped me on the back and laughed. “That’s just an old game of ours. We do that to one guy no matter who we’re working with. Right, Li?”
Li’s face was expressionless. “Right.”
“So, how do you pick the guy?” asked Jones.
“We go for the one who looks the most nervous.” Mike grinned. “There’s always one.”
“You hear that, Angus?” asked Andrea coolly. “You look jumpy.”
“I can’t imagine why.” Li Fei’s voice was just as cool. “He put that suit on with no problem.”
These two had managed to distract me enough that I had slipped into my drop suit without a second thought. I silently cursed myself. The only thing left to attach was the ponderous helmet. So much for the plan to look incompetent with the suit.
“Are we ready for this drop?” Andrea’s voice was cordial but carried a tinge of impatience.
Li Fei’s tone matched hers. “As ready as we’ll ever be.”
The voice over the intercom spoke again. “Entering mission dropzone in three minutes. Proceed to airlock.”
Andrea messaged me. Once we’re in combat, none of this will matter.
You sure about that?
She didn’t answer me.
7