Earth Afire (The First Formic War 2)

Arjuna complied, rattling off a string of numbers. The spotter put them in his computer, and everyone in the helm gathered around his screen. Rena hung back, craning her neck to catch a glimpse, but everyone was clumped together so closely she couldn't see. It took several minutes to move the eye and zoom in on the coordinates, but eventually the images came through.

The crew fell silent. Hands covered mouths. Eyes widened. Rena pushed her way through the crowd to see. No one stopped her or seemed to even notice.

It was more wreckage than Rena had ever seen, most of it mere dots on the readout, stretched out across tens of thousands of kilometers of space and still moving.

"I do not lie," said Arjuna.

The wreckage was between them and Earth, and the first of it was surprisingly close to their position. Only two to three weeks away perhaps.

"I will connect you to the station chief," said the officer.

"I do not wish to speak to her via holo," said Arjuna. "I want t

o speak to her in person."

"You can't dock your ship here. This is a private station."

"My ship will not approach. I will come in a shuttle. Alone. You are free to search me when I arrive. Anyone who wants to return with me is welcome."

Return with him? Why would anyone want to return with him?

The officer put Arjuna on hold, conferred with Magashi, and made the necessary arrangements. Four hours later, the shuttle docked in the cargo bay, and Arjuna floated from the airlock and turned on his greaves. The magnets pulled his feet to the deck plates, and he stood facing Magashi who had come with four of her armed guards. Rena stood off to the side, out of sight but within earshot.

Arjuna was a big man, well over two meters tall and wide in the shoulders. He wore a heavy coat cinched tight at the waist, thick boots, and padded pants. "Put your guns away, friends," he said. "I come with money, not violence." He reached into his pocket, and the guards flinched, their hands on their weapons. Arjuna slowed and delicately pulled out a money stick. "Relax. Five thousand credits can hardly harm you." He pushed the stick through the air to Magashi, who caught it and examined it.

"We're not selling any food," said Magashi.

"I'm not here for food," said Arjuna. "I've come for men. Twenty if you can spare them. These ships the Pembunuh have destroyed are there for the taking. I mean to salvage them for what parts we can find. I will give five thousand credits to every man who joins us."

"My crew are employees of WU-HU," said Magashi. "They have jobs."

"Yes, jobs at a station that does nothing at present but burn up supplies. I can take them off your hands for a few months. They can earn a great deal, and you can save on supplies. How long do you think your food will last if you continue as you are? The interference has driven most supply ships back to Luna. The Pembunuh have destroyed others. Ask other travelers if what I say is not true. It will be months, maybe even a year before more supplies come. If the Pembunuh wage war on Earth, supplies may never come again. Your station is overpopulated. I can help alleviate that issue."

"By taking my crew?"

"Borrowing them," said Arjuna. "I doubt any of them wants to starve to death."

"You've made your offer," said Magashi. "We're not interested."

"The wreckage is a gold mine. You have a problem. I have a solution."

"The wreckage is a battlefield. Will you pilfer from the dead?"

"The dead have no use for their ships. I do."

"Why not use your own crew?" asked Magashi.

"I will use my crew. But with more men I can double our efforts and salvage more before others arrive."

"Other vultures, you mean?"

A flash of anger came to Arjuna's eyes. "We are not vultures, madam. We are crows. Ours is an honest trade. There are buzzards and vultures in the Black, but my crew and I follow none of their ways. We harm no one and we abhor those who poison our industry. Ask any tradesman or salvage dealer. Arjuna is a man of his word. His methods are as gentle as a lamb."

"Even lambs bite," said Magashi.

"Yes, but we bite only to chew the food we have earned by the sweat of our labors."

"We're not interested," Magashi repeated.