Jess Tamblyn had vanished. In her office chamber within the main Rendezvous asteroid, Cesca found it nearly impossible to concentrate on her leadership tasks.
This unified cluster of space rocks around a dim dwarf star was symbolic of the Roamer clans themselves: each separate, yet held together by invisible threads. In the centuries that Roamers had lived on this outpost, the clans had bound the asteroids together with support girders, connecting walkways, and reinforcement cables. But such bonds could easily be severed and the asteroids of Rendezvous scattered again.
As Speaker, Cesca had to make sure the clans didn’t do the same.
Surrounded by thick walls, she reviewed reports from Roamer traders, studying the lists of goods, raw materials, and resources distributed among clan outposts. Forbidden from running their traditional skymines, some daredevil Roamers made blitzkrieg ekti strikes on gas giants, while others, such as those at the ambitious extraction facilities at Osquivel, broke down frozen comets to distill a trickle of stardrive fuel from their hydrogen. The EDF and the Hansa—the “Big Goose”—demanded any ekti the clans produced, and instead of being grateful for what the Roamers risked their lives to scrape together, they clamored for more and more, when none was available.
The clans were trapped in this uneasy business relationship, though they had theoretically established their independence, separating themselves from the Earth government long ago. The EDF seemed not to remember those details.
Cesca looked up as a visitor appeared in her office, a dark-haired young man with Asian features and an intent set to his narrow jaw. “Speaker Peroni, I’ve got news!”
Jhy Okiah had long held that remembering names and faces was a vital skill for a clan Speaker, and Cesca had diligently developed the skill, along with many others. She remembered that this young man flew one of clan Tylar’s ships, acting as an errand runner and delivery boy between Roamer outposts. He also had a reputation for getting easily lost . . . or at least sidetracked.
“It’s part of my job to receive news, Nikko Chan—though my preference would be to have good news for a change.” She saw from his flustered expression that such a report would not be forthcoming. She pushed the documents and commerce records aside. “Go ahead. I’m listening.”
Nikko fidgeted, drying sweaty palms on his many-pocketed pants. “Four days ago I was flying back from Hurricane Depot to deliver a load of spare parts and pick up some large-output thermal generators for Jonah 12. That’s the frozen moon where Kotto Okiah is establishing a—”
“I know where it is, Nikko. I authorized the plans myself.”
Derailed from his story, Nikko blinked. “Well, sometimes I like to . . . zigzag on my routes. Intentionally, you know.” He sounded defensive. “It doesn’t cost very much ekti, and who knows what I might find? A new settlement, maybe even the Burton?”
“And what did you find this time?”
“You probably remember that my distant uncle Raven Kamarov disappeared a while ago. He used to haul ekti to and from Hurricane Depot, but one day he didn’t show up at his destination. We sent out searchers, but no luck.”
Cesca nodded. A great many Roamer ships had vanished in the past several years, not just Jess Tamblyn’s. It was easy to blame the disappearances on hydrogues, but there was a simmering suspicion among the clans that the Earth Defense Forces were somehow involved. She guessed where Nikko’s story was leading. “And today you located the ship?”
“Not much of it.” Nikko frowned. “But I did find enough serial numbers on hull plates that I could do a proper ID. It’s the right vessel, that’s for sure.”
Cesca felt her stomach sink as if gravity had just increased. “Do you think it could have been a meteor impact or an engine overload?”
His shoulders sagged. “Neither. The marks were unmistakable, Speaker. Some hull sections were large enough that I could see what caused the damage. Jazer strikes. Direct and intentional.”
“Jazers? But only the Eddies use jazers.”
The young man nodded. “I brought all the wreckage with me. It’s in the cargo hold.” The energy traces and blast patterns on the ruined hull metal of Kamarov’s ship would be like a smoking gun.
Anger made Cesca push herself back a bit too quickly for the low gravity of Rendezvous, and her chair hit the wall with a loud bang. “You’re saying that the Eddies intentionally attacked and destroyed an unarmed Roamer vessel?”
“That’s what it looks like. We can do a full analysis, but I’m sure I’m right.”
“This changes everything, Nikko Chan. Ekti is our commodity, to be sold not under duress, but on our own terms, whether the Goose likes it or not.” Cesca drew herself up, assembling her steely resolve. “I need to meet with the clan representatives immediately.”